Evolution & Genetics Flashcards
What is “heredity”?
the passing of characteristics from parent to offspring, responsible for constancy and variation of different organisms
What is a “trait”?
a specific characteristic of an individual, determined by the genes they possess
What are “genes”?
a segment of DNA that stores the information for the body to producee a certain type of gene product (RNA or protein)
What are different variations of genes termed?
Alleles
What is a “genotype”?
an individual’s genetic info
What is the difference between “monogenic phenotype” and “polygenic phenotype”
Monogenic phenotype - the phenotype is manipulated by one gene
Polygenic phenotype - the phenotype is manipulated by multiple genes
What are “X-linked” alleles?
traits on alleles that are only passed via the sex chromosomes of the organism
Define the “Hardy-Weinberg Principle” and how it may be used in genetics
What is “speciation”?
the proces by which animal and plant population have evolved from a single ancestral species to form new distant species over time
What is “natural selection”?
the way species adapt to their surrounding enviroment through progressive generations of offspring
Where are alleles found on a chromosome?
Locus
What is “allele frequency”?
describes the number of times a particular allele appears on the chromosome in a population
What are “gene mutations” and define the major types that affect DNA at a nucleotide level
When the order of nucleotides on a strand of DNA is altered, affecting the phenotype in different ways
What is “genetic drift”?
describes how the frequency of an allele in a particular population can change over time
What is “gene flow/migration”?
the transfer of genetic information from one population to another
What is “selection pressure” or “evolutionary pressure”?
A factor that can affect the reproductive success of an organism in a certain population
selection pressure influences natural selection
Define “Mitosis” and the different stages within the process
Mitosis forms two identical daughter cells and only occurs in eukaryotic cells
Define “Meiosis” and the different stages involved with the process
Meiosis produces 4 daughter cells, all haploid
only used for one purpose in eukaryotes, sexual reproduction
What are the four Nitrogenous bases and their base pairs?
Adenine (A)
Guanine (G)
Thymine (T)
Cytosine (C)
BASE PAIRS = A-T (or Uracil) & G-C
Describe the structure of both DNA and RNA
What are the 3 different types of RNA and their roles?
mRNA - DNA is copied into RNA strand
tRNA - mRNA is read and protein chain is formed
rRNA - has no coding instruction for the protein itself but is structurally part of the ribosome and helps mRNA and tRNA bind correctly
Describe the differences between RNA and DNA
