Unit 4 List 1 Evolution

Question 1

amino acid sequencing

Answer 1

The process of identifying the arrangement of amino acids in proteins and peptides.

Question 2

analogous structure

Answer 2

Features of different species that are similar in function but not necessarily in structure.

Question 3

anatomy

Answer 3

The study of the structure of a plant or animal.

Question 4

biochemical evidence

Answer 4

The use of molecular biology techniques to study the chemical processes in living organisms.

Question 5

biogeography

Answer 5

The study of the patterns of geographic distribution of organisms.

Question 6

cladogram

Answer 6

A branching tree diagram that shows ancestral relationships among organisms.

Question 7

common ancestry

Answer 7

An ancestral group of organisms that is shared by multiple lineages.

Question 8

descent with modification

Answer 8

Passing traits from parent to offspring.

Question 9

DNA sequencing

Answer 9

The general laboratory technique for determining the exact sequence of nucleotides, or bases, in a DNA molecule.

Question 10

electrophoresis

Answer 10

A laboratory technique used to separate DNA, RNA or protein molecules based on their size.

Question 11

embryo

Answer 11

The early developmental stage of an animal while it is in the egg or within the uterus of the mother.

Question 12

embryology

Answer 12

A branch of biology dealing with embryos and their development.

Question 13

evolutionary tree

Answer 13

A diagram that represents evolutionary relationships among organisms.

Question 14

fossil record

Answer 14

The history of life as documented by fossils.

Question 15

homologous structure

Answer 15

An organ, system, or body part that shares a common ancestry in multiple organisms.

Question 16

homology

Answer 16

Similarity of the structure or development of different species of organisms.

Question 17

paleontology

Answer 17

The study of the history of life on Earth as based on fossils.

Question 18

phenotypic similarity

Answer 18

A measure of functional redundancy within homologous gene families.

Question 19

phylogeny

Answer 19

The evolutionary history of a kind of organism.

Question 20

phylogenetic tree

Answer 20

A diagram that represents evolutionary relationships among organisms.

Question 21

vestigial structures

Answer 21

Fratures of an organism that are considered to have lost much or all of their original function through evolution.

Question 22

sedimentary layers

Answer 22

Formed from pre-existing rocks or pieces of once-living organisms.

Question 23

adaptation

Answer 23

The act of changing something like behavior to make it suitable for a new place or situation.

Question 24

behavior

Answer 24

An organism’s adaptive response to stimuli in its environment.

Question 25

competition

Answer 25

The rivalry between or among living things for territory, resources, goods, or mates.

Question 26

fitness

Answer 26

A quantitative representation of individual reproductive success.

Question 27

gene pool

Answer 27

A gene pool refers to the combination of all the genes.

Question 28

genetic variation

Answer 28

Genetic variation is the presence of differences in sequences of genes between individual organisms of a species.

Question 29

geographic isolation

Answer 29

The physical separation of populations of organisms from 1to another due to geographical barriers.

Question 30

morphology

Answer 30

A branch of biology that studies the external and internal structures of living things.

Question 31

natural selection

Answer 31

Process in which an organism adapts to its environment through selectively reproducing changes in its genotype.

Question 32

phenotypic expression

Answer 32

The observable characteristics in an organism from the expressing of genes.

Question 33

physiology

Answer 33

The study of how living organisms function.

Question 34

population

Answer 34

A group of organisms of a species that live in the same place at the same time.

Question 35

reproductive isolation

Answer 35

The inability of a species to breed successfully with related species.

Question 36

sexual selection

Answer 36

The process by which individuals compete for mates and fertilization opportunities.

Question 37

speciation

Answer 37

How a new kind of plant or animal species is created.

Question 38

species

Answer 38

A group of individuals that actually or potentially interbreed in nature.

Question 39

trait

Answer 39

A specific characteristic of an individual.