Work through the list without notes. If you cannot do a statement, follow its link, then come back. Guide = study guide; Practice = practice questions.
Understanding
- I can explain what common ancestry means, and why it does not mean one living species evolved from another. (Guide: “What common ancestry means”; Common misconceptions)
- I can name features shared by all life and say why they do not single out eukaryotes. (Guide: “Background: unity across all of life”; Practice Q1)
- I can describe the membrane-bound organelles shared by eukaryotes and explain why shared mitochondria point to one endosymbiosis. (Guide: “Membrane-bound organelles”; Practice Q2, Q5)
- I can describe linear chromosomes with telomeres and contrast them with a circular prokaryotic chromosome. (Guide: “Linear chromosomes”, Figure 1; Practice Q3)
- I can describe split genes and the spliceosome, and say why prokaryotes lack them. (Guide: “Genes that contain introns”; Practice Q1)
Skills
- I can read a gene-structure diagram and identify which intron positions are shared. (Guide: Figure 2, Worked example 1)
- I can calculate growth as a percentage of a control and use it to compare groups. (Guide: Worked example 2; Practice Q4)
- I can analyse intron data from several organisms and describe the pattern. (Practice Q4)
Reasoning
- I can tell homologous features from features that only share a function. (Guide: “Why shared features point to one ancestor”; Practice Q7)
- I can argue that several shared, complex features are best explained by one ancestor, and evaluate a claim of separate origins. (Practice Q5, Q7)
- I can explain why intron loss or a missing organelle does not rule out common ancestry. (Guide: Worked example 1; Practice Q2, Q4)
- I can predict the effects of disrupting splicing or telomere maintenance on eukaryotes and on prokaryotes. (Guide: Worked example 2; Practice Q3, Q6)
All ticked? Move on to Topic 7.8, Continuing Evolution, or return to the course roadmap.