Evolution and natural selection

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What is the theory of evolution?

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The theory of evolution explains how species change over time through processes like natural selection and genetic variation.

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What is natural selection?

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Natural selection is the process where organisms better adapted to their environment tend to survive and produce more offspring.

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What is variation in the context of evolution?

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Variation refers to the differences in traits among individuals of the same species, which can lead to natural selection.

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What are prokaryotes?

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Prokaryotes are single-celled organisms that lack a nucleus, such as bacteria.

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What is the significance of photosynthetic prokaryotes in evolution?

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Photosynthetic prokaryotes, like cyanobacteria, are believed to have produced the first oxygen on Earth, leading to significant changes in the atmosphere.

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What does the theory of endosymbiosis propose?

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The theory of endosymbiosis suggests that certain organelles, like chloroplasts, originated from free-living prokaryotes that were engulfed by ancestral eukaryotic cells.

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How long does evolution typically take?

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Evolution typically occurs over millions of years, not in short time frames.

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What is extinction?

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Extinction is the end of an organism or a group of organisms, often due to environmental changes or loss of habitat.

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What is homeostasis?

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Homeostasis is the ability of an organism to maintain stable internal conditions despite changes in the external environment.

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What is an autotrophic organism?

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An autotrophic organism is one that can produce its own food, typically through photosynthesis or chemosynthesis.