Unit 5: Classification & Evolution Vocabulary (Adv)

Taxonomy

A branch of biology that classifies living things.

Classification

The process of grouping living organisms based on their characteristics.

Organism

Any living thing.

Domain

The highest and broadest taxonomic level of the biological classification system.

Kingdom

The second highest taxonomic rank, which includes a set of organisms that share a similar cellular structure and level of complexity.

Genus

A classification grouping that consists of a number of similar, closely related species.

Species

A group of organisms that are physically similar and can mate with each other and produce fertile offspring.

Unicellular

An organism that is composed of one cell.

Multicellular

An organism that is composed of more than one cell.

Prokaryotic

Organisms whose cells lack a nucleus and other cell structures.

Eukaryotic

Organisms whose cells have a nucleus and membrane bound organelles.

Sexual reproduction

Process that involves two parents that combine their genetic material to produce a new organism, which differs from both parents.

Asexual reproduction

Process that involves only one parent & produces offspring that are identical to the parents.

Autotroph

An organism that produces its own food.

Heterotroph

Organisms that get food from an outside source.

Binomial nomenclature

System for naming organisms in which each organism is given a two-part scientific name consisting of its genus & species.

Dichotomous key

A scientific tool used to identify different organisms based on their observable traits.

Evolution

The change in heritable traits of populations over time.

Scientific Theory

Idea that is based on a body of facts that have been repeatedly confirmed through observation and experiment.

Charles Darwin

A British naturalist who proposed the theory of biological evolution by natural selection.

Adaptation

A trait that makes an organism more likely to survive in their environment.

Extinction

Dying out of a species.

Fitness

A measure of the relative success of an individual or genotype in a given population at a given time.

Fossil

Preserved remains of plants and animals whose bodies were buried in sediments under ancient seas, lakes and rivers.

Fossil Record

A recording of history made out of layers of fossils.

Relative Dating

Method to determine the age of a fossil by comparing which layer it was found in.

Radioactive Dating (Absolute)

A method used by scientists to determine the age of rocks and minerals from the quantities of radioactive isotopes they contain.

Natural Selection

Process by which individuals that are better suited/adapted for their environment survive and reproduce.

Artificial selection/Selective Breeding

A process used by humans to develop new organisms with desirable characteristics.

Population

A group of individuals of the same species that live in the same area and interact with one another.

Variation

The differences in physical traits among individuals within a population or species.

Analogous Structures

Biological features of different species that are similar in function but not necessarily in structure.

Cladogram/branching tree

A diagram that shows relationships between species based on observable physical characteristics.

Homologous Structures

Biological features of different species that share a similar structure but different function.

Coevolution

A close relationship between two or more species that affect each other's evolution through the process of natural selection.

Vestigial Structure

Structure that is reduced in size and no longer has a function within a modern species.

Speciation

Process by which populations evolve to become distinct species.

Behavioral Isolation

Occurs when members of a population are unable to mate due to differences in their behaviors.

Geographic Isolation

Occurs when members of a population are unable to mate due to separation by geographic barriers.

Temporal Isolation

Occurs when members of a population are unable to mate due to differences in breeding schedules.

Endosymbiotic Theory

Theory that describes how a large host cell and ingested bacteria could easily become dependent on one another for survival.

Convergent evolution

The process by which organisms not closely related, independently evolve similar traits as a result of having to adapt to similar environments.

Divergent Evolution

The process by which two or more closely related species become more different over time due to differences in their environments.