Unit 2 Vocab

Core Concepts

• Evolution: The process of change in a species over time.

• Natural Selection: The process by which organisms with advantageous traits are more likely to survive and reproduce.

• Genetic Drift: Random changes in allele frequencies in a population.

• Gene Flow: The movement of alleles between populations.

• Mutation: A change in the DNA sequence.

• Adaptation: A trait that increases an organism's fitness.

• Fitness: The ability of an organism to survive and reproduce.

• Gene Pool: The total collection of genes in a population.

• Hardy-Weinberg Principle: A mathematical model used to calculate allele and genotype frequencies in a population.

Specific Terms

• Allele: A variant form of a gene.

• Genotype: The genetic makeup of an organism.

• Phenotype: The observable physical characteristics of an organism.

• Homologous Structures: Structures that share a common ancestry.

• Vestigial Structures: Structures that have lost their original function.

• Fossil Record: The preserved remains or traces of organisms from the past.

• Comparative Anatomy: The study of similarities and differences in the anatomy of different species.

• Comparative Embryology: The study of the development of embryos of different species.  

• Molecular Biology: The study of the molecular basis of life.

• Phylogenetic Tree: A diagram that shows the evolutionary relationships between different species.