Natural Selection

Front

What are analogous structures?

Back

Structures in different species that serve similar functions but do not share a common evolutionary origin.

Front

What are homologous structures?

Back

Structures in different species that share a common ancestry, even if they have different functions.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS4-2

Front

What are vestigial structures?

Back

Body parts that have lost their original function through evolution.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS4-2

Front

What is natural selection?

Back

The process by which organisms better adapted to their environment tend to survive and produce more offspring.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS4-1

NGSS.MS-LS4-2

NGSS.MS-LS4-4

Front

What is variation in biology?

Back

A slight difference in an inherited trait between individual members of the same species.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS4-4

Front

What is mimicry?

Back

When an organism has a trait that makes it resemble another species, either in looks or behavior.

Front

What is camouflage?

Back

A defense mechanism that allows an organism to blend in with its environment to avoid detection.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS4-4

Front

What is evolution?

Back

The change in the heritable characteristics of biological populations over successive generations.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS4-1

NGSS.MS-LS4-2

NGSS.MS-LS4-4

Front

What is adaptation?

Back

A trait that helps an organism survive and reproduce in its environment.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS1-5

NGSS.MS-LS4-4

Front

What is the role of mutations in evolution?

Back

Mutations create variations in traits, which can lead to adaptations and evolution.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS3-1

NGSS.MS-LS4-4