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 and substances that occur within living organisms

Question 5

biogeography

Answer 5

the study of the patterns of geographic distribution of organisms and the factors that determine those patterns

Question 6

cladogram

Answer 6

a branching diagram showing the cladistic relationship between a number of species

Question 7

common ancestry

Answer 7

an ancestral group of organisms that is shared by multiple lineages

Question 8

descent with modification

Answer 8

the idea that species change over time, give rise to new species, and share a common ancestor

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 development of an embryo from the stage of ovum fertilization through to the fetal stage

Question 13

evolutionary tree

Answer 13

a diagram that depicts the lines of evolutionary descent of different species, organisms, or genes from a common ancestor

Question 14

fossil record

Answer 14

a collection of fossils documenting the history of life on Earth

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

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

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

Question 22

sedimentary layers

Answer 22

distinct strata of sediment that have accumulated over time, forming the Earth’s crust and providing a record of geological history

Question 23

adaptation

Answer 23

the evolutionary process whereby an organism becomes better able to live in its habitat or habitats

Question 24

behavior

Answer 24

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

Question 25

competition

Answer 25

a relationship between organisms that strive for the same resources in the same place

Question 26

fitness

Answer 26

an organism's ability to pass its genetic material to its offspring

Question 27

gene pool

Answer 27

the combination of all the genes (including alleles) present in a reproducing population or species

Question 28

genetic variation

Answer 28

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 one 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

the process through which populations of living organisms adapt and change

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 science of life

Question 34

population

Answer 34

all the organisms of the same group or species that live in a specific area and are capable of breeding among themselves

Question 35

reproductive isolation

Answer 35

the inability of a species to breed successfully with related species due to geographical, behavioral, physiological, or genetic barriers or differences

Question 36

sexual selection

Answer 36

the process by which individuals compete for access to mates and fertilization opportunities

Question 37

speciation

Answer 37

the process by which new species form

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

Question 40

Coevolution

Answer 40

evolutionary changes that occur within two or more organisms as a response to interactions between them and the resulting mutual selective pressures that those interactions cause

Question 41

Convergent evolution

Answer 41

occurs when organisms that aren't closely related evolve similar features or behaviours, often as solutions to the same problems

Question 42

Divergent evolution

Answer 42

the process by which interbreeding species diverged into two or more evolutionary groups

Question 43

Founder effect

Answer 43

the reduction in genomic variability that occurs when a small group of individuals becomes separated from a larger population

Question 44

Gene flow

Answer 44

any movement of individuals, and/or the genetic material they carry, from one population to another

Question 45

Gene frequency

Answer 45

the ratio of the number of a specified allele in a population to the total of all alleles at its genetic locus

Question 46

Gene pool

Answer 46

the combination of all the genes (including alleles) present in a reproducing population or species

Question 47

Genetic drift

Answer 47

the change in frequency of an existing gene variant in the population due to random chance

Question 48

Geologic record

Answer 48

the irreplaceable account of the joint history between the Earth and living organisms