Genetic Engineering and Evolutionary Thought

These flashcards cover key concepts related to genetic engineering and evolutionary thought as presented in the lecture notes.

Genetic Engineering

The direct manipulation of an organism's genes using biotechnology.

Recombinant DNA (rDNA) Technology

A technology that enables the addition, deletion, or manipulation of genes in an organism.

Transgenic Organism

An organism that contains a gene or genes which have been artificially inserted instead of the organism acquiring them through reproduction.

Golden Rice

Genetically modified rice that produces beta-carotene to combat vitamin A deficiency.

Restriction Enzymes

Enzymes that cut DNA at specific sequences, crucial for rDNA technology.

Gene Therapy

A medical technique that uses genes to treat or prevent disease.

Natural Selection

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

Artificial Selection

The intentional breeding of certain traits over others to produce desired characteristics.

Genotype

The genetic constitution of an individual organism.

Phenotype

The physical expression or characteristics of a genotype.

Population Genetics

The study of how gene frequencies change over time within populations.

Abiogenesis

The original evolution of life from inorganic or inanimate substances.

Cenozoic Era

The most recent major era in Earth's history, characterized by the dominance of mammals.

Mesozoic Era

Known as the Age of Dinosaurs, spanning from 250 million to 65 million years ago.

Mutation

A change in the DNA sequence that can introduce new genetic variation.

Genetic Drift

A random change in allele frequencies in a population, often affecting small populations.

Bottleneck Effect

A sharp reduction in the size of a population due to environmental events.

Paleozoic Era

Era characterized by the emergence of a great diversity of life forms, especially in marine environments.

Ediacaran Biota

An assemblage of life forms from the Ediacaran Period, representing some of the earliest multicellular organisms.

Gene of Interest

A specific gene that a scientist identifies to manipulate for a desired trait or outcome.