Unit 4 list 1 Evolution EJR Flashcards
amino acid
Amino acids are molecules that combine to form proteins
analogous structure
features of different species that are similar in function but not necessarily in structure and which do not derive from a common ancestral feature
anatomy
the science that studies the structure of the body
biochemical evidence
the amino acid sequence of proteins
biogeography
the branch of biology that deals with the geographical distribution of plants and animals.
cladogram
diagrams which depict the relationships between different groups of taxa called “clades”
common ancestry
Ancestral organism shared by two or more descendent lineages
descent with modification
the idea that species change over time, give rise to new species, and share a common ancestor
DNA sequencing
the general laboratory technique for determining the exact sequence of nucleotides, or bases, in a DNA molecule
electrophoresis
a laboratory technique used to separate DNA, RNA or protein molecules based on their size and electrical charge.
embryo
Early stage in the development of humans and other animals or plants
embryology
the study of development of an embryo from the stage of ovum fertilization through to the fetal stage
evolutionary tree
a diagram that depicts the lines of evolutionary descent of different species, organisms, or genes from a common ancestor.
fossil record
made up of all the fossils that have been found, along with their relative ages
homologous structure
similar physical features in organisms that share a common ancestor, but the features serve completely different functions
homology
similarity of the structure, physiology, or development of different species of organisms based upon their descent from a common evolutionary ancestor
paleontology
the study of the history of life on Earth as based on fossils
phenotypic similarity
a measure of functional redundancy within homologous gene families
phylogeny
refers to the evolutionary history of a group of organisms