Evolution/Diffusion Test Flashcards
Evolution
The process by which species may change over time
Who developed the theory of evolution?
Charles Darwin
First Person who came up with the theory
Theory
An explanation that has been scientifically tested and supported
Natural selection?
Those organisms with the most beneficial traits are more Likely to survive and reproduce
Variation
There is a variation (variety) in every population
Competition
Organisms compete for limited resources
Offspring
Organisms produce more offspring than can survive
Genetics
Organisms pass genetic traits on to their offspring
What is evidence to evolution?
Fossils
Fossil records
How do we know organisms existed millions of years ago?
There is a fossil record
Based on fossil records found, the horse evolved from a small animal(size of a dog) to today’s larger sized horses
What is the fossil record chart?
This chart shows the earths history revealing the many changes that occurred to species over the past billions of years
The earth is 4.6 billions years old
We have fossil evidence of organisms that once lived on earth
Speciation
A lineage-splitting event that produces two or more separate species
What is with speciation?
At that branching point, and every other branching point on the tree, is a speciation event
At that point, genetic changes resulted in two separate lineages, where previously there had just been one lineage
Allopatric speciation
A PHYSICAL BARRIER divides one population into two or more populations
After a long period of time, the two populations will contain organisms that can no longer successfully breed with one another
Sympatric Speciation
Occurs when a species evolves into a new species WITHOUT A PHYSICAL BARRIER.
The ancestor species and the new species live in the same habitat during the speciation process. THIS USUALLY HAPPENS TO PLANTS
What are the causes of speciation?
Geographic isolation
Geographic isolation
Common way for the process of speciation to begin
Rivers change course, mountains rise, continents drift, organisms migrate, and what was once a continuous population is divided into two or more smaller populations
Classification
The grouping of objects or information bases on similarities
Taxonomy
The branch of biology that groups and names organisms based on different characteristics
How are organisms ranked?
Organisms are ranked in taxonomy that ranges from having broad characteristics to very specific characteristics
How many levels are there in taxonomy and how are they placed?
8 levels
Largest—-Smallest
What are the 8 levels of taxonomy?
Domain Kingdom Phylum Class Order Family Genus Species
What are the rules to Binomial Nomenclature?
1) Genus and species
2) The Genus is capitalized, the species is lowercase
3) it is either in italics or underlined
What is the Dichotomus Key?
Another method of grouping organisms based on similar characteristic. The closer they are on a tree, the more related they are to each other.
Osmosis
The movement of WATER MOLECULES from an area of high concentration to an area of low concentration
Cell membranes are completely permeable to water, therefore, the environment and the cell are exposed and can have a dramatic effect on the cell.
