Key Terms Flashcards
What is Independent Assortment?
A random selection of your genes are copied into each sex cell in a process called independent assortment.
What is Crossing-Over?
the exchange of genes between homologous chromosomes, resulting in a mixture of parental characteristics in offspring.
What are Somatic Mutations?
Some mutations only affect the individual, These are called somatic mutations, as they only occur in somatic (body) cells.
What are Germline Mutations?
Others are heritable and can get passed onto the offspring (eg. Mutations causing cystic fibrosis).
Genetic Variation:
the presence of differences in sequences of genes between individual organisms of a species.. (mutations) underlie these changes
Evolution:
The process by which populations of organisms change over generations.
Evolution is where a species can change over many generations, resulting in a new species. The species’ environment “selects” the most favorable characteristics for it to survive and these characteristics are heritable.
Adaptation:
The evolutionary process whereby an organism becomes better able to live in its habitat or habitats.
Evolution:
Evolution is the process by which populations of organisms change over generations.
Changes in the heritable traits of a population of organisms as successive generations replace one another.
Genotype:
The genetic makeup of an organism
Fitness:
An organism’s ability to pass its genetic material to its offspring / refers to an organism’s ability to survive, reproduce, and pass on its genes to the next generation.
Natural Selection:
Natural selection is the process by which an environmental factor (called a selective pressure) acts on a population, resulting in some organisms having a greater chance of survival than others.
Mutation:
Any change in the DNA sequence of a cell, or even the order of genetic data in chromosomes.
Phenotype:
The observable physical properties of an organism
Selective pressure:
Environmental factors that influence the survival and reproductive success of organisms within a population.
Biotic Factors
Biological factors such as:
Competition (organisms of the same species and different species competing for similar resources).
Resource availability
Predation
Disease
Human impacts
