Anthropology and Evolution Exam #1 Review Flashcards

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards focusing on the foundational concepts of anthropology, evolutionary mechanisms, genetics, and cellular biology based on the exam study guide.

Evolution

A change in allele frequency from one generation to the next.

Charles Darwin

A key individual in evolutionary thought known for developing the theory of Natural Selection and articulating the two requirements for speciation.

Gregor Mendel

Known for his work on inheritance and establishing the Law of Segregation and the Law of Independent Assortment.

Alfred Russel Wallace

A scientist who contributed to the understanding of speciation and developed theories of natural selection independently of Darwin.

Great Chain of Being

An early worldview describing how life was organized on the planet and how that organization related to change.

Population

The biological unit of interest where evolution takes place; defined in an evolutionary context as the level where changes in allele frequency occur.

Natural Selection

An evolutionary mechanism comprising four elements that leads to biological change over generations.

Sexual Selection

A type of selection that impacts a population based on specific traits related to mating success.

Stabilizing Selection

Also known as Balancing Selection, it is a type of natural selection that maintains the status quo by favoring average phenotypes.

Directional Selection

A type of natural selection that favors one extreme phenotype over others, causing allele frequencies to shift in one direction.

Disruptive Selection

Also known as Diversifying Selection, it is a type of natural selection that favors both extreme phenotypes over intermediate ones.

Prokaryotic Cell

A type of cell lacking a nucleus and other membrane-bound organelles.

Eukaryotic Cell

A cell that contains a nucleus and membrane-bound organelles, significant for complex life functions.

Somatic Cell

General body cells which differ from gametes in their DNA content and quantity.

Gamete

A reproductive cell (sperm or egg) that carries half of the DNA content compared to somatic cells.

Nucleus

The cellular structure that houses nDNA (nuclear DNA).

Ribosome

The cellular structure serving as the site for protein synthesis.

Double Helix

The structural shape of the DNA molecule, consisting of two strands of nucleotides coiled around each other.

Allele

A variant form of a gene; the relationship between gene and allele is central to identifying traits.

Genotype

The genetic makeup of an organism, specifically the alleles present for a particular trait.

Phenotype

The physical expression or observable trait of an organism resulting from its genotype.

Law of Segregation

Mendelian principle stating that during gamete formation, the two alleles for a trait separate so that each gamete receives only one.

Law of Independent Assortment

Mendelian principle stating that different genes independently separate from one another when reproductive cells develop.

Homozygous

An individual having two identical alleles for a particular gene.

Heterozygous

An individual having two different alleles for a particular gene.

Codominance

A form of inheritance where both alleles in a heterozygote are fully expressed, impacting trait expression at the protein level.

Polygenic Trait

A trait whose expression is influenced by multiple genes rather than a single gene.

Speciation

The evolutionary process by which biological populations evolve to become distinct species.

Mutation

The ultimate source of genetic variation; to impact evolution, it must take place in the gametes.

Reproductive Isolation

A factor that prevents members of different species from producing offspring, leading to speciation.