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

Analogous structures are features of different species that are similar in function but not necessarily in structure and which do not derive from a common ancestral feature

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 and substances that occur within living organisms, providing crucial insights into evolutionary relationships

Question 5

biogeography

Answer 5

the study of the geographic distribution of plants, animals, and other forms of life

Question 6

cladogram

Answer 6

a diagram that shows relationships between species. These relationships

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 and electrical charge

Question 11

embryo

Answer 11

Early stage in the development of humans and other animals or plants

Question 12

embryology

Answer 12

the study of the embryo and its development from a single-celled zygote (fertilized ovum) to the establishment of form and shape

Question 13

evolutionary tree

Answer 13

a diagram that represents evolutionary relationships among organisms

Question 14

fossil record

Answer 14

a collection of fossils documenting the history of life on Earth

Question 15

homologous structure

Answer 15

similar physical features in organisms that share a common ancestor, but the features serve completely different functions

Question 16

homology

Answer 16

similarity of the structure, physiology, or development of different species of organisms based upon their descent from a common evolutionary ancestor

Question 17

paleontology

Answer 17

scientific study of life of the geologic past that involves the analysis of plant and animal fossils, including those of microscopic size, preserved in rocks

Question 18

phenotypic similarity

Answer 18

an individual’s observable traits

Question 19

phylogeny

Answer 19

evolutionary history of the development of a species

Question 20

phylogenetic tree

Answer 20

a diagram that represents evolutionary relationships among organisms

Question 21

vestigial structures

Answer 21

a body part that is reduced or impaired from its ancestral condition, and no longer has a function within a species

Question 22

sedimentary layers

Answer 22

A layer of a material or substance is a quantity or piece of it that covers a surface or that is between two other things

Question 23

adaptation

Answer 23

the process by which a species becomes fitted to its environment

Question 24

behavior

Answer 24

the change in activity of an organism in response to a stimulus

Question 25

competition

Answer 25

the rivalry between or among living things for territory, resources, goods, mates, etc

Question 26

fitness

Answer 26

an organism’s ability to survive and reproduce in its environment

Question 27

gene pool

Answer 27

the stock of different genes in an interbreeding population

Question 28

genetic variation

Answer 28

presence of differences in sequences of genes

Question 29

geographic isolation

Answer 29

the physical separation of populations of organisms from one another due to geographical barriers

Question 30

morphology

Answer 30

the study of the size, shape, and structure of animals, plants, and microorganisms and of the relationships of their constituent parts

Question 31

natural selection

Answer 31

process in which an organism adapts to its environment

Question 32

phenotypic expression

Answer 32

the observable characteristics in an organism that results from the expression of genes

Question 33

physiology

Answer 33

the study of how living organisms and their parts function and support life

Question 34

population

Answer 34

A population is an assortment of organisms of a species that live in the same place at the same time and interbreed

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 access to 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 organisms that can reproduce with one another in nature and produce fertile offspring

Question 39

trait

Answer 39

a specific characteristic of an individual