Chapter 1 - Variation for Survival Flashcards
Group of organisms that can interbreed and produce fertile offspring.
Species
The range of characteristics across individuals of the same group.
Variation
The range of different organisms within an ecosystem.
Biodiversity
A community of organisms along with the non-living components such as air, water & soil type.
Ecosystems
The way that scientists group organisms, for example into a genus or species.
Classification
Variation that is distributed along a continuum, rather than in discrete (separate) categories, e.g., weight & height.
Continuous variation
Variation that is distributed in discrete (separate) categories, for example, eye colour, lefot of right handedness.
Discontinuous variation
How well sets of data are linked; high correlation shows that there is a strong link between two sets of data.
Correlation
Breeding with close relatives
Inbreeding
A feature or characteristic that has been passed on genetically.
Inherited
Caused by genes, inherited
Genetic
Mating of two individual chosen because of their characteristics, to produce offspring with a combination of desired characteristics.
Selective Breeding
The process by which characteristic that can be passed on in genes become more common over many generations if they help the organism survive.
Natural selection
Derive a feature or characteristic that has been passed on genetically
Inherit
A charateristic
Trait
A piece of DNA that contains genes
Chromosome
Deoxyribonucleic acid - the molecule in the nucleus of cells that carries genetic information.
DNA
A section of DNA that controls an inherited feature
Gene
Nitrogen based molecule that makes up part of the DNA molecule, e.g., Adenine (A), cytosine (C), guanine (G) or thymine (T).
Base
The structure of the DNA molecule, like a twisted ladder
Double helix
The use of living organisms to make useful products.
Biotechnology
The scientific method of collecting and examining scientific information about events in the past.
Forensic science
A disorder caused by a fault in one or more gene.
Genetic disorders
An analysis of a person’s DNA to show the sequence of bases.
DNA profile
The number and appearance of the chromosomes in a cells nucleus.
Karyotype
A chromosomal disorder characterised by an extra chromosome, e.g., Down’s syndrome
Trisomy
A living thing that is genetically identical to its parent.
Clone
Reproduction without sex, involving one parent, e.g., taking cuttings of plants
Asexual reproduction
A form of cloning where the genetic information is removed form an unfertilised egg and is replaced with the nucleus from the organism to be cloned.
Nuclear transfer
The process of a species dying out.
Extinction
A species that is so few in numbers the species could become extinct.
Endangered species
A store of genetic material (such as seeds) that can be used in the future to grow more organisms.
Gene bank
The extinction of a large number of species at the same time.
Mass extinction
