natural selection Flashcards
DNA
a molecule that is present in all living cells and that contains the information that determines the traits that a living thing inherits and needs to live.
Nucleotide
in a nucleic-acid chain, a subunit that consists of a sugar, a phosphate, and a nitrogenous base
Mutations
a change in the nucleotide-base sequence of a gene or DNA molecule
Adaptation
a character that improves an individuals ability to survive and reproduce in a particular enviorment
Species
a group of organisms that are closely related and can mate to produce fertile offspring
Evolution
the process in which inherited characteristics within a population change over generations such that new species sometimes arise
fossil
the remains or physical evidence of an organism preserved by geological process
fossil record
a historical sequence of life indicated by fossils found i n layers of the Earths crust
Charles Darwin
a man that collected thousands of plant and animal samples
trait
a genetically determined characteristic
selective breeding
the human practice of breeding animals or plants that have certain desired characteristics
natural selection
the process by which individuals that are better adapted to their environment survive and reproduce more successfully than less well adapted individuals do ; a theory to explain the mechanism of evolution
generation time
the period between the birth of one generation and the birth of the next generation
speciation
the formation of new species as a result of evolution
primates
a type of mammal characterized by opposable thumbs and binocular vision
hominid
a type of primate characterized by bipedalism, relatively long lower limbs, and lack of a tail ; examples include humans and their ancestors
homo sapiens
the species of hominids that includes modern humans and their closest ancestors and that first appeared about 100,000 to 150,000 years ago
chargaff’s rules
the phenomenon that whatever the amount of adenine in the DNA of an organism, the amount of thymine is the same
Watson and Crick
Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA) is a double-stranded, helical molecule. It consists of two sugar-phosphate backbones on the outside, held together by hydrogen bonds between pairs of nitrogenous bases on the inside.
Rosalind Franklin
Rosalind Franklin and the Discovery of DNA
