Unit 3 & 4 Syllabus Defs

Question 1

A group of organisms that consists of a common ancestor and all its lineal descendants.

Answer 1

Clade

Question 2

The size of the population that can be supported indefinitely on the available resources and services of that ecosystem

Answer 2

Carrying Capacity

Question 3

A plant or animal that plays a unique and crucial role in the way an ecosystem functions

Answer 3

Keystone Species

Question 4

The role and space an organism fills in an ecosystem, including all its interactions with the biotic and abiotic factors of its environment

Answer 4

Ecological Niche

Question 5

All the genetic material in the chromosomes of an organism, including its genes and DNA sequences.

Answer 5

Genome

Question 6

Region/s of DNA that are made up of nucleotides; the molecular unit of heredity.

Answer 6

Gene

Question 7

Change in the genetic composition of a population during successive generations, which may result in the development of a new species.

Answer 7

Evolution

Question 8

Small-scale variation of allele frequencies within a species or population, in which the descendant is one of the same taxonomic group as the ancestor.

Answer 8

Microevolution

Question 9

The variation of allele frequencies at or above the level of species over geological time, which results in the divergence of taxonomic group as the ancestor.

Answer 9

Macroevolution