Genetics and Variation Flashcards
What is DNA?
DNA is the material genes are made of.
What is a gene?
A gene is a section of DNA that codes for a particular characteristic.
Who was Rosalind Franklin?
A woman who helped to discover the biological structure of DNA.
What is the structure of DNA?
A double helix.
What is an Allele?
They are different forms of the same genes.
How many pairs of DNA are there in a human
genome?
There are 23 pairs.
Who was Mary Anning?
Mary Anning was a fossil hunter who discovered a 5.2m Ichthyosaurus in 1811.
How did Mary Anning change views on fossils?
Scientists thought that any fossils were of animals from far off lands but when it was proved that the Ichthyosaurus wasn’t a crocodile scientists views changed forever.
Who is Charles Darwin?
He was a man who travelled around the world and found that some animals look the same but have evolved in different ways.
What is natural selection?
Natural Selection is the theory that only the strongest and fittest will survive.
What is extinction?
Extinction is when no individuals of a species survives.
What are the causes of extinction?
It is caused by habitat loss, a catastrophic event (volcano), a new disease, competition with another animal for food or a new predator.
What are poachers?
Poachers are people who kill animals for their body parts (horns, scales etc.)
How do poachers sell their items so easily?
They claim they have medicinal effects.
What is a fossil?
the remains or impression of a prehistoric plant or animal embedded in rock and preserved in petrified form.
