Theme A — Unity and diversity
Theme A — Unity and diversity — IB Biology SL Revision Notes & Topical Questions
5 min read 13 parts Lesson 1 of 11 Unit quiz
Curriculum Equation Key قوانين الرقم الهيدروجيني والاتزان الأيوني - pH & Acid-Base Equilibrium FormulasFast Exam Solution
pH = -log[H⁺] | pOH = -log[OH⁻] | pH + pOH = 14 | [H⁺][OH⁻] = 10⁻¹⁴
Word Equation & Conditions: الرقم الهيدروجيني = -لوغاريتم تركيز أيون الهيدروجين | pH + pOH = 14
Location & Specifications: الاتزان الأيوني، كيمياء 3 ثانوي، التحصيلي، و AP Chemistry.
Lesson summary
Theme A — Unity and diversity — IB BIOLOGY SL notes: Summarise how life could have arisen, how cells are studied, how evolution and speciation produce diversity, and how biodiversity is lost.Cell = the smallest unit of self-sustaining life, enclosed by a plasma membrane and stori…
- Viruses are not cells
- Concentration of reactants
- Hydrothermal vents
- Meteorites
- Primordial soup
- Significance
Section 1 of 13Cells and the functions of life
Cells and the functions of life
Cell
Cell the smallest unit of self-sustaining life, enclosed by a plasma membrane and storing genetic information in DNA
- The functions of life are metabolism, growth, response to stimuli, homeostasis, reproduction, excretion and nutrition.
Viruses are not cells
- Viruses are not cells they lack metabolism, need no nutrition and replicate only by using host-cell components
Section 2 of 13Conditions on early Earth
| Condition | Early Earth | Modern Earth | Relevance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free oxygen | Almost none | About 21% | Organic molecules were not oxidised |
| Main gases | CO2, N2, H2O, and proposed CH4 and NH3 | N2 and O2 | Supplied C, H and N |
| Ozone layer | Absent | Present | High UV energy reached the surface |
| Energy | Lightning, UV, volcanic heat | Mainly sunlight | Drove synthesis reactions |
| Temperature | Hot and variable | Mild | Faster reactions |
Conditions on early Earth
Concentration of reactants
- Concentration of reactants oceans and tidal pools concentrated the reactants
Hydrothermal vents
- Hydrothermal vents deep-sea alkaline vents offered heat, minerals and chemical gradients
Meteorites
- Meteorites carried amino acids to the Earth
Section 3 of 13The Miller-Urey experiment
Primordial soup
Primordial soup the idea that early oceans held a rich mix of simple organic compounds
Apparatus
- Apparatus a sealed apparatus with water, methane, ammonia and hydrogen
- Electric sparks simulated lightning.
- Boiling water provided vapour, which was then cooled and condensed.
Result
- Result after about a week amino acids and other organic molecules had collected
Significance
- Significance it showed that organic molecules can form without living things
Limitations
- Limitations the early atmosphere may have been less reducing than assumed
- Later re-analysis of stored samples found over 20 amino acids.
Section 4 of 13Steps to the first cell
- Four steps were needed
- organic molecules, polymers, replication and a compartment
| Stage | Problem solved | Model | Limitation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Simple organics | Raw materials | Miller-Urey; meteorites | Atmosphere uncertain |
| Polymers | Complex molecules | Clay surfaces, vent minerals | Polymers tend to hydrolyse |
| Self-replicating molecule | Inheritance | Ribozymes, RNA world | RNA is fragile |
| Membrane | Compartment | Fatty acid vesicles | Getting molecules inside |
1Vesicles
- Vesicles fatty acids self-assemble into vesicles with hydrophobic tails inwards
- The membrane lets the internal chemistry differ from the surroundings.
2RNA
- RNA stores a base sequence and folds into ribozymes that catalyse reactions
- It could replicate and catalyse before DNA or proteins existed.
- DNA later took over storage because it is chemically more stable.
Section 5 of 13LUCA and endosymbiosis
LUCA
LUCA the last universal common ancestor, a single-celled organism that lived about 4 billion years ago
- Evidencethe universal genetic code, shared genes and the same ribosome structure.
- Gene studies suggest it lived near hydrothermal vents.
- Stromatolites and microfossils show early prokaryotes.
- Other early life forms probably existed but left no descendants.
Endosymbiosis
- Endosymbiosis a large cell engulfed an aerobic bacterium that became the mitochondrion
- A later engulfed photosynthetic bacterium became the chloroplast.
- These organelles have a double membrane, their own circular DNA, 70S ribosomes and divide by binary fission.
Section 6 of 13Studying cells
Electron microscope
- Electron microscope uses electron beams and has far higher resolution than a light microscope
Artefact
Artefact a feature in a prepared specimen caused by processing and not by the living cell
Measuring a cell with a graticule
- Place a stage micrometer on the stage and align the scales.
- Calculate the value of one graticule division.
- Replace the micrometer with the specimen and count the divisions across the cell.
- Multiply the divisions by the value of one division.
Making a temporary slide
- Making a temporary slide cut a thin layer and place it flat, add a drop of stain, and lower the coverslip at an angle
- Begin with the lowest-power objective and focus before switching to higher power.
Karyogram
Karyogram an image of an individual's chromosomes arranged in pairs by size and centromere position
Section 7 of 13Key chemistry terms
1Solvent
Solvent a liquid in which solutes dissolve, and water dissolves polar and ionic substances
2Purine
Purine a double-ring base, such as adenine or guanine
3Coding sequence
Coding sequence the part of a gene that carries the instructions for a protein
Section 8 of 13Evidence for evolution
| Evidence | What is compared | Example | Shows | Limitation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Molecular sequences | DNA, RNA or amino acid sequences | Humans and chimpanzees share almost identical cytochrome c | Common ancestry, and relatedness can be measured | Mutation rates vary |
| Selective breeding | Domesticated varieties and wild ancestors | Wild cabbage gave kale, broccoli and cauliflower | Selection can change species quickly | Humans choose the trait |
| Homologous structures | Bone plans of limbs | Bat wing, whale flipper and human arm | Divergence from a shared ancestor | Similarity may be convergent |
Evidence for evolution
Convergent evolution
Convergent evolution unrelated lineages independently evolve similar features under similar selection pressures
Homologous structures
- Homologous structures share structure from a common ancestor, such as the pentadactyl limb in a bat and a whale
Analogous structures
- Analogous structures share function but differ in origin, such as bird and insect wings
Section 9 of 13Speciation
- Geographical isolation
- the Congo River may have separated the ancestors of bonobos and chimpanzees
- The river stopped gene flow.
- Different selection pressures acted on the two populations.
- They eventually became reproductively isolated.
| Barrier | Geographical | Behavioural | Seasonal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Example | Snapping shrimps either side of Panama | Lacewings with different mating songs | Plants flowering in different months |
| Permanent? | Not necessarily, as populations could rejoin | Yes, once the signals differ | Yes, once the timings no longer overlap |
Lamarck
- Lamarck early 1800s, proposed inheritance of characteristics acquired by use and disuse, such as the giraffe's stretched neck
- His idea is now rejected apart from minor epigenetic effects.
Darwin
- Darwin mid 1800s, explained change by random variation
- Longer-necked variants fed and bred more.
Section 10 of 13Biodiversity loss
Species richness
Species richness the number of different species in an area
Agricultural runoff reduces aquatic biodiversity
1
Excess fertiliser washes into a lake.
2
Nitrate and phosphate boost algal growth.
3
Algae block light and plants die.
4
Decomposers use oxygen.
5
Dissolved oxygen falls.
6
Fish and invertebrates die.
- Captive breeding and reintroduction
1
Identify a species with a critically low wild population.
2
Capture the remaining individuals.
3
Breed them using studbooks to limit inbreeding.
4
Restore and protect the habitat.
5
Release the animals gradually with monitoring.
6
Track survival and breeding in the wild.
Section 11 of 13More from the specification
Carbon
- Element with four valence electrons that forms the backbone of organic molecules.
Radiation
- Transfer of heat as infrared energy from a warm object.
Theory
- A well-tested explanation supported by a large body of evidence.
Miller-Urey experiment
- A 1950s laboratory simulation showing amino acids can form from simple gases with an energy input.
Molecular clock
- Use of sequence differences, assuming a constant mutation rate, to date divergence.
Section 12 of 13Key terms
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Primordial soup | Early oceans rich in simple organic compounds. |
| LUCA | The last universal common ancestor, a single-celled organism that lived about 4 billion years ago. |
| Artefact | A feature in a prepared specimen caused by processing and not by the living cell. |
| Convergent evolution | Independent evolution of similar features in unrelated lineages under similar selection pressures. |
| Species richness | The number of different species in an area. |
| Karyogram | An image of chromosomes arranged in pairs by size and centromere position. |
| Endosymbiosis | The origin of mitochondria and chloroplasts from engulfed bacteria living inside a larger cell. |
Section 13 of 13Exam technique
1
Saying that the Miller-Urey experiment created life — it only made simple organic molecules
2
Thinking convergent species are closely related — they evolved similar features independently
3
Saying that reproductive isolation always needs a physical barrier — it can also be behavioural or seasonal
4
Thinking Lamarck's acquired characteristics are inherited — they are not, so variation must arise by mutation and be selected
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