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104 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
Hominins
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Colloquial term for members of the evolutionary group that includes modern humans and extinct bipedal relatives.
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Bipedally
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On two feet; habitually walking on two legs.
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Species
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A group of organisms that can interbreed to produce fertile offspring. Members of one species are reproductively isolated from members of other species (cannot mate).
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Primates
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Members of the order of mammals Primates (pry-may-tees) which includes lemurs, monkeys, apes.. etc, and humans.
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Evolution
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A change in the genetic structure of a population; also used to refer to the appearance of new species.
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Adaptation
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An anatomical, physiological, or behavioral response of organisms/populations to the environment. Adaptations result from evolutionary change: specifically, a result of natural selection.
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Genetic
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The study of gene structure and action, and the patterns of transmission of traits from parents to offspring. Genetic mechanisms are the foundations for evolutionary change.
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Culture
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Behavioral aspects of human adaptation, including technology, traditions, language, religion, marriage patterns, and social roles. Culture is a set of learned behaviors transmitted from one generation to the next by non-genetic means.
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World-view
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General cultural orientation or perspective shared by members of a society.
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Behavior
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Anything organisms do that involves axn in rsp to int. or ext. stimuli. The rsp of an indv, group, or species to its environment. May or may not be deliberate (Result of conscious decision making).
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Biocultural evolution
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The mutual, interactive evolution of human biology and culture: biology makes culture possible and developing cult. further influences the direct of bio. evo.
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Anthropology
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Field of inquiry that studies human culture and evo. aspects of human bio. Includes cult. anthropology, archaeology, linguistics, and phys. anthropology.
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Applied Anthro
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Practical applc of anth and archae theories and techniques.
Ex. Phys Anthropologist works in public health sector |
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Ethnographies
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Detailied, descriptive studies of human societies. Typically the study of a non-Western society in Cult. Anth.
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Artifacts
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Objs or materials made or modified for use by modern humans or their ancestors. Earliest artifacts are stone tools w evidence dating back to 3.4mya
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Paleoanthropology
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Interdisciplinary approach to the study of earlier hominins.
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Anthropometry
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Measurement of human body parts; can also be osteometry when osteologists are measuring skeletal remains
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DNA
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Double stranded molecule that contains the genetic code. DNA = main component of chromosomes
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Osteology
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Study of skeletal material.
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Bioarchaeology
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The study of skeletal remains from archaeological sites.
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Paleopathology
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Study of disease and injury in human skeletal (or mummified) remains from archaeological sites.
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Forensic Anthropology
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Applied anth. approach dealing with legal matters. F.A.s worker with coroners and other in identifying and analyzing human remains.
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Primatology
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Study of the biology and behavior of nonhuman primates.
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Continuum
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Set of relationships in which all components fall along a sing integrated spectrum (ex, color) All life reflects a single biological continuum.
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Science
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Body of knowledge gained thru observation and experimentation.
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Empirical
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Relying on experiment or observation.
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Data
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Facts from which a concl can be drawn.
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Quantitatively
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Pertaining to measurements, expressed numerically.
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Theory
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Broad statement of sci. relationships or principles that has been substantially verified through the testing of the hypotheses.
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Ethnocentric
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View of other cultures from an inherently biased perspective of one's own culture. Often results in other cultures being seen as "inferior."
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Relativistic
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Viewing entities as they relate to something else. Cult. relativism is the view that cultures have merits within their own historical and environmental contexts.
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Metabolism
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Chemical processes with cells that break down nutrients and release energy for the body to use.
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Natural selection
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Most critical mechanism of evolutionary change. Refers to change or changes in the frequencies or certain traits in populations due to differences btwn reproductive success of indvls.
(Charles Darwin) |
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Fixity of species
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Notion that species, once created, can never change; an idea diametrically opposed to theories of biological evolution.
(Aristotle) |
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Reproductively isolated
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Pertaining to groups of organisms that mainly because of gen. differences, are prevented from mating and producing offspring w members of other groups.
(John Ray) |
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Binomial nomenclature
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Convention whereby genus and species names are used to refer to species (ex. Homo sapiens).
(Carolus Linnaeus) |
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Taxonomy
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Branch of Sci. concerned w the rules of classifying organisms on the basis of evolutionary relationships.
(Linnaeus, sort of) |
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Catastrophism
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View that earth's geological landscape is the result of violent cataclysmic events (ex. Dinosaurs) in opposition to Lamarck.
(Georges Cuvier) |
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Uniformitarianism
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Theory that earth's features are the result of long term processes that continue to operate in the present as they did in the past. Contributed strongly to the notion of an immense geological span of time and opposed catastrophism.
(Charles Lyell) |
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Fitness
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Measure of relative reprod. success of indvls. Measured by indvl's genetic contribution to the nest gen compared with that of other indvls.
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Reproductive success
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Number of offspring an indvl produces and rears to a reproductive age; an indvl's genetic contribution to the next generation.
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Selective pressures
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Forces in the evr. that infl. reproductive success in individuals.
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Genome
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Entire genetic makeup of an indvl or species.
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Biological continuity
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Biological continuum, expressions of phenomenon continuously grade into one another so there are no discrete categories.
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Christian fundamentalists
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Hold that teachings of the Bible are infallible and the scriptures are to be taken literally.
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Nucleus
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Structure found in all eukaryotic cells, contains chromosomes (DNA).
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Molecules
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Structures made up of two or more atoms. Can combine w/ other molecules to form complex structures.
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RNA
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Single stranded molec. similar to DNA. The 3 forms of RNA (mRNA, tRNA, rRNA) are essential to protein synthesis.
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Cytoplasm
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Portion of cell contained in the membrane, excl. the nucleus. Is a semi-fluid organelles float around in.
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Protein synthesis
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Assembly of chains of amino acids into functional protein molecules. Directed by DNA.
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Mitochondria
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Convt nutrients into a form of energy that can be used by the cell.
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Ribosomes
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Composed of rRNA and protein. Found in cytoplasm and essential to production of proteins.
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Mitochondrial DNA
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mtDNA found in the mitochondria and inherited only from the mother.
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Somatic cells
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All the cells in the body excluding those involved in reproduction.
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Gametes
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Sex cells (eggs and sperm).
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Zygote
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Cell formed by the union of the sperm and egg. Contains full complement of chromosomes, and has potential to develop into an entire organism.
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Nucleotides
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Basic units of the DNA molc. (3 parts: sugar, phosphate, and one of four DNA bases.)
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Replicate
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DNA making copies of itself.
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Enzymes
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Specialized proteins that initiate and direct chemical rxns in the body.
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Complementary
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Base pairs
Adenine - Thymine Guanine- Cytosine |
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Hemoglobin
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Occurs in red blood cells, a protein that binds to oxygen molecules.
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Hormones
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Substances that are produced by specialized cells and that travel to other parts of the body, where they influence chemical rxns and regulate various cellular functions.
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mRNA
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Messenger RNA, carries DNA code to the ribosome during protein synthesis.
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Codons
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Triplets of mRNA bases that code for specific amino acids during prot. synth.
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tRNA
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Transfer RNA, binds to specific amino acids and transports them to the ribosome during prot. synth.
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Mutation
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A change in DNA.
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Gene
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Sequence of DNA bases that specifies the order of amino acids in a protein.
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Exons
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Segments of genes that are transcribed and involved in prot. synth.
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Noncoding sequences
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Segments of DNA that don't direct the production of protein.
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Introns
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Segments of genes intially transcribed, then deleted. Not expressed, uninvolved in prot. synth.
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Regulatory genes
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Genes that influence the activity of other genes.
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Homeobox genes
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Evolutionarily ancient family of regulatory genes that directs the development of the overall body plan and segmentation of tissues.
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Chromosomes
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Discrete structures composed of DNA and protein found only in the nuclei of cells.
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Autosomes
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All chromosomes except the sex chromosomes.
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Sex chromosomes
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In mammals, X & Y chromosomes.
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Mitosis
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Simple cell division; process of somatic cells to produce two identical daughter cells.
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Meiosis
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Cell division specialized in ovary and teste cells. Two divisions, results in four cells only containing half the number of chromosomes. These cells can develop into gametes.
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Recombination
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Exchange of genetic material btwn two homologous chromosomes during meiosis -"Crossing over"
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Polymerase chain reaction
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PCR - method of producing thousands of copies of a DNA sample.
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Human genome project
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Completed in 2003, international effort aimed at sequencing and mapping the entire human genome.
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Selective breeding
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Breeders choose which plant/animals will be allowed to mate based on the traits they hope to produce in offspring. Animals or plants w/o desirable traits are not bred.
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Hybrids
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Offspring of parents who differ from each other with regard to certain aspects of genetic makeup; heterozygotes.
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Principle of segregation
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Genes occur in pairs because chromosomes occur in pairs. During gamete formation, the members of each pair of genes separate, so that each gamete contains one member of each pair.
Meiosis. (Gregor Mendel) |
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Recessive
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Trait not expressed in heterozygotes. Only expressed when indv has two copies of it (homozygous).
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Dominant
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Prevent the expression of recessive alleles.
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Locus
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Position on a chromosome where a given gene occurs.
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Alleles
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Alternate forms of a gene that occur at same locus on both pair of chromosomes. May slightly differ from one another resulting in different expressions of a trait.
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Homozygous
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Having the same allele at both loci.
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Heterozygous
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Having different alleles at the same loci.
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Genotype
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The genetic makeup of an indv; can refer to entire organism or just at a particular loci.
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Phenotype
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Physical expression of a genotype, frequently influenced by the environment.
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Principle of independent assortment
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The distribution of one pair of alleles into gametes does not influence the distribution of another pair. The genes controlling different traits are inherited independently of one another.
(Gregor Mendel) |
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Random assortment
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Chance distribution of chromosomes to daughter cells during meiosis- is a source of genetic variation, along with recombination.
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Mendelian traits
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Characteristics influenced by alleles at only one genetic locus, such as blood type.
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Codominance
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The expression of two alleles in heterozygotes. In this situation, neither allele is dominant or recessive, so they both influence the phenotype.
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Polygenic
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Traits influenced by genes at two or more loci. Many are influenced by environmental factors. (ex, skin color)
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Variation
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Inherited differences among all individuals; the basis of all evolutionary change.
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Allele frequency
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In a population, the percentage of alleles at a locus accounted for by only one specific allele.
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Population
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Within a species, a community of indvls in which mates are usually found.
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Gene pool
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All of the genes shared by the reproductive members of a population.
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Microevolution
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Small changes occurring within a species, such as changes in allele frequencies.
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Macroevolution
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Changes produced only after many generations, such as the appearance of a new species.
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Gene flow
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Exchange of genes btwn populations.
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Founder effect
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Type of genetic drift in which allele frequencies are altered in small populations that are taken from, or are remnants of, larger populations.
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