General Biology Reviewer

we_are_allinthis_together.mp3

I. Genetics
Instinct – characters that naturally come out.
Hereditary Characters – characters that are
controlled by genes, (factors of hereditary that
are transmitted from one generation to
another)
Classifications of Hereditary Characters:
> X-linked Recessive
- if female parent possessing one X-Linked
recessive mutation is a carrier, they will not
manifest the symptoms of the disorder but will
pass on this trait to the next generation. All
males possessing an X-linked recessive mutation
will be affected.
ex: Duchenne muscular dystrophy, haemophilia,

1. Morphological Characters – rely on structure

or form such as shape, length, or color of body > Y-linked (holandric inheritance)
parts. - manifestation of a phenotypic trait by an allele
ex: arched eyebrows, widow’s peak, cleft chin, (or gene) on the Y chromosome; passed only
low-bridged nose. from father to son with no genetic
2. Physiological Characters – refer to functions recombination occurring.
of parts. > Sex-influenced Traits
ex: tongue rolling, twisting of fingers, blood - pertains to traits that are phenotypically
clotting, color vision. expressed depending on whether the individual
3. Behavioral Characters – externally directed is male or female
activities on response to stimuli. > Sex-limited Traits
ex: crying, thumb sucking, slumping of feet. - these are characters that are only expressed in
4. Sexual Characters – associated with being a one sex.
male or female. ex: Female Sterility in Drosophila, and
ex: hair growth at puberty, fat deposition in polymorphic characters in insects.
breasts, hip widening, lowering of vocal tone.
Pedigree Chart
Co-dominance – a form of dominance wherein - a diagram that shows the occurrence and
the alleles of a gene pair in a heterozygote are appearance of a particular gene or organism
fully expressed. This results in offspring with a and its ancestors from one generation to the
phenotype that is neither dominant nor next.
recessive. - presentation of family information
summarized in a chart using a standardized set
Mendelian Inheritance – Sex-linked. Y-linked, of symbols.
X-linked
- male - mating
> X-linked dominant
- offspring whose parents are affected with X- - female I offspring
linked dominant trait has a 50% chance of
II in birth
inheriting the trait/mutation/disorder. - affected order; I and II are
- if the father is affected, all females will be
individuals generations;
affected, and none of the male sons will be
-Identical twins offspring number II-
affected.
- if the mother is affected, there is 50% chance 1 and II-2
that the son/daughter is affected. - non-
identical twins
ex: Vitamin D Resistant Rickets, and Fragile X
Syndrome. (practice answering pages 76-77)

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General Biology Reviewer
we_are_allinthis_together.mp3
II. Nervous System
Types of Neurons:
1. Motor Neurons – transmit nerve impulses
from the CNS to the effectors. (muscle or gland)
2. Sensory Neurons – transmit nerve impulses
from receptors to the CNS.
3. Relay Neurons – transmit nerve impulses
between sensory and motor neurons.
Reflex Arc
- allows very quick responses; automatic
- saves your body from injury.
- It’s called “arc” rather than a “loop” because
the two ends don’t connect.
- a muscle responds by contracting, a gland
responds by secreting
Stimulus > receptor > sensory neuron > relay
neuron > motor neuron > effector > response
Synapses
- is a junction between a neuron and another
neuron or an effector cell.
- (e.g., a muscle or gland cell)
Divergence Synapse
- Allows one neuron to communicate with many
other neurons in a network.
Convergence Synapse
- refers to the phenomenon of termination of
signals from many sources
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III. Homeostasis
- maintenance of a constant internal
environment.
Receptors – detect when a level is too high or
low.
Effectors – respond to counteract the change,
bringing the level back to normal.
a. Negative Feedback – the mechanism that
restores the level to normal.
normal level -> level changes from normal >
receptors detect change > communication via
nervous or hormonal system -> effectors
respond
ex: Body temperature usually kept within 0.5 0c
above or below 17oc.
b. Positive Feedback – mechanisms that
amplifies a change away from the normal level.
- isn’t involved in homeostasis, and it doesn’t
keep your internal environment constant. It is
used to rapidly activate processes in the body.
normal level > normal level changes > receptors
detect change > communication via nervous or
hormonal system > effectors respond
ex: blood clotting.
IV. Evolution
Theories about the Origin of Life:
1. Panspermia – It speculated that right after
the Big Bang happened, the biochemistry of life
began; meteors or cosmic dust that hit the
Earth transported significant amount of
complicated organic molecules that started the
evolution of life.
2. Abiogenesis – hypothesized that life evolved
from inanimate objects.
General Biology Reviewer
we_are_allinthis_together.mp3

Key Events to the Origin of Life: generations.

1. Atmosphere full of reduced gas molecules Charles Darwin and Natural Selection
and a source of energy to convert these
molecules into important biological precursors -If an organism developed and possessed a
required for life. small inherited variation, that would increase
2. An ocean that is teeming with biological the individual’s ability to compete, survive, and
molecules. reproduce, then this trait will be passed on to
3. A process to produce from this ocean of the next generation. The rest of the organisms
molecules the kinds of information-rich that did not have the trait will not survive.
polymers essential for a living cell.
4. A belief that if step 3 can be executed, it will
result almost inevitably to the creation of a Natural Selection
living cell. - suggests that nature – the environment – was
selecting which characteristics were most
Models of Abiogenesis: successful.
Artificial Selection
1. Spontaneous Generation - when humans select individuals in a
- formation of a living organism without arising population to breed together to get desirable
from a similar organism. traits.
- Francesco Redi (disproved that maggots
Differences
originated from rotting meat.)
- Louis Pasteur (he had the most popular - in Natural Selection, the
experiment that had attempted to refute this organisms that reproduce
theory.) are selected by the
environment but in Similarities
2. “Primordial Soup” Theory Artificial Selection, this is - both change the
- Alexander Oparin carried out by humans. allele frequencies
- hypothesized that possible conditions on the - Artificial Selection aims in the next
primitive Earth allows the onset of chemical for a predetermined result generation.
reactions that leads to the formation of other but in Natural Selection, - both make use of
complex organic compounds using simple the result is unpredictable. random mutations
inorganic substances. when they occur
- Natural Selection,
,makes the species better
3. The Clay Hypothesis
adapted to the
- proposed in 1985 by Graham Cairns-Smith,
this hypothesis suggests that the first molecules environment, but Artificial
of life may have met on clay, whose surfaces Selection, makes the
not only concentrated these organic species more useful to
compounds together, but also helped organize humans.
them into patterns.

Lamarck’s Theory of Adaptation

- concept of inheritance of acquired
characteristics.
- if an animal could develop a particular
characteristic in its lifetime, this trait could be
passed on to their offspring and its succeeding

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General Biology Reviewer
we_are_allinthis_together.mp3

capitalize the first letter of the genus and the

first letter of the specie should be in lowercase.
V. Taxonomy

Role Taxonomist Systematist

Provides Levels of Biological Hierarchy
scientific name ≥ ≥

Gives detailed DOMAIN (e.g., Eukarya)

description of an ≥ ≥ KINGDOM (e.g., Animalia)
organism PHYLUM (e.g., Chordata)
Collects and CLASS (e.g., Mammalia)
keeps volumes of ≥ ≥ ORDER (e.g., Primates)
specimens FAMILY (e.g., Pongidae)
GENUS (e.g., Homo)
Offers
SPECIES (e.g., Homo sapiens)
classifications for
the organisms, RAPHAEL ACABADO
constructing ≥ ≥ S G
identification
keys and data on
their occurrence 1-6, ZONE 5, TABUCO,
and distribution F O C
Investigation on
evolutionary ≥ NAGA CITY, CAM. SUR
histories P K
Considers
environmental ≥
adaptation of
species

Binomial Nomenclature – formal system of

naming species of living things by giving each a
name composed of two parts, both of which use
Latin grammatical forms, although they can be
based on words from other languages.
- the first part of the name identifies the genus
to which the specie belongs, the second part is
the specific name which identifies the name
within the genus.

Example: Homo (genus) sapiens (species)

Rules in Writing Scientific Name:

The scientific name should be italicized,

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