Exam 1 - Chp 1: Evolution, Genomes, and Genetics Flashcards
What is adaptive radiation?
When a new adaptation that is very successful causes a bloom of diversity
What is genetic diversity?
Variation in the gene pool, the backbone of adaptation
What is a fixed trait?
All organisms in 1 habitat have some version of a trait
What is an ancestral characteristic?
A trait present in a common ancestor of a group of organisms
What is a derived characteristic?
Trait that arose in a recent common ancestor and then passed on to its descendants
What is a genotype?
genetic make of an individual, typically referring to specific traits
What is a phenotype?
A trait produced by gene expression and can be measured
What is a genome?
All of the genetic material found in an organisms cell
What is a species?
Genetically distant group of individuals that share traits and can only produce viable offspring with one another
What are transcription factors?
Proteins that bind to DNA near a gene to affect gene expression
What is a gene?
A unit of heredity passed from parent to offspring that encodes for a characteristic
What is transcription?
The process of making an RNA copy of DNA
What is translation?
The process of a ribosome creating a polypeptide based off a RNA sequence
What is natural selection?
The process by which organisms better suited for their environment survive and produce more offspring, leading to adaptions
What does the ALX1 gene do?
encodes for a transcription factor for other genes, including genes of other transcription factors
