Africa Storyline: Lessons 1-4

adaptation

an inherited characteristic/trait (either physical or behavioral) that increases an organism's chance of surviving and reproducing

qualitative data

data that can be observed by using our senses

quantitative data

data that are primarily focused on numbers and value

basal metabolic rate (BMR)

the rate at which the body burns energy when the organism is resting

kilocalorie (kcal)

a unit measuring energy

fitness

ability of an organism to survive and reproduce in its environment

alloparenting

shared caring and provisioning of the young by other group members

chromosome

an organized package of DNA found in the nucleus of a cell which carries genetic information in the form of genes

karyotype

a display of the chromosome pairs of a cell arranged by size and shape

gene

a segment of DNA on a chromosome that codes for a specific trait

locus

location of a gene on a chromosome

allele

different versions of a gene

genotype

an organism's genetic makeup, or allele combinations

phylogenetic tree

a branching diagram that depicts relatedness among different species.

nucleotide

the small unit that makes up DNA (A, T, C, G)

DNA fingerprinting

analysis of alleles of DNA used to identify individuals in a group

gene flow

movement of alleles from one population to another