Definitions Flashcards
Carrying capacity
In Biology, the size of the population that can be supported indefinitely on the available resources and services of that ecosystem
Clade
A group of organisms that consists of a common ancestor and all its lineal descendants
Ecological niche
The role and space that an organism fills in an ecosystem, including all its interactions with the biotic and abiotic factors of its environment
Evolution
Change in the genetic composition of a population during successive generations, which may result in the development of new species
Gene
Region/s of DNA that are made up of nucleotides; the molecular unit of heredity
Genome
All the genetic material in the chromosomes of an organism, including its genes and DNA sequences
Keystone species
A plant or animal that plays a unique and crucial role in the way an ecosystem functions
Macroevolution
The variation of allele frequencies at or above the level of species over geological time, resulting in the divergence of taxonomic groups, in which the descendant is in a different taxonomic group to the ancestor
Microevolution
Small-scale variation of allele frequencies within a species or population, in which the descendant is of the same taxonomic group as the ancestor
Polygenetic inheritance
When one characteristic is controlled by two or more genes