chapter 7 Flashcards
a distinguishing characteristic of an organism
trait
the passing of traits from generation to generation.
inheritance
a section of DNA on a chromosome that has genetic information for one trait.
gene
an organisms complete set of genes.
genotypes
how a trait appears or is expressed.
phenotype
a permanent change in the sequence of DNA, or the nucleotides, in a gene or chromosome.
mutation
a slight difference in an inherited trait among individual members of a species.
variation
an inherited trait that increases an organism’s chance of surviving and reproducing in a particular enviorment.
adaptation
the process by which organisms with variations that help them survive in their enviorment live longer, complete better, and reproduce more than those that do not have the variation.
natural selection
the selection and breeding of organisms for desired traits.
selective breeding
an adaptation that enable a species to blend in with its environment.
camouflage
an adaptation in which one species looks like another species.
mimicry
