Topic B3 Life on Earth Homework booklet

Transcription

1 Topic B3 Life on Earth Homework booklet Name Due Date Teacher Comment Homework 1 Homework 2 Homework 3 Homework 4 adaptation biodiversity carbon cycle characteristic classification combustion competition Darwin decomposers decomposition denitrification detritovores dependent DNA disease ecosystem efficiency energy environment environmental indicator evidence evolution excretion explanation extinction food chain food web gene genetic interdependence kingdom Lamark lichens mayfly larvae medicines microorganisms monoculture mutation natural selection nitrate nitrogen cycle nitrogen fixation non-living indicator offspring organism photosynthesis phytoplankton predator reproduce resources respiration selective breeding sex cells species sun survive sustainablility variation

2 Homework One: Organisms and Ecosystems In the space below draw or stick a picture of an organism of your choice. It could be a plant or an animal. Add annotated labels to the picture that point out and explain all the adaptations of the organism (for example: thick fur to act as insulation in the cold climate) Draw a food chain for each of the ecosystems below artic/antarctic English wood River Garden in Market Harborough African savannah

3 Homework Two: Ideas and Evidence For this piece of work you are going to try and imagine that you live at the start of the 1800s. You will find out about what was believed at the time and about the theories proposed by different scientists to explain what they saw. At the end of the information there are some straightforward questions to answer. You will probably find this piece of homework useful for an activity you complete in class. At the start of the 19 th century, the churches were very powerful in Europe and Bible stories were taught as the literal truth. In the 17th century, Archbishop Ussher used the Bible to calculate the age of the Earth. He worked out that the Creation happened in 4004 BC. Only a few people dared to suggest that the Earth was much older. Collecting specimens of plants, animals, and fossils was fashionable. It was also a time of exploration. Naturalists brought collections of strange plants and animals back to Europe. When they first saw a specimen of a duckbilled platypus many people thought that it was a forgery parts of different animals sewn together. However, fossil collectors were finding equally strange specimens from the past (dinosaurs etc.). The nature of fossils was disputed. Some of the explanations suggested to explain fossils were: they were put there by the devil to fool us/test loyalty they developed from moist, seed-bearing vapours from the sea ammonites found in Whitby were snakes turned to stone by Saint Hilda Then, as more and more fossils were discovered and studied, more scientists started to accepted that they were the remains of once-living organisms. Cuvier noticed that each layer of rock had its own particular set of fossil species. As he looked through the rock layers he saw that some species died out and new ones appeared. Geologists James Hutton and Charles Lyell showed that processes such as erosion, deposition, and volcanic activity could account for past changes in the Earth s crust. Among those who observed small changes in domesticated plants and animals were Lamarck and Erasmus Darwin (Charles Darwin s grandfather). They suggested that over a long period of time, larger changes might be possible. There were some real puzzles to answer: Why are older fossils different from younger? Why were living things in the past different from those living now? How did new species arise? Why did some species become extinct? If you have a puzzle, you look for an explanation. People have to use their imaginations. They think creatively to imagine what might have happened. Different people often come up with different explanations for the same data.

4 Jean-Baptiste Lamarck ( ) Georges Cuvier ( ) Charles Darwin ( ) Professor of invertebrate zoology at the Natural History Museum in Paris He developed a classification ladder for invertebrates to show how complex invertebrates could have evolved from simpler ones. He thought that organisms evolved by developing new features as a result of an inner urge for improvement. He thought that they then passed the improvements on to their young. He didn t accept that organisms could become extinct. Professor of Animal Anatomy at the Natural History Museum in Paris. He was noted for comparing the anatomy of animals and his well known ability to predict the structure and way of life of an animal from a few bones or teeth. He recognised that successive layers of rock had different fossils. However, he thought that there was no connection between the species in one layer of rock and those in another. He explained this with Catastrophism organisms were wiped out by a series of catastrophes. Then God created new, improved versions. Theologist (someone who studies religion) and self taught naturalist. Like Lamarck, Darwin thought that all living things evolved. He suggested that evolution happened by Natural Selection or the survival of the fittest. He gathered lots of evidence to support his idea. Darwin had no explanation of how features were passed on.

5 Now use the information you have read to answer these questions. 1. Who believed organisms had an inner urge to improve? 2. Which scientists were French? 3. Who had most evidence to support his ideas? 4. Who believed in evolution? (2 answers) 5. Who explained changes to organisms by catastrophism? 6. Who needed creativity to come up with their ideas 7. Who thought evolution occurred by the survival of the fittest? 8. who believed that improvements gained during the lifetime of an animal could be passed on to their offspring? 9. who believed there was no connection between fossils in different layers of rock? 10. who s theory has gained more and more evidence for as time has gone by Homework Three: Natural Selection and Selective Breeding Fill in the spaces using the words from the bottom of the sheet. Over the millions of years since life on Earth began, all species have had a constant to survive. They have to compete for all sorts of things. They may die of disease, get by other species, or be unable to get, find space to live or find a mate to reproduce with. Only some of the animals born will long enough to reproduce and pass on their features. Charles ( ) realised that this might be how evolution takes place. Alfred Wallace had a similar idea to Darwin's at the same time. The theory is known as evolution by selection. (Sometimes known as the "survival of the fittest") Darwin's theory is based on:- Variation within a species: Survival of the fittest: individuals in colour, height, shape, size of beak, length of neck, strength etc; some features in the struggle for survival, lucky organisms with the features to reproduce;

6 Adaptation: Extinction the survivors on their features to later generations. The species evolves and becomes adapted to that environment. species that cannot die out. Some differences between individuals are due to information we from our parents. Sometimes the information can be. This process is known as a mutation. Mutations can or harm an individual depending on what the change is. The theory of evolution depends upon these mutations. There are many things around us that cause to happen more quickly, some natural, some "man made". changed Darwin eaten food help help mutation natural pass receive struggle survive vary compete Selective breeding Today humans can hurry up evolution by using selective breeding. List four examples of organisms that have been selectively breed by humans Use these 4 rules to describe how you could breed cats with really, really long whiskers. A. Choose the organisms with the best characteristics. B. Breed them with each other. C. Select the best of the offspring and breed from them. D. Continue this over several generations.

7 Homework Four Look back over your work or use a revision book to answer all these questions. 1 What word is used to describe organisms that can breed successfully with each other? 2 Give 2 adaptations of a tiger 3 What do all food chains start with? use this web to answer questions What do shrews feed on? 6 What would happen to the number of shrews if there were less owls? 7 What might happen to the number of weasels if there were more seeds and berries? 8 Name two animals that compete with each other 9 Name a predator of hoverflies 10 Name the process plants use to produce food 11 What is natural selection also known as? 12 What do the arrows in food webs tell you? 13 In the nitrogen cycle, which microorganisms convert nitrogen from the atmosphere into nitrates in soil? 14 How does nitrogen in plants, get into animals? 15 What type of bacteria return nitrogen to the atmosphere? 16 Give two examples of living environmental indicators 17 Give two examples of non-living environmental indicators 18 Name the scientist with a different theory to Darwin about how evolution occurred

8 19 Define the term sustainable 20 biodiversity includes: a) the number of different b) the range of different of organisms, eg plants, animals and microorganisms c) the genetic within species a) b) c) 21 Name a characteristic in tigers that is likely to be selected for by natural selection 22 Give a characteristic in wheat that is likely to be selected for by selective breeding In some parts of east Africa, elephant poaching has been a problem. In certain places, thousands of elephants have been killed for their ivory tusks. Scientists noticed that many elephants in the worst areas for poaching grew no tusks. They thought this was an example of selection by humans changing the elephant population. Suggest how this change to the elephants happened. The quality of written communication will be assessed in your answer to this question. [6]