Biology Basics

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Evolution and Species

• Evolution: the process in which traits in species gradually change over successive generations
• Extinction: complete loss of a species when the last organism of the species dies
• Gondwana: one of the continents formed when Pangaea broke up, part of which became Australia
• Gradualism: the theory that suggests the Earth's geological features were due to the cumulative product of slow but continuous processes
• Homologous structures: body structures that can perform a different function but have a similar structure due to their evolutionary origin
• Homology: similar characteristics that result from common ancestry
• Natural selection: process in which organisms better adapted for an environment are more likely to pass on their genes to the next generation
• Phyletic evolution: when a population of a species progressively changes over time to become a new species
• Species: taxonomic unit consisting of organisms capable of mating and producing viable and fertile offspring
• Species diversity: the number of different species within an ecosystem

Geological Processes

• Fault: a break in a rock structure causing a sliding movement of the rocks along the break
• Fold: a layer of rock bent into a curved shape, which occurs when rocks are under pressure from both sides
• Fossils: evidence of life in the past
• Half-life: time taken for half the radioactive atoms in a sample to decay; that is, change into atoms of a different element
• Plate tectonics: theory describing the movement of parts of the Earth's crust, called plates, and explaining the events at the boundaries between the plates
• Relative age: age of a rock compared with the age of another rock
• Relative dating: method of dating that determines the age of a rock layer by relating it to another layer using superposition and the fossils contained
• Uniformitarianism theory: a theory based on the concept that the Earth is changed by natural forces that occur gradually over time

Genetics and Cells

• Autosomes: non-sex chromosomes
• Cell: the smallest unit of life and the building blocks of living things
• Chromosomes: tiny thread-like structures inside the nucleus of a cell that contain the DNA that carries genetic information
• Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA): a substance found in all living things that contains its genetic information
• Gene: segment of a DNA molecule with a coded set of instructions in its base sequence for a specific protein product; when expressed, may determine the characteristics of an organism
• Genotype: genetic instructions (contained in DNA) inherited from parents at a particular gene locus
• Mitosis: cell division process that results in new genetically identical cells with the same number of chromosomes as the original cell
• Meiosis: cell division process that results in new cells with half the number of chromosomes of the original cell
• Phenotype: characteristics or traits expressed by an organism

Environment and Climate

• Acid rain: rainwater, snow, or fog that contains dissolved chemicals that make it acidic

• Atmosphere: the layer of gases around the Earth

• Biodiversity: total variety of living things on Earth

• Biome: region of the Earth divided according to dominant vegetation type

• Biosphere: the life-support system of the Earth, containing the atmosphere, lithosphere, hydrosphere, and biota

• Climate sensitivity: the measure of temperature change in the climate, dependent on the amount of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere

• Convection currents: process of heat transfer in gases and liquids in which lighter and hotter materials rise, and cooler and denser materials sink

• Deforestation: the process of clearing trees to convert the land for other uses

• Desertification: the process in which fertile regions become more dry and arid

• Enhanced greenhouse effect: an intensification of the greenhouse effect caused by an increase in greenhouse gases in the atmosphere

• Global warming: the observed rise in the average near-surface temperature of the Earth

• Greenhouse effect: a natural effect of the Earth's atmosphere trapping heat, which keeps the Earth's temperature stable

• Greenhouse gases: gases found in the atmosphere that contribute to the greenhouse effect, trapping the Sun's heat### Genetics

• An organism with genetic information from another species in its genome is known as an organism with genetic information from another species.

• A trait coded for by genes located on sex chromosomes is known as an inherited trait.

• Transposition is the ability of a gene to change position on the chromosome.

• A section of a chromosome that moves about the chromosome within a cell through the method of transposition is known as a transposon.

• A sequence of three nucleotides in DNA that can code for an amino acid is known as a triplet.

• A condition where there are three copies of a particular chromosome instead of two is known as trisomy.

• Differences between cells or organisms are known as variation.

• A cell formed by the fusion of male and female reproductive cells is known as a zygote.

Evolution

• Absolute age is the number of years since the formation of a rock or fossil.
• Absolute dating is determining the age of a fossil and the rock in which it is found using the remaining amount of unchanged radioactive carbon.
• A feature that aids in the survival of an organism is known as an adaptation.
• When divergent evolution of one species results in the formation of many species that are adapted to a variety of environments, it is known as adaptive radiation.
• Alternative forms of a gene for a particular characteristic are known as alleles.
• A type of speciation where populations are separated by a geographical barrier is known as allopatric.
• Body structures that perform a similar function but may not have a similar basic structure are known as analogous structures.
• Plants that have flowers and produce seeds are known as angiosperms.
• The process in which humans breed animals or plants in such a way to increase the proportion of desired traits is known as artificial selection.
• The system devised by Carolus Linnaeus giving organisms two names, the genus and another specific name, is known as the binomial system of nomenclature.
• The total variety of living things on Earth is known as biodiversity.
• The geographical distribution of species is known as biogeography.
• A radiometric dating technique that uses an isotope of carbon-14 to determine the absolute age of fossils is known as carbon dating.
• The theory that the Earth was changed only by sudden catastrophes rather than evolutionary processes is known as catastrophism.
• Membrane-bound organelles which are the site of photosynthesis are known as chloroplasts.
• Tiny thread-like structures inside the nucleus of a cell that contain the DNA that carries genetic information are known as chromosomes.
• The process in which two species evolve in partnership so that they depend on each other is known as coevolution.
• Exploring similarities and differences in the anatomical structures of various species is known as comparative anatomy.
• Exploring similarities and differences between embryos of various species is known as comparative embryology.
• The theory that the continents of Earth have moved to different locations over time is known as continental drift.
• The tendency of unrelated organisms to acquire similar structures due to similar environmental pressures is known as convergent evolution.
• The exchange of alleles between maternal and paternal chromosomes is known as crossing over.
• The process of clearing trees to convert the land for other uses is known as deforestation.
• When a population is divided into two or more new populations that are prevented from interbreeding, it is known as divergent evolution.
• A technique that can be used to compare the DNA in different species to determine how closely related they are is known as DNA hybridisation.
• A community of living things that interact with each other and with the environment in which they live is known as an ecosystem.
• A type of gene flow in which an individual leaves a population is known as emigration.
• A process that describes the evolutionary origin of mitochondria and chloroplasts within eukaryotic cells is known as endosymbiosis.
• A theory that can be used to describe the evolutionary origin of mitochondria and chloroplasts in eukaryotic cells is known as endosymbiotic theory.
• Divisions of geological time defined by specific events in the Earth's history, divided into periods, are known as eras.
• Cells that possess membrane-bound organelles such as a nucleus and mitochondria are known as eukaryotic cells.