words list

• Variation: Differences or diversity observed within a population or among organisms of the same species.
• Population: A group of individuals belonging to the same species and living in the same geographical area, capable of interbreeding.
• Taxonomy: The science of classifying and naming organisms, arranging them into hierarchical categories based on their similarities and evolutionary relationships.
• Morphology: The study of the form and structure of organisms and their specific features, such as shape, size, color, and arrangement of body parts.
• Species: A group of organisms that share similar characteristics and can interbreed to produce fertile offspring.
• Binomial Nomenclature: The system of naming species with a two-part Latinized name consisting of the genus and species names, introduced by Carl Linnaeus.
• Speciation: The process by which new species arise from a single ancestral species through various mechanisms, resulting in reproductive isolation.
• Diploid: Having two sets of chromosomes in each cell, typically one set from each parent.
• Karyogram: A visual display of an individual's chromosomes arranged in pairs according to their size, shape, and banding patterns.
• Karyotype: The number, size, and shape of chromosomes in an organism, typically depicted in a karyogram.
• Homologous Chromosomes: Chromosome pairs that carry genes for the same traits, one from each parent.
• Genome: The entire genetic material of an organism, including its genes and non-coding sequences, contained within its chromosomes.
• Polymorphism: The occurrence of multiple forms or alleles of a gene within a population.
• Genome Size: The total amount of DNA contained within an organism's genome, measured in base pairs or nucleotides.
• Genome Sequencing: The process of determining the complete nucleotide sequence of an organism's genome.
• Genomics: The study of an organism's entire genome, including its structure, function, and evolution.
• Autosome: Any chromosome that is not a sex chromosome, responsible for carrying genes unrelated to sex determination.
• Sex Chromosome: A chromosome involved in determining an organism's sex, typically designated as X or Y in mammals.
• Telomere: A region of repetitive DNA sequences at the end of a chromosome, protecting it from deterioration during cell division.
• Asexual Reproduction: Reproduction that involves a single parent and produces offspring genetically identical to the parent.
• Horizontal Gene Transfer: The transfer of genetic material between different species, often through mechanisms other than reproduction.
• Dichotomous Key: A tool used in taxonomy to identify organisms based on a series of choices between alternative characteristics.
• DNA barcodes: Short, standardized DNA sequences used to identify species and distinguish between closely related organisms.
• Biodiversity: The variety of life forms present in an ecosystem or on Earth, including genetic diversity, species diversity, and ecosystem diversity.
• Taxon / Taxa: A group of organisms classified together in a hierarchical system, such as a genus, species, family, etc.
• Cladistics: A method of classifying organisms based on their evolutionary relationships, using shared derived characteristics.
• Clade: A group of organisms that includes an ancestral species and all of its descendants.
• Cladogram: A diagram depicting evolutionary relationships among organisms based on shared derived characteristics.
• Root (of a cladogram): The common ancestor from which all organisms in the cladogram are descended.
• Node: A point in a cladogram where branches diverge, representing a common ancestor of the organisms on those branches.
• Terminal Branch: A branch in a cladogram representing a specific species or group of species.
• Evolution: The process of change over time in the genetic composition of populations, leading to the development of new species and the diversity of life.
• Molecular Clock: A method of estimating the timing of evolutionary events based on the rate of genetic mutations.
• Parsimony analysis: A method used in phylogenetics to determine the most likely evolutionary tree based on the simplest explanation of observed data.
• Common Ancestor: The most recent individual from which two or more different species or groups of organisms are descended.
• Domain: The highest taxonomic rank in the biological classification system, representing the three major groups of organisms: Archaea, Bacteria, and Eukarya.
• Archaea: One of the three domains of life, consisting of single-celled microorganisms with prokaryotic cells that often inhabit extreme environments.
• Eubacteria: One of the three domains of life, consisting of single-celled microorganisms with prokaryotic cells, commonly known as bacteria.
• Eukarya: One of the three domains of life, consisting of organisms with eukaryotic cells, including plants, animals, fungi, and protists.
• Homologous Structures: Body parts in different species that have a similar structure but may have different functions, indicating a common evolutionary origin.