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Question 1

Biological Evolution

Answer 1

changes that take place in the genetic and physical characteristics of a population or group of organisms over time

Question 2

Adaptive Significance

Answer 2

the effectiveness of behaviour in aiding organisms to asap to change environmental conditions/ therefore refers to the beneficial qualities, in terms of increased survival and reproduction, a trait conveys

Question 3

Ultimate Causes

Answer 3

evolutionary conditions that have slowly shaped the behaviour of a species over time

Question 4

Proximate Causes

Answer 4

immediate environmental events and conditions that affect behaviou

Question 5

Culture

Answer 5

the sum of socially transmitted knowledge, customs & behaviour patterns common to a particular group of people

Question 6

Artificial Selection

Answer 6

a procedure in which particular animals are deliberately mated to produce offspring that posses especially desirable characteristics

Question 7

Natural Selection

Answer 7

the consequence of the fact that, because there are physical and behavioural differences among organisms, they reproduce differentially. Within a given population, some animals - the survivors will produce more offspring than other animals

Question 8

Reproductive Success

Answer 8

the number of viable offspring an individual produces relative to the number of viable offspring produced by other members of the same species

Question 9

Variation

Answer 9

the differences found across individuals of any given species in terms of their genetic, biological (size, strength, physiology) and psychological (intelligence, sociability, behaviour) characteristics

Question 10

Genotype

Answer 10

an organism’s genetic makeup

Question 11

Phenotype

Answer 11

the outward expression of an organism’s genotype; and organism’s physical characteristics and behaviour

Question 12

Competition

Answer 12

a striving or vying with others who share the same ecological niche for food, mates & territory

Question 13

Genetics

Answer 13

the study of the genetic makeup of organisms and how it influences their physical and behavioural characteristics

Question 14

Heredity

Answer 14

the sum of the traits and tendencies inherited from a person’s parents & other biological ancestors

Question 15

DNA

Answer 15

the DNA structure resembles that of twisted ladder. Strands of sugar and phosphate are connected by rungs made from nucleotide molecules of adenine, thymine, guanine & cytosine

Question 16

Genes

Answer 16

small units of DNA that direct the synthesis of proteins & enzymes

Question 17

Genome

Answer 17

the total set of genetic material of an organism

Question 18

Enzymes

Answer 18

proteins that regulate the structure of bodily cells and the processes occurring within those cells

Question 19

Chromosomes

Answer 19

threadlike structures in the nuclei of living cells; contain genes

Question 20

Sex Chromosomes

Answer 20

the chromosomes that contain the instructional code for the development of male or female sex characteristics

Question 21

Autosomes

Answer 21

the chromosomes that are not sex chromosomes

Question 22

Meiosis

Answer 22

the form of cell division by which new sperm and ova are formed. The chromosomes with the cell are randomly rearranged so that new sperm and ova contain 23 individual chromosomes (1/2 those found in other body cells)

Question 23

Alleles

Answer 23

alternative forms of the same gene

Question 24

Dominant Trait

Answer 24

the trait that is exhibited when an individual posses heterozygous alleles

Question 25

Recessive Trait

Answer 25

a trait that occurs only when it is expressed by homozygous alleles

Question 26

Mutation

Answer 26

accidental alterations in the DNA code within a single gene. Mutations can be spontaneous, occurring naturally or the result of environmental factors (ex. exposure to radiation)

Question 27

Chromosomal Aberration

Answer 27

the rearrangement of genes within chromosomes or a change in the total number of chromosomes

Question 28

Down Syndrome

Answer 28

a genetic disorder caused by chromosomal aberration resulting in an extra 21st chromosome. People with this disease show impairments in physical, psychomotor and cognitive development

Question 29

Huntington’s Disease

Answer 29

a genetic disorder caused by a dominant lethal gene in which a person experience’s slow but progressive mental and physical deterioration

Question 30

Phenylketonuria (PKU)

Answer 30

a genetic disorder caused by a particular pair of homozygous recessive genes and characterized by the inability to break down phenylalanine (an amino acid in may high-protein foods). The resulting high blood levels of phenylalanine causes mental retardation

Question 31

Heritability

Answer 31

the amount of variability in a given trait in a given population at a given time due to genetic factors

Question 32

Behaviour Genetics

Answer 32

the study of genetic influences on behaviour

Question 33

Mendelian Trait

Answer 33

a trait showing a classical dominant, recessive or sex-linked pattern of inheritance. Mendelian traits are usually dichotomous and are controlled by a single locus

Question 34

Non-Mendelian Trait

Answer 34

a trait that does not show the inheritance pattern described by Mendel. Non-Mendelian traits are usually polygenic and show continuous variation in the phenotype.

Question 35

Genetic Engineering

Answer 35

the new scientific discipline of manipulating genetic sequences to alter an organism’s genome

Question 36

Knockout Manipulation

Answer 36

n artificially constructed genetic sequence inserted into a gene to inactivate it

Question 37

Genetic Marker -

Answer 37

a known DNA sequence that occurs at a particular place in the chromosome

Question 38

Concordance Research

Answer 38

research that studies the degree of similarity between twins in traits expressed. Twins are said to be concordant for a trait if either both or neither twin expresses it; discordant if only one twin expresses it

Question 39

Epigentic Modifications

Answer 39

changes in cell inheritance that are not due to alterations in the sequence of DNA nucleotides

Question 40

Bipedalism

Answer 40

the ability to move about the environment upright on two feet

Question 41

Encephalization

Answer 41

an increase in brain size

Question 42

Cultural Evolution

Answer 42

the adaptive changes of cultures in response to environmental changes over time

Question 43

Sociobiology

Answer 43

the study of the genetic bases of social behaviour

Question 44

Reproductive Strategies

Answer 44

different systems of mating and rearing offspring. Include monogamy, polygyny, polyandry, polygyandry

Question 45

Monogamy

Answer 45

the mating of one female and one male

Question 46

Polygyny

Answer 46

the mating of one male with more than one female

Question 47

Polyandry

Answer 47

the mating of one female with more than one male

Question 48

Polygynandry

Answer 48

the mating of several females with several males

Question 49

Parental Investment

Answer 49

the resources, including time, physical effort and risks to life that a parent spends in procreation and the feeding, nurturing and protecting of offspring

Question 50

Sexual Selection

Answer 50

selection for traits specific to sex such as body size or particular patterns of behaviour

Question 51

Altruism

Answer 51

the unselfish concern of one individual for the welfare of another

Question 52

inclusive Fitness

Answer 52

- the reproductive success of those who share common genes

Question 53

Kin Selection

Answer 53

a type of selection that favours altruistic acts tuned at individuals who share some of the altruist’s genes such as parents, siblings, grandchildren and under some conditions, distant relatives

Question 54

Reciprocal Altruism

Answer 54

altruism in which people behave altruistically toward one another because they are confident that such acts will be reciprocated toward either them or their kin