BIO1004S Practicals:
Memo and Study guide it
University of Cape Town
Practical 1: Life under a microscope
Practical 2: Evolution/Variation/Natural Selection
Practical 3: Marine Biodiversity
Practical 4: Protists and Fungi
Practical 5: Land Plants
Practical 6: Molluscs
Practical 7: Arthropods
Practical 8: Chordates
Practical 9: Primates
, Practical 1: Life under a microscope
Monera Protista Fungi Plantae Animalia
Unicellular (spiral, Unicellular, multicellular Unicellular or Multicellular Multicellular
Form sphere, or rod) or or colonial multicellular
chained
Cell wall Polysaccharides (A) or Only algae Chitin Cellulose N/A
Peptidoglycan (B)
Autotrophic or Photosynthetic or Absorptive heterotroph Photosynthetic Ingestive heterotroph
Nutrition heterotrophic heterotrophic or mix (decomposers) autotroph (producers) (consumers)
Flagella and/or Sessile
Non-motile or flagella pseudopodium Non-motile/sessile Muscular
Motility
• Chlorophytes (green; • Ascomycetes (yeast, • Bryophytes
Extremophiles volvox, spirogyra, penicillin) (Hornworts, • Invertebrates
(Archaea) ulva) • Basidiomycetes liverworts, moss) (molluscs,
Example
i • Alveolates (ciliates - (mushrooms) • Seedless vascular arthropods)
paramecium) • Chytrids (flag. (Lycophytes, • Chordates
• Rhodophytes zoospores) Pterophytes)
(gigartina) • Glomeromycetes • Seeded vascular
• Stramenopila (brown (mychorrizae) (gymnosperms,
algae, diatoms) • Zygomycetes (bread angiosperms)
mould)
• Recall differences between eukaryotes and prokaryotes
◦ Prokaryotes (Monera) have no nuclei and a single, circular DNA strand
◦ Eukaryotes (Protists, Fungi, Plants, Animals) have membrane-bound nuclei and multiple linear chromosomes
• Scale bar
◦ FOV = 18/magnification (in mm, convert to µm!) m
◦ Size of object = FOV/no. of times it fits OR Size of object = EPUs x conversion factor
◦ µm per cm = size of object/size of drawing
◦ To chose your own scale: µm/1cm = chosen µm/ !cm
Practical 2: Variation and Natural Selection
• Homologous structures: have similar development, structure, composition, and relation to other structures due
to shared ancestry
◦ e.g Animal forelimbs look very different (due to different selection pressures, lifestyles) but share a common
ancestor and thus also share their bone set (radius, ulna, humerus). Seals evolved heavier, larger forelimbs
to support bodyweight out of water; penguins have smaller, streamlined for efficient swimming; turtle has
intricate bone structure to help with flexibility and articulation (for swimming).
• Analogous structures: serve similar functions but have independent evolutionary origins.
◦ A result of convergent evolution (independent evolution of similar features in species with no relation)
◦ E.g Flying mechanism (i.e wings) of birds, bats, and insects
‣ NB: The actual BONES are homologous
• Genetic variation is a result of mutation (often many, accumulated over time), gene flow (movement of genes
between two populations), and sexual reproduction (due to meiosis and recombination).
