Chapter 14: Evolution

These flashcards cover key concepts, theories, and definitions related to the topic of evolution, providing students with a handy review tool for their upcoming exam.

Evolution

Change over a period of time.

Prokaryotic heterotrophs

The first organisms believed to have existed, dependent on complex organic molecules for energy.

Biochemical evolution

The change from heterotrophic to autotrophic organisms, enabling them to synthesize new organic matter.

Endosymbiosis theory

A theory proposing that eukaryotic cells evolved through a process where large anaerobic prokaryotes ingested small aerobic bacteria that became mitochondria.

Lamarckism

A theory of evolution proposed by Jean-Baptiste Lamarck based on the use and disuse of body parts and inheritance of acquired characteristics.

Natural selection

A mechanism of evolution where individuals with favorable traits are more likely to survive and reproduce.

Descent with modification

The concept that all organisms are related through descent from common ancestors, resulting in diversity as they adapt to different environments.

Cambrian explosion

A significant period in Earth's history marked by a rapid increase in the diversity of life forms around 541 million years ago.

Mitochondria

Organelles thought to have originated from aerobic bacteria that were ingested by ancestral eukaryotic cells.

Photosynthesis

The process by which certain organisms convert light energy into chemical energy in the form of glucose.