Climate Change Overview

The gradual increase in Earth's average surface temperature primarily caused by greenhouse gasses.

The process by which certain gases in Earth's atmosphere trap heat, making the planet warmer.

Carbon dioxide, a major greenhouse gas.

Gases like CO2, CH4, and H2O that trap heat in Earth's atmosphere.

A graph showing the ongoing increase in atmospheric CO2 levels.

The genetic makeup of an organism, represented by the combination of alleles it possesses.

The observable characteristics or traits of an organism, resulting from the interaction between its genotype and the environment.

The process by which organisms with certain traits are more likely to survive and reproduce in a particular environment.

Selection driven by environmental factors, where individuals with traits better suited to their surroundings are more likely to survive and reproduce.

The total collection of all the different alleles for all genes within a population.

DNA is the blueprint of life, containing all genetic information. Genes are specific segments of DNA that code for proteins, determining traits. All genes are made of DNA, but not all DNA is part of genes.

Non-gene DNA in our genome participates in several vital functions like gene expression regulation, structural components, and pseudogenes, which are inactive gene copies.

The Central Dogma describes the flow of genetic information from DNA to RNA to protein. DNA is transcribed into RNA, which is then translated into proteins. This process determines an organism's traits.

A Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNP) is a single-base difference in the DNA sequence. These variations can influence traits such as height, disease susceptibility, and even the ability to taste certain substances.

Heterozygous refers to having two different alleles for a specific gene, while homozygous refers to having two identical alleles. Different allele combinations can lead to various traits.