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VCE Stuff => VCE Science => VCE Mathematics/Science/Technology => VCE Subjects + Help => VCE Biology => Topic started by: psyxwar on September 10, 2013, 10:10:06 pm

Title: Biology acronyms
Post by: psyxwar on September 10, 2013, 10:10:06 pm
If you have any bio acronyms post them here! :D

VSSI for answering evolutionary questions -> Variation/Struggle for Survival/Survival of the fittest/Inheritence

BADFEW for evidence for evolution -> Biological (DNA similarities, proteins etc)/Anatomical (homology, vestigial structures)/ Distribution (aka biogeography)/ Fossil record/ Embryology/ Witnesses (ie. humans have actually seen evolution in action)
Title: Re: Biology acronyms
Post by: alondouek on September 10, 2013, 10:36:10 pm
In differentiating between microevolution and macroevolution:

Micro: VSSR - Variation within a species, Selecting factor/agent, Survival of the fittest, Reproduction.

Macro: VISSR - Variation within a species, Isolating barrier, Selecting factor/agent, Survival of the fittest, Reproduction.

The first S in mine is a little more specific than yours, as it explicitly mentions the application of a selecting factor :P
Title: Re: Biology acronyms
Post by: psyxwar on September 10, 2013, 10:42:04 pm
Thanks!

So isolating barrier would be something like a mountain separating two populations, or polyploidy in some individuals preventing interbreeding?
Title: Re: Biology acronyms
Post by: alondouek on September 10, 2013, 10:45:03 pm
Thanks!

So isolating barrier would be something like a mountain separating two populations, or polyploidy in some individuals preventing interbreeding?

No worries!

First one is correct, the second one almost so. The isolating barrier need not be geographical, it can also be behavioural in that two groups will not mate with each other - this doesn't need to have an explicit genetic basis (by "polyploidy", did you mean "polymorphism"? If so, the statement is correct).
Title: Re: Biology acronyms
Post by: psyxwar on September 10, 2013, 10:47:12 pm
No worries!

First one is correct, the second one almost so. The isolating barrier need not be geographical, it can also be behavioural in that two groups will not mate with each other - this doesn't need to have an explicit genetic basis (by "polyploidy", did you mean "polymorphism"? If so, the statement is correct).
As in, plants that are tetraploid (4n) can't successfully fertilise plants that are diploid (2n).

What is polymorphism exactly/ how is it relevant? Heard the term before, but not too sure what it refers to exactly.
Title: Re: Biology acronyms
Post by: alondouek on September 10, 2013, 10:54:07 pm
Ah, I see. In this case, the different ploidys are not true isolating barriers. I'd be more inclined to label it as a form of speciation or microevolution.

Polymorphism is literally "many forms" - think black skin colour and white skin colour, or sexual dimorphism where the male of a species differs significantly to the female of that same species.

In the context of your question: If a population of, for example, green beetles splits into two colonies and one colony develops a red colour over time due to a selecting factor, these colonies may not mate even if they can technically produce fertile offspring. This is a form of behavioural isolation resulting from polymorphism.
Title: Re: Biology acronyms
Post by: psyxwar on September 10, 2013, 10:59:11 pm
I see. Thanks again.
Title: Re: Biology acronyms
Post by: Yacoubb on September 10, 2013, 11:05:43 pm
AGnes is a big PURe girl.

Adenine & Guanine are Purines (double ringed nitrogenous bases).

CUT the PYRamid

Cytosine, Uracil and Thymine are Pyrimidines.

Title: Re: Biology acronyms
Post by: Yacoubb on September 10, 2013, 11:09:51 pm
In differentiating between microevolution and macroevolution:

Micro: VSSR - Variation within a species, Selecting factor/agent, Survival of the fittest, Reproduction.

Macro: VISSR - Variation within a species, Isolating barrier, Selecting factor/agent, Survival of the fittest, Reproduction.

The first S in mine is a little more specific than yours, as it explicitly mentions the application of a selecting factor :P

When mentioning macroevolution, does the physical barrier lead to allopatric speciation? That is, the physical barrier separates the two groups, which are exposed to different selecting agents in their respective environments?
Title: Re: Biology acronyms
Post by: pi on September 10, 2013, 11:15:14 pm
CUT the PYRamid

Cytosine, Uracil and Thymine are Pyrimidines.

Ruining Douchy's thing here :P

You get a CUT from a PYRamid because they are sharp :P
Title: Re: Biology acronyms
Post by: alondouek on September 10, 2013, 11:15:30 pm
When mentioning macroevolution, does the physical barrier lead to allopatric speciation? That is, the physical barrier separates the two groups, which are exposed to different selecting agents in their respective environments?

Not really. The main means of evolutionary development in plants is by sympatric speciation, due to the difficulty in achieving reproductive isolation by seed-dispersal mechanisms.
Title: Re: Biology acronyms
Post by: alondouek on September 10, 2013, 11:17:48 pm
Ruining Douchy's thing here :P

You get a CUT from a PYRamid because they are sharp :P

In a similar vein, cytosine and thymine are pyrimidines - they both have y. So is uracil, but I suppose the example is still good for DNA :P
Title: Re: Biology acronyms
Post by: Yacoubb on September 11, 2013, 01:16:11 am
Ruining Douchy's thing here :P


LOL sorry :P
Title: Re: Biology acronyms
Post by: Stick on September 11, 2013, 06:52:25 pm
Here's one we use at our school for mitosis: I peed on the mat, see (C)?
Title: Re: Biology acronyms
Post by: slothpomba on September 13, 2013, 05:00:46 pm
Kevin puts cake on for great snacks (thats the non-dirty version of it anyway)

Kingdom
Phylyum
Class
Order
Family
Genus
Species

If you prefer the other one (its heaps easier to remember imo)...

Spoiler
Kevin Puts Condoms On For Great Sex
Title: Re: Biology acronyms
Post by: psyxwar on September 13, 2013, 05:01:51 pm
If you prefer the other one (its heaps easier to remember imo)...

Spoiler
Kevin Puts Condoms On For Great Sex
I learnt it as
Spoiler
"Kyle Please Come Over For Gay Sex"
Title: Re: Biology acronyms
Post by: sparked on September 17, 2013, 08:51:14 pm
Ah, I see. In this case, the different ploidys are not true isolating barriers. I'd be more inclined to label it as a form of speciation or microevolution.

Polymorphism is literally "many forms" - think black skin colour and white skin colour, or sexual dimorphism where the male of a species differs significantly to the female of that same species.

In the context of your question: If a population of, for example, green beetles splits into two colonies and one colony develops a red colour over time due to a selecting factor, these colonies may not mate even if they can technically produce fertile offspring. This is a form of behavioural isolation resulting from polymorphism.

A practical example of behavioural differentiation: there are preproductive mechanisms that seek to limit breeding between species. A frog mating call is unique to a species of frog so this will attract individuals of the same species to mate.

However this does NOT prevent mating occurring with other species (it certainly makes it unlikely) but it is a preproductive mechanism.

Then there are post productive isolating mechanisms - even if mating did occur between separate frog species... The incompatibility of chromosomes between the parents means the embryo is unviable: either the gametes don't survive or the zygote does not survive OR the offspring are sterile. (animals)

It is is selectively inefficient to waste energy mating if there are no viable offspring, so these factors seek to lower the chances of that happening. Even if mating COULD occur, I.e. horses and donkeys can mate, it wouldn't under natural conditions because of the biological cost

Haha hopefully this wasn't confusing
Title: Re: Biology acronyms
Post by: alondouek on September 17, 2013, 08:53:58 pm
Ah, I see. In this case, the different ploidys are not true isolating barriers. I'd be more inclined to label it as a form of speciation or microevolution.

Polymorphism is literally "many forms" - think black skin colour and white skin colour, or sexual dimorphism where the male of a species differs significantly to the female of that same species.

In the context of your question: If a population of, for example, green beetles splits into two colonies and one colony develops a red colour over time due to a selecting factor, these colonies may not mate even if they can technically produce fertile offspring. This is a form of behavioural isolation resulting from polymorphism.

:P

Also, in the interests of me being pedantic:

I.e. horses and donkeys can mate, it wouldn't under natural conditions because of the biological cost

Horses and donkeys do mate with a significant frequency to produce mules. These mules aren't fertile because they have a diploid number of 63 (64 from the horse and 62 from the donkey).
Title: Re: Biology acronyms
Post by: sparked on September 18, 2013, 06:12:10 pm
Haha well we have been artificially been breeding mules for thousands of years, but the point is that in the wild, under natural conditions, this wouldn't happen/selection isolation factors aim to discourage this