Scientific Study of Life - Evolution and Biology Themes

Flashcards covering key terms and concepts from the scientific study of life lecture notes, including evolution, natural selection, Charles Darwin, and five unifying themes of biology.

Evolution

The process of change that has transformed life on Earth from its earliest forms to the vast array of organisms living today.

Descent with Modification

Charles Darwin's phrase for evolution, capturing both the unity of life (descent from a common ancestor) and the diversity of life (modifications as species diverged from ancestors).

Natural Selection

A mechanism for evolution proposed by Charles Darwin, in which individuals with certain inherited traits are more likely to survive and reproduce than individuals without those traits.

On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection

The influential book published by Charles Darwin in 1859 that presented evidence for evolution and proposed natural selection as its mechanism.

Charles Darwin

The biologist (1809–1882) who published On the Origin of Species in 1859 and proposed natural selection as the primary mechanism of evolution.

Unity of Life

The common features and processes shared by all living organisms, such as cellular processes and the universal chemical structure of DNA, resulting from descent from a common ancestor.

Diversity of Life

The wide variety of distinct species and adaptations across Earth, arising from modifications as species diverged from their ancestors over time.

Structure to Function

A major theme of biology illustrating how an organism's physical structure (such as a sea turtle's flippers) is adapted to perform a specific function (such as cruising through water).

Information Flow

A major theme of biology explaining how genetic information in DNA sequences determines how genes control body structures and processes.

Pathways That Transform Energy and Matter

A major theme of biology describing how organisms consume food/nutrients to gain energy and matter necessary for growth, movement, and life processes.

Interactions Within Biological Systems

A major theme of biology examining how components within biological systems affect one another, such as how changing global climate affects beach nesting environments and food supply.

Evolution

The process of change that has transformed life on Earth from its earliest forms to the vast array of organisms living today.

Descent with Modification

Charles Darwin's phrase for evolution, capturing both the unity of life (descent from a common ancestor) and the diversity of life (modifications as species diverged from ancestors).

Natural Selection

A mechanism for evolution proposed by Charles Darwin, in which individuals with certain inherited traits are more likely to survive and reproduce than individuals without those traits.

On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection

The influential book published by Charles Darwin in 1859 that presented evidence for evolution and proposed natural selection as its mechanism.

Charles Darwin

The biologist (1809–1882) who published On the Origin of Species in 1859 and proposed natural selection as the primary mechanism of evolution.

Unity of Life

The common features and processes shared by all living organisms, such as cellular processes and the universal chemical structure of DNA, resulting from descent from a common ancestor.

Diversity of Life

The wide variety of distinct species and adaptations across Earth, arising from modifications as species diverged from their ancestors over time.

Structure to Function

A major theme of biology illustrating how an organism's physical structure (such as a sea turtle's flippers) is adapted to perform a specific function (such as cruising through water).

Information Flow

A major theme of biology explaining how genetic information in DNA sequences determines how genes control body structures and processes.

Pathways That Transform Energy and Matter

A major theme of biology describing how organisms consume food/nutrients to gain energy and matter necessary for growth, movement, and life processes.

Interactions Within Biological Systems

A major theme of biology examining how components within biological systems affect one another, such as how changing global climate affects beach nesting environments and food supply.