Chapter 1- Introduction

Comparative

involving comparison between different entities or contexts, often used to analyze similarities and differences.

Anatomy

the study of the structure and organization of living organisms, including their systems, organs, and tissues.

Vertebrates

animals characterized by a backbone or spinal column, which include mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and fish.

Histology

the microscopic study of cells, tissues, and organs to understand their structure, composition, and function

Morphology

the branch of biology that studies the form and structure of organisms, including their shape, size, and arrangement of parts.

functional morphology

the study of the relationship between the structure of organisms and their functional capabilities.

evolutionary morphology

the study of the evolutionary processes that shape the form and structure of organisms over time.

physiology

the branch of biology that deals with the functions and processes of living organisms and their parts.

Cuvier

French naturalist known for his work in comparative anatomy and paleontology, considered one of the founders of modern biology, developed the concept of catastrophism to explain the history of life on Earth.

Owen

British anatomist and paleontologist known for his contributions to comparative anatomy and for coining the term "dinosaur." He emphasized the concept of archetypes in the study of vertebrate structure.

Linnaeus

Swedish botanist who developed the system of binomial nomenclature, classifying living organisms into hierarchical categories.

Lamarck

French naturalist known for his theory of inheritance of acquired characteristics and contributions to early evolutionary theory.

Wallace

British naturalist who independently conceived the theory of evolution through natural selection, contributing to the formulation of evolutionary biology.

Darwin

English naturalist who proposed the theory of evolution by natural selection and is best known for his work "On the Origin of Species."

Natural Selection

The process by which organisms better adapted to their environment tend to survive and produce more offspring.

Origin of Species

Charles Darwin's book, laid foundation for evolutionary biology by presenting evidence and arguments for the theory of evolution through natural selection.

Acquired Characteristics

The idea that traits developed during an organism's lifetime can be passed on to its offspring (as proposed by Lamarck)

Similarities

among species that suggest common ancestry.

Homology

The presence of shared traits or characteristics in different species due to common ancestry, often used as evidence for evolution.

Analogy

Structures performing a similar function but having a different evolutionary origin

Homoplasy

Shared biological trait that evolves independently in different species, not through inheritance from a common ancestor

Symmetry

the balanced arrangement of body parts around a central line or point

Radial Symmetry

parts are arranged around a central point, allowing the organism to be divided into similar halves by multiple lines of symmetry passing through the center

Bilateral Symmetry

the property of being divisible into symmetrical halves on either side of a unique plane.

Saggital

a vertical plane that divides the body into right and left sections, running from front to back

Midsaggital

the median vertical plane that divides a bilaterally symmetrical animal, like a human, into two equal left and right halves

Transverse

something that runs across the body or divides it into upper and lower sections

Coronal

relating to the crown of the head

Distal

situated away from the center of the body or from the point of attachment

Frontal

anything at or relating to the front of the body, particularly the forehead

Anterior

nearer the front, especially situated in the front of the body or nearer to the head

Superior

a position or structure that is higher or above another

cranial

relating to the skull or cranium.

Posterior

further back in position

Inferior

low or lower in position

Caudal

of or like a tail

Dorsal

of, on, or relating to the upper side or back of an animal, plant, or organ

Ventral

relating to the underside of an animal

Proximal

Nearer to the center or trunk of the body

Medial

Situated in the middle

Lateral

of, at, toward, or from the side or sides

Segmentation

the process of dividing a whole into smaller, distinct groups or segments based on shared characteristics or behaviors

Segments

a well-defined, discrete portion of an organ, such as a lung or the liver, that can be considered a functional and anatomical unit

Archetype

a fundamental structure or blueprint within a given context

Vertebrae

each of the series of small bones forming the backbone, having several projections for articulation and muscle attachment, and a hole through which the spinal cord passes