Gateway High school biology EOC review

Theory of Evolution

Proposed by Charles Darwin; the process by which organisms that are best suited to their environment survive and pass genetic traits on to their offspring.

Adaption

Organisms with the most suited traits will survive.

Evolution

Change in a species over time, not referring to a single individual, but to a group.

Fossils

Remnants of organisms that provide a record of changes over time when arranged in order of age.

Molecular Biology

The study of comparing DNA, gene, or protein sequences from organisms to identify shared ancestry.

Embryology

The examination of embryos in different vertebrates that resembles one another in early stages, indicating potential relationships.

Comparative Anatomy

The study of similarities and differences in the anatomy of different species.

Homologous structures

Body parts that are similar in different species because of common descent, though they may serve different functions.

Vestigial structures

Anatomical features that are reduced in size and no longer serve their original function.

Biogeography

The study of the geographic distribution of species and how it relates to their evolutionary history.

Natural selection

The process by which traits that help an organism survive are 'selected' for, altering the inherited characteristics of a population over time.

Conditions required for natural selection

Variation in traits, differential reproduction, and heredity.

Mutation

A change in DNA that can create genetic variation, but only mutations in germ cells are passed to offspring.

Gene flow/migration

The transfer of genes from one population to another, potentially increasing genetic variation.

Genetic drift

A mechanism of evolution where chance events lead to the differential survival and reproduction of individuals.

Nonrandom mating

Mating that influences the genetic structure of populations, such as through sexual selection.

Chemical Evolution

The process by which simple inorganic molecules formed complex organic molecules, leading to the origin of life.

Biological Evolution

The evolutionary process of prokaryotes evolving into eukaryotes through endosymbiosis.

Taxonomy

The branch of biology concerning the classification, naming, and organization of organisms based on their relationships.

Binomial nomenclature

A system for naming organisms that uses two names: genus and species.

Levels of Classification

The hierarchical system used to classify organisms: Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, Species.

Autotrophs

Organisms that produce their own food from inorganic substances using light (photosynthesis) or chemical energy (chemosynthesis).

Heterotrophs

Organisms that cannot produce their own food and rely on other organisms for energy.

Natural selection examples

Examples include antibiotic resistance in bacteria and peppered moth color variations due to pollution.

What are the Genetic Variation sources

Mutations, gene flow, and sexual reproduction.

Importance of fossils

Crucial for understanding the history of life and evolutionary transitions.

Endosymbiotic theory

A theory explaining the origin of eukaryotic cells from prokaryotes, involving symbiotic relationships.

Adaptive radiation

The process through which organisms diversify rapidly into a variety of forms to adapt to different environments.

Characteristics of Life

The set of attributes that living organisms share, including homeostasis, organization, metabolism, growth, reproduction, response to stimuli, and adaptation.

Prokaryotes

Single-celled organisms that lack a nucleus and membrane-bound organelles, such as bacteria.

Eukaryotes

Organisms whose cells contain a nucleus and organelles, including plants, animals, fungi, and protists.

Symbiosis

A close and often long-term interaction between two different biological species, which can be mutualistic, commensal, or parasitic.

Speciation

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

Extinction

The end of an organism or group of organisms, resulting in its permanent disappearance from Earth.

Evolutionary Fitness

The ability of an organism to survive and reproduce in its environment, contributing to the gene pool of the next generation.