unit 4 bio VOCAB

Gene

functional units of heredity (found in DNA)

Trait

observable characteristics

Adaptation

feature that is common in a population because it provides some improved function

Alleles

different forms of gene for a given trait

Evolution

change in the frequency of a trait in a population over a long time

Natural selection

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

Gene pool

consists of all the alleles in all the individuals that make up a population

Population genetics

the study of gene and allele frequencies within populations

Genetic drift

the random change in allele frequency caused by chance occurrences like natural disasters

Bottleneck effect

change in allele frequency following a drastic reduction in population size

many endangered species display this type of genetic shift

Founders effect

change in allele frequencies due to the migration of a small subgroup of a population

Environmental selective pressure

factors in the environment that influence which individuals survive and reproduce, such as predators, competition, and climate.

Fitness

ability to survive and reproduce in a specific environment, which determines the contribution of an individual to the gene pool of the next generation.

Genetic equilibrium

condition in which a populations trait frequencies remain the same (doesn’t usually happen)

intrinsic comes

from the species itself, referring to the internal factors that influence its evolution.

heredity

how characteristics are passed onto offspring

heterozygeous

an individual with two different alleles for a trait

homozygeous

an individual with two of the same alleles for a trait.