Term | Definition |
adaptation | Inherited characteristics that aid in an organism’s survival and reproduction. |
class | The major subdivisions of classifying living organisms which consists of several orders. |
classification | The process of grouping living organisms into classes. This is achieved by comparing traits and characteristics and genetic relationships. |
competition | In which organisms/species use the same limited resources. |
DNA | (Also known as deoxyribonucleic acid) A long molecule that carries and passes down genes from parent to offspring. |
endangered species | A species that is in danger of becoming extinct. |
environment | The surroundings or conditions in which an organism lives. |
evolution | The slight changes in a species that build up over time. |
extinction | In which a species ceases to exist because the last of said species died without any surviving offspring. |
family | Major subdivisions of an order that help to specify what type of organism one is. |
fossil record | Information about past / extinct species that provides information about the history of life on Earth. |
genes | Units of genetic code that are passed down from parent to offspring and determine said offspring’s traits. |
mutation | A change in DNA that can lead to different traits. |
natural selection | In which organisms with traits that give them a better chance of survival live long enough to reproduce and pass those traits on to the next generation. Over time, the organism without these traits die. |
population | Organisms of the same species living in the same general habitat or vicinity. |
speciation | The formation of a new species due to new changes previously prohibited by the environment or evolution. |
species | A group of organisms with similar identifying traits and evolutionary history that can reproduce offspring with little variation. |
trait | A distinguishing version of a quality or characteristic that varies from one individual to another. |
variation | Differences in organisms of the same species. |
vertebrates | Organisms with a backbone/spinal column. |