Shared Flashcard Set

Details

3.05 Natural Selection and Evolution
Natural Selection and Evolution
45
Biology
10th Grade
05/04/2012

Additional Biology Flashcards

 


 

Cards

Term
species
Definition
group of organisms that can interbreed to produce fertile offspring.
Term
variations
Definition
differences seen in organisms
Term
inheritable characteristic
Definition
traits that can be passed on to any offspring of the organism
Term
natural selection
Definition
theory that says organisms best suited to their environment as a result of favorable characteristics survive and reproduce
Term
Charles Darwin
Definition
proposed the theory of natural selection in the 19th century. His conclusions were based on observations on a group of islands known as the Galapagos Islands
Term
How long did Darwin spend looking at all of the information he had collected on his voyage to the Galapagos Islands?
Definition
many, many years
Term
On the Origin of Species (1859)
Definition
book written by Darwin in 1859
Term
What did Darwin's theory of natural selection include?
Definition
1. Most organisms produce more offspring that are able to survive
2. There is competition for resources, such as food and space.
3. Some of the offspring will have variations that make them better able to survive. Those that are unsuccessful at competition die out. Those with the favorable variations reproduce and pass the favorable variations to their offspring.
4. Over time, favorable variations are found in more and more offspring.
Term
adaptation
Definition
a trait that improves an organism's chance for survival and reproduction
Term
evolution
Definition
process of change over time
Term
mutation
Definition
change that occurs in DNA sequence
Term
What is the hereditary material found in all living things?
Definition
DNA
Term
How can mutations occur?
Definition
through errors that result from DNA replication

or

environmental factors such as radiation
Term
Only mutations that occur in ______________ can be passed on to offspring.
Definition
gametes
Term
gene flow
Definition
genes from one population are introduced into the gene pool
Term
gene pool
Definition
is the combined genetic information of all members of a populatin
Term
genetic drift
Definition
some individuals may have more offspring than other individuals in the same populations.

some individuals will reproduce less in the next generation
Term
Two ways that evolution can occur?
Definition
gradualism
punctuated equilibrium
Term
gradualism
Definition
is evolution occuring over a long period of time
Change is slow and constant
ex: how giraffes formed
Term
punctuated equilibrium
Definition
evolution occurs in spurts

change occurs very rapidly, and then no change occurs for a period of time

ex: how elephants formed
Term
extinction
Definition
means the end of a species
Term
How long ago was Earth formed?
Definition
4.6 billion years ago
Term
What were the primitive gases in early earth?
Definition
methane, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, nitrogen, hydrogen,water, and ammonia
Term
What did Stanley Miller and Harold Urey figure out through simulating early atmospheric conditions?
Definition
that organic compounds necessary for life could have formed from simpler compounds that were present
Term
When did the first unicellular organisms appear on earth?
Definition
3.5 billion years ago
they were bacteria
(prokaryotic and anaerobic)
no oxygen was present
Term
What gas was missing on early Earth?
Definition
oxygen
Term
Over time, what could the bacteria begin doing?
Definition
capable of photosynthesizing and releasing oxygen
Term
speciation
Definition
evolutionary process where a new species forms
Term
Name the two ways that species can form?
Definition
geographic isolation

behavioral isolation
Term
geographic isolation
Definition
occurs when a population is divided by a barrier into two geographically isolated populations that can no longer reach each other to breed
Term
behavioral isolation
Definition
occurs when individuals within the population may have differences in courtship rituals or other types of behaviors
Term
How did the early bacteria in Earth's shallow seas contribute to the development of life on Earth?
Definition
They photosynthesized
Term
fossil
Definition
preserved remains of an organism that lived many years ago
Term
comparative morphology
Definition
branch of science in which the structures of living things are compared to understand the development and relationship among species better
Term
analogous
Definition
same function
different ancestor
ex: bird wing, butterfly wing, bat wing
Term
homologous
Definition
different function
same ancestor
ex: bird wing, human forearm, whale flipper
Term
embryology
Definition
is the study of the early stages of life before birth
Term
biochemical evidence
Definition
compare sequences of amino acids of specific molecules to see evolutionary relationships
Term
DNA fingerprint
Definition
pattern produced by gel electrophoresis
smallest fragment travel the farthest
DNA fragments are separated by size
Term
What is the charge of DNA
Definition
negative, so it travels toward the positive end of the gel electrophoresis
smallest fragments travel the farthest
Term
What does the fossil record show?
Definition
Species evolve from one form to another
Term
The eyes of an octopus are very similar to human eyes but did not develop from a common ancestor. What type of structures do these similar eyes represent?
Definition
analogous
Term
stabilizing selection
Definition
maintains already well-adapted conditions by eliminating any organisms from the norm
ex: average size babies are favored
Term
directional selection
Definition
type of selection favors one extreme over others
ex: pesticide resistance and antibiotic resistance
Term
disruptive selection
Definition
occurs when two or more conditions or states are favored. ex: orange and blue forms of butterfly mimic foul-tasting species, colors in between do not ward off predators, so butterflies with those colors are eaten more often
Supporting users have an ad free experience!