Natural Selection and Evolution Concepts

Define: Evolution

• The process by which organisms develop new traits over time.

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

• A theory that explains the origin of life on Earth.

• The study of how species interact with each other and their environment.

Identify: Characteristics of the kingdom Bacteria

• Multicellular, eukaryotic organisms that are always autotrophic.

• Unicellular, prokaryotic organisms that can be autotrophic or heterotrophic.

• Unicellular, eukaryotic organisms that can only be heterotrophic.

• Multicellular, prokaryotic organisms that can be either autotrophic or heterotrophic.

Compare and contrast: Producers, consumers, and decomposers

• Producers create energy, consumers eat producers or other consumers, and decomposers break down dead matter.

• Producers consume energy, consumers create energy, and decomposers produce waste.

• Producers and consumers both create energy, while decomposers only recycle nutrients.

• Producers are the only ones that can create energy, while consumers and decomposers do not.

Define: Homologous structures

• Structures that share a common ancestry but may serve different functions.

• Structures that are similar in function but not in structure.

• Structures that are identical in both structure and function.

• Structures that arise from convergent evolution.

Identify: Characteristics of the kingdom Animalia

• Multicellular, heterotrophic organisms that can move.

• Unicellular, autotrophic organisms that cannot move.

• Multicellular, autotrophic organisms that can move.

• Unicellular, heterotrophic organisms that can move.

Define: Convergent evolution

• When unrelated species evolve similar traits.

• When related species evolve different traits.

• The process by which species become extinct.

• The evolution of species in isolation.

Define: Autotroph

• An organism that produces its own food.

• An organism that consumes other organisms for energy.

• An organism that decomposes organic material.

• An organism that relies on sunlight for energy.

Define: Analogous structures

• Structures that serve similar functions but evolved independently.

• Structures that have a common evolutionary origin but serve different functions.

• Structures that are similar in structure and function due to shared ancestry.

• Structures that are formed by the same developmental processes but serve different functions.

Identify: Characteristics of the kingdom Fungi

• Multicellular or unicellular, heterotrophic organisms that absorb nutrients.

• Photosynthetic organisms that produce their own food.

• Prokaryotic organisms that lack a nucleus.

• Multicellular, autotrophic organisms that thrive in aquatic environments.

Identify: Characteristics of the kingdom Protista

• Mostly unicellular organisms that can be autotrophic or heterotrophic.

• Multicellular organisms that are exclusively autotrophic.

• Organisms that are primarily prokaryotic and lack a nucleus.

• Organisms that reproduce only asexually.