Variation & Evolution What 'variation' is

• What can lead to huge variation between individuals?

  Differences in genes and environment
• What is the process called that can lead to the evolution of new species?

  Natural selection
• What term is used to describe the differences among individuals in a population?

  Variation
• What does a phenotype describe?

  Observable characteristics of an individual
• What two factors interact to determine a phenotype?

  Genes and environment
• What do genes code for?

  Proteins
• What is a genome?

  All of your genes combined
• Why does everyone except identical twins have a unique genome?

  Different combinations of proteins
• How can the environment affect identical twins with the same genes?

  Different diets or sun exposure can alter traits
• What is the key point about our characteristics?

  Most are determined by genes and environment interaction
• What causes genetic variation?

  Mutations
• What is a mutation?

  A change in the DNA code
• What happens to most mutations?

  They don't affect the organism's phenotype
• What can beneficial mutations do?

  Make individuals more resistant or faster
• What did Charles Darwin notice about certain traits?

  They were passed on from parent to child
• What term did Darwin use to describe the survival of the fittest?

  Survival of the fittest
• What is natural selection?

  Fittest individuals are selected to survive
• What does evolution describe?

  Inheritance of characteristics over generations
• What does the theory of evolution imply about all living species?

  They evolved from simple life forms
• How long ago did simple life forms first develop?

  More than 3 billion years ago
• What evidence supports Darwin's theory of evolution?

  Antibiotic resistance and fossil records
• What occurs through natural selection over time?

  Genetic changes leading to suited phenotypes
• What happens when two populations within a species can no longer interbreed?

  A new species has been formed
• What is the end goal of evolution through natural selection?

  Formation of new species
• What are the main concepts of natural selection and evolution?

  • Variation in traits among individuals
  • Interaction of genes and environment
  • Mutations lead to genetic variation
  • Beneficial mutations enhance survival
  • Survival of the fittest leads to reproduction
  • Evolution results in new species over time