Natural Selection Flashcards
DNA
a molecule that is present in all living cells and that contains the information that determines the traits that a living thing inherits and needs to live.
Nucleotide
in a nucleic-acid chain, a subunit that consists of sugar, phosphate, and a nitrogenous base.
Chargaff¨s rule
the amount of adenine in DNA always equals the amount of thymine and the quanine always equals the cytosine.
Watson and Crick
They found that DNA must look like a long twisted ladder and they built a model that eventually helped explain how DNA is copied and how it functions in the cell.
Rosalind Franklin
was able to make images of DNA molecules.
mutations
a change in the nucleotide-base sequence of a gene or DNA molecule.
adaptations
a characteristic that improves an individuals ability to survive and reproduce in a particular environment.
species
a group of organisms that are closely related and can mate to produce fertile offspring
evolution
the process in which inherited characteristics within a population change over generations such that new species sometimes arise.
fossil
the remains or physical evidence of an organism preserved by geological processes
fossil record
a historical sequence of life indicated by fossils found in layers of the earth´s crust.
Charles Darwin
sailed around the world on a 5 year voyage. during the trip Darwin made observations that helped him form a theory about how the evolution happens.
trait
a genetically determined characteristic.
selective breeding
the human practice of breeding animals or plants that have certain desired characteristics.
Natural selection
the process by which individuals that are better adapted to their environment survive and reproduce more successfully than less well adapted individuals do; a theory to explain the mechanism of evolution.
