Genetics and Evolution Review

These flashcards cover key concepts related to genetics, inheritance, mutation, and evolutionary principles as discussed in the lecture.

Gene

A unit of heredity that is transferred from a parent to offspring.

Allele

Variations of the same gene.

Mutation

An error that happens during DNA replication that can change the sequence of nucleotides.

Genetic Variation

The diversity in gene frequencies among individuals within a population.

Natural Selection

The process whereby organisms better adapted to their environment tend to survive and produce more offspring.

Hardy-Weinberg Equilibrium

A principle stating that allele and genotype frequencies in a population will remain constant in the absence of evolutionary influences.

Founder Effect

Reduced genetic diversity that occurs when a population is established by a very small number of individuals.

Bottleneck Effect

A sharp reduction in the size of a population due to environmental events or human activities, leading to a loss of genetic diversity.

Assortative Mating

A form of non-random mating in which individuals with certain traits preferentially mate with one another.

Disassortative Mating

A form of non-random mating in which individuals with different traits preferentially mate with one another.