Introduction to Evolutionary Biology

A collection of vocabulary flashcards to aid in studying key concepts discussed in the Introduction to Evolutionary Biology lecture.

Inbreeding

The mating of individuals who are more closely related than the average individual in the population.

Outbreeding

Breeding of individuals from genetically diverse populations to introduce new alleles into the population.

Inbreeding Depression

The reduced biological fitness in a given population as a result of inbreeding.

Genetic Rescue

An increase in population fitness due to the introduction of new alleles from outside the population.

Homozygotes

Individuals with two identical alleles for a specific gene.

Heterozygotes

Individuals with two different alleles for a specific gene.

Allele Frequency

The relative frequency of an allele (variant of a gene) at a genetic locus in a population.

Macrophages

Cells that engulf and digest cellular debris and pathogens; involved in the immune response.

Hybridization

The process of combining different varieties or species of organisms to create a hybrid.

Reproductive Isolation

A set of conditions that prevent individuals from different populations from interbreeding.