Fixism, Transformism, and Evolutionary Theories

Vocabulary flashcards covering cellular organization, Fixism, Transformism, Lamarckism, and Darwinian Natural Selection based on lecture notes.

Unicellular Organisms

Living beings composed of only a single cell, such as bacteria and protozoans.

Multicellular Organisms

Living beings formed by millions of cells, such as animals and plants.

Fixism (Linnaeus)

An explanation for biodiversity proposing that each species arose independently and remains permanently with the same characteristics.

Transformism

The idea supported by fossil evidence that species change over time, explaining biodiversity and the existence of fossils distinct from living organisms.

Lamarck's Principle of Complexity

The idea that organisms have a tendency to transform gradually into increasingly complex beings driven by the need to adapt to their environment.

Law of Use and Disuse

A principle proposed by Lamarck suggesting that organs develop or atrophy based on their use or disuse in adapting to the environment.

Law of Inheritance of Acquired Characteristics

A principle proposed by Lamarck stating that physical changes acquired by an organism during its lifetime are passed on to its offspring.

Natural Selection (Darwin)

The evolutionary mechanism proposed by Charles Darwin to explain how species change over time.