Evolution

• Who proposed the idea of evolution?

  Charles Darwin and Alfred Russel Wallace
• What are the principles behind evolution?

  The process of natural selection and that all living organisms have evolved over time
• What is natural selection?

  The natural process where the best adapted organisms surivive longer, sometimes referred to as “Survival of the fittest”
• What do mutations of bacteria make?

  New strains
• What antibiotic is bacteria becoming resistant to?

  Penicillin
• What is the name of the bacteria which is becoming resistant to antibiotics?

  MRSA- Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus
• Why is MRSA becoming resistant to antibiotics?

  Over prescription from GPs, intensive farming
• How is MRSA infections being prevented in hospitals?

  MRSA screenings, alcohol gel, sterile instruments
• What ingredient is in rat poison?

  Warfarin
• Why are some rats resistant to rat poison?

  Random mutations in genomes of rats
• When does extinction happen?

  When there are no remaining individuals of a species alive.
• What happens to poorly adapted species

  They are less likely to reproduce, so become extinct
• What causes species to become extinct?

  New diseases, predators, successful competitors, climate change
• What is a genome?

  The genetic information in an organism
• What does the Human Genome Project allow?

  Develop new treatments and diagnoses for illnesses e.g cancer
• What does a person with cystic fibrosis have?

  2 faulty alleles for a certain gene from chromosome 7
• How is cystic fibrosis treated?

  Drugs for symptoms, physiotherapy (shaking jacket) and gene therapy
• What is gene therapy?

  Techniques used to counteract the effects of a defective allele
• What is technique 1 for gene therapy?

  Insertion of a functional allele to replace the faulty allele
• What is technique 2 for gene therapy?


  Turning off the faulty allele
• What are the ethical issues surrounding gene therapy?

  Expensive, religious beliefs, health implications
• Why are some people at more of a risk to developing types of breast cancers?

  Because their family members carry faulty alleles
• How is breast cancer being prevented from intensifying?

  The faulty alleles have been identified, so people can be tested if they are at a greater risk
• What is a mutation?


  A change to the genetic code in a gene
• What can mutations be?

  Beneficial, harmful, significant or insignificant
• What else can mutations be?

  Induced by radiation/toxins or they can be spontaneous
• What types of mutations are there?

  Neutral, minor or completely changed
• What happens in a neutral mutation?

  No change in the sequence of amino acids, no effect on phenotype
• What is an example of a minor mutation?


  Change in eye colour
• What is a completely changed mutation?

  Change in sequence of amino acids, severe changes to phenotypes
• What is cystic fibrosis?

  A genetic disorder which produces thick and sticky mucus
• What organs are affected by cystic fibrosis?

  The pancreas and lungs
• What are the parental genotypes for an offspring with cystic fibrosis?

  Heterozygous- Ff x Ff
• What is the chance of having a child with CF (carrier parents)

  1 in 4
• How would you find out you are a carrier of CF?

  Pay for a DNA test
• How would you describe natural selection?

  There is variation in a species due to genetic mutations. The faulty alleles are inherited by the organism‘s offspring. Selective pressures allow those with mutations to survive. Over time all individuals have the same mutation. This is natural selection