Natural Selection Flashcards
DNA
deoxyribonucleic acid, a self-replicating material present in nearly all living organisms as the main constituent of chromosomes. It is the carrier of genetic information.
Nucleotide
a compound consisting of a nucleoside linked to a phosphate group. Nucleotides form the basic structural unit of nucleic acids such as DNA.
Chargaff’s Rules
Chargaff’s rules state that DNA from any cell of any organisms should have a 1:1 ratio of pyrimidine and purine bases
Watson and Crick
The two twentieth-century biologists who discovered the double helix of DNA
Rosalind Franklin
Rosalind Elsie Franklin was an English chemist and X-ray crystallographer who made contributions to the understanding of the molecular structures of DNA
Mutations
the action or process of mutating
Adaptation
the action or process of adapting or being adapted
Species
a group of living organisms consisting of similar individuals capable of exchanging genes or interbreeding
Evolution
the process by which different kinds of living organisms are thought to have developed and diversified from earlier forms during the history of the earth.
Fossils
the remains or impression of a prehistoric organism preserved in petrified form or as a mold or cast in rock
Fossil Record
history of life as documented by fossils
Charles Darwin
was an English naturalist, geologist and biologist
Trait
a distinguishing quality or characteristic, typically one belonging to a person.
Selective Breeding
is a process used by humans to develop new organisms with desirable characteristics
Natural Selection
the process whereby organisms better adapted to their environment tend to survive and produce more offspring
