Chapter 19: Natural Selection Flashcards
How does genetic variation in living organisms come about?
Crossing over of independent assortment of chromosomes during meiosis
OR
Mutation in genetic material
Why is genetic variation important?
Helps organisms survive and adapt in changing environments
What is natural selection?
The process that ensures the best adapted organisms within a population survive to reproduce and pass on their genes to the next generation
What is the difference between natural and artificial selection?
Natural selection:
Results from mutations in genes
Brought about by changes in environmental conditions
Slow process
May be both advantagous and disadvantagous to humans
Artificial selection:
Results from human manipulation
Human-selected organisms reproduce to give desired traits to offspring
Relatively faster process
Advantagous to humans