evolution

• What is evolution?

  Gradual change in inherited characteristics
• How does evolution occur?

  Through the process of natural selection
• What may result from evolution?

  Formation of new species
• What are the key points of natural selection?

  • Variation in phenotype within species
  • Survival and breeding of well-suited individuals
  • Passing on advantageous characteristics to offspring
• What supports the theory of evolution by natural selection?

  Data from genetics, fossils, and antibiotic resistance
• How are characteristics passed on to offspring?

  Through genes
• What are fossils?

  Remains of organisms from millions of years ago
• How can fossils be formed?

  • Parts that do not decay
  • Hard parts replaced by minerals
  • Preservation of traces of organisms
• What are the steps in fossil formation?

  1. Organism dies and falls
  2. Flesh decays, skeleton covered
  3. Skeleton mineralizes over time
  4. Fossil emerges through erosion
• What are the benefits of the fossil record?

  • Shows how species changed over time
  • Helps understand life's development
  • Tracks species movement across the world
• What are the problems with the fossil record?

  • Many early organisms were soft-bodied
  • Gaps due to missing or destroyed fossils
  • Uncertainty about life's beginnings
• What is extinction?

  No remaining individuals of a species
• What factors contribute to species extinction?

  • New predators
  • New diseases or pathogens
  • Increased competition
  • Catastrophic events
  • Environmental changes
• Why can bacteria evolve rapidly?

  They reproduce very quickly
• Why is the development of new antibiotics slow?

  • Expensive
  • Time-consuming
  • Unlikely to keep up with resistance
• How can the rise of antibiotic-resistant strains be reduced?

  • Prescribe antibiotics only for serious infections
  • Complete antibiotic courses
  • Restrict antibiotic use in farming
• Who developed the classification system for living organisms?

  Carl Linnaeus
• What are the main groups in Linnaeus' classification system?

  • Kingdom
  • Phylum
  • Class
  • Order
  • Family
  • Genus
  • Species