B14 - Variation and evolution Flashcards
Adult cell cloning
A type of cloning that forms an embryo from an adult body cell.
Charles Darwin
The Victorian scientist who developed the theory of evolution by a
process of natural selection.
Bacterial plasmid
Extra circle of DNA found in the bacterial cytoplasm.
Clone
Offspring produced by asexual reproduction which is identical to its parent
organism.
Cuttings
A branch is cut from a parent plant and replanted in compost after removing the lower leaves
Genetic engineering
A technique for changing the genetic information of a cell.
Mutation
A sudden random change in the genetic material of a cell that may cause it
and all cells derived from it to differ in appearance or behaviour from the
normal type.
Natural selection
The process that brings about the evolution of new species of animals
and plants. First described by Darwin.
Selective breeding
A procedure used in agriculture to produce offspring that possess the
beneficial characteristics of both parents.
Speciation
The development of one or more species from an existing species.
Tissue culture
The growth of the tissue of living organisms outside the body in a suitable
culture medium.
Variation
The differences between individuals of a plant or animal species.
Vector
A vehicle used in gene cloning to insert a foreign DNA fragment into the
genome of a host cell.
