Natural Selection Unit Flashcards
DNA
deoxyribonucleic acid, a molecule that is present in all living cells and that contains the information that determines the traits that all living thing inherits and needs to live.
Nucleotide
in 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 a DNA moleucle.
Adaptation
a characteristic that improves an induvial 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 inherted characteristics with a population change over genorations such that new species sometimes arise.
Fossils
the remains or physical evidance of an organism presurved by geoligical processes.
Fossil Record
a historical sequence of life indicated by fossils found in layers of the Earth’s crust.
Trait
a geneitcally determined chartcharacteristics.
Selective Breeding
Selective breeding, also known as artificial selection, is a process used by humans to develop new organisms with desirable characteristics. Breeders select two parents that have beneficial phenotypic traits to reproduce, yielding offspring with those desired traits.
Natural Selection
the process whereby organisms better adapted to their environment tend to survive and produce more offspring. The theory of its action was first fully expounded by Charles Darwin and is now believed to be the main process that brings about evolution.
Generation Time
a period between the birth of one genoration the birth if the next genoration.
Speciation
the formation of new Species as a rezolt of evolution.
Primates
a type of mammal characterized by ooospable thumbs and binocalar vision.
Hominid
a type of primate characterized by bibedalism, relatively long lower limbs, and lack of a tail; examples include humans and their ancesters.
