Life Science Vocabulary Flashcards
Natural Selection
when random genetic mutations occur in an organism, the beneficial mutations are preserved because they aid survival
Evolution
Species change over time
Jean Baptiste de Lamarck
believed that species evolve by passing acquired characteristics to offspring
HMS Beagle
the name of the ship in which Darwin sailed on a five-year voyage collecting specimens of plants and animals; mapping the coast of South America
Charles Darwin
founder of Evolutional Theory
Variation
Individuals in a population inherit slightly different combinations of traits
Adaption
inherited characteristic that improves an organism ability to survive and reproduce in a particular environment
Geographic Isolation
Isolation between populations due to physical barriers
Reproductive Isolation
separation of populations that prevents them from interbreeding and producing fertile offspring
Behavioral Isolation
an isolating mechanism in which two species don’t mate because of differences in courtship behaviors.
Biodiversity
the variety of life in the world or in a particular habitat or ecosystem.
Embryology
The branch of biology that deals with the formation, embryonic structure, early growth, and development of living organisms.
Homologous Structure
Structures in different species that are similar because of common ancestry.
Vestigal Structure
a body structure in present-day organisms that no longer serves its original purpose
DNA Evidence
Connect an offender conclusively to a crime through biological evidence
Clues and Evolution
Physical evidence of evolution that exists long after the change. (think dinosaur fossils)
Overpopulation
circumstances of too much of a population to be supported by the population’s environment.
Population
All the members of one species in a particular area.
Carrying Capacity
number of species that the resources of an ecosystem can support
Species
group of similar organisms.
Competition
The struggle amongst organisms for the same limited resources
Mutation
Random changes in DNA
Structural Adaption
a physical feature on an animal which aids survival
Physiological Adaption
an alteration in function, that is hereditary, by which a species or an individual improves its condition in relation to the environment
