Evolution & Taxonomy Unit Review Practice your vocabulary

Diversity The variety of organisms that live on Earth, each adapted to survive its habitat OR… All the species on the planet

Adaptation A characteristic, body structure or behavior that helps an organism survive in its habitat

Variation Differences among individuals of the same species

What are 2 sources of variation? Mutation Sexual reproduction

Evolution The process by which a species changes over time Natural selection over time is one way that evolution happens

Natural Selection The process in which organisms that are better adapted to their environment survive longer, reproduce more often, and pass their genes on to the next generation It is one way that evolution can happen Our butterfly lab simulated natural selection for camouflage

Mutation A change in the DNA sequence or chromosomes of an organism New alleles are produced by mutation

Sexual Reproduction A type of reproduction that involves genetic information from 2 parents Offspring are a new combination of genes.

Asexual Reproduction A type of reproduction that requires only 1 parent It produces offspring that are identical to the parent.

Extinction Organisms that are not well adapted to their environment may die and not get to reproduce

Taxonomy The study of how living things are grouped

Autotroph An organism that can make its own food like a plant or algae

Heterotroph An organism that cannot make its own food like an animal or fungus

Prokaryote An organism that does not have a membrane-bound nucleus (No nucleus)

Eukaryote An organism that has a membrane bound nucleus (Has a nucleus)

Classify To sort organisms based on similarities and differences

Dichotomous Key A series of paired statements that helps indentify an organism

Lithosphere Solid rigid layer of Earth’s crust and upper mantle The tectonic plates are part of the lithosphere

Asthenosphere Hot fluid portion of the upper mantle The lithosphere floats on the asthenosphere The movement in the asthenosphere due to the “convection currents” cause the lithosphere to move

Theory of Plate Tectonics States that the Earth’s surface is made up of huge plates that are in constant motion It explains the following: Continental drift Seafloor spreading Deep ocean trenches

Theory of Plate Tectonics How does this theory explain where earthquakes and volcanoes tend to occur? Earthquakes and volcanoes tend to happen where 2 plates meet

Layers of the Earth Which layers are the lines pointing to?

Crust Mantle Outer Core Inner Core