BIO 112 EXAM 1 VOCABULARY QUESTIONS
AND ANSWERS
evolution - Correct Answers -Change in a kind of organism over time; process by which
modern organisms have descended from ancient organisms.
extinction - Correct Answers -The disappearance of all members of a species from
Earth
use and disuse - Correct Answers -Theory proposed by Lamarck that said body parts
develop with increased usage while unused parts weaken or disappear
Lamarckism - Correct Answers -First proposed by Lamarck, the theory of evolution
through the inheritance of acquired characteristics in which an organism can pass on
features acquired during its lifetime.
heritable - Correct Answers -Traits that can be passed on to offspring
homologous structures - Correct Answers -Structures in different species that are
similar because of common ancestry
analogous structure - Correct Answers -similarities among unrelated species that result
from convergent evolution
endemic - Correct Answers -Native or confined to a particular region or people;
characteristic of or prevalent in a field
fossil - Correct Answers -A preserved remnant or impression of an organism that lived
in the past.
uniformitarianism - Correct Answers -The geologic principle that the same geologic
processes that operate today operated in the past to change Earth's surface
inheritance of acquired characteristics - Correct Answers -The hypothesis that
organisms' bodies change during their lifetimes by use and disuse and that these
changes are inherited by their offspring
descent with modification - Correct Answers -each living species has descended, with
changes, from other species over time
, artificial selection - Correct Answers -Selective breeding of plants and animals to
promote the occurrence of desirable traits in offspring
vestigial structure - Correct Answers -remnant of a structure that may have had an
important function in a species' ancestors, but has no clear function in the modern
species
convergent evolution - Correct Answers -Process by which unrelated organisms
independently evolve similarities when adapting to similar environments
scientific theory - Correct Answers -A well-tested explanation for a wide range of
observations or experimental results
strata - Correct Answers -layers of rock identifying how old it is
adaptation - Correct Answers -A trait that helps an organism survive and reproduce
natural selection - Correct Answers -A process in which individuals that have certain
inherited traits tend to survive and reproduce at higher rates than other individuals
because of those traits.
homology - Correct Answers -Similarity in characteristics resulting from a shared
ancestry
convergence - Correct Answers -process whereby organisms not closely related (not
monophyletic), independently evolve similar traits as a result of having to adapt to
similar environments or ecological niches
temporal isolation - Correct Answers -form of reproductive isolation in which two or
more species reproduces at different times
gametic isolation - Correct Answers -A prezygotic reproductive barrier where the sperm
of one species may not be able to fertilize the eggs of another species
hybrid breakdown - Correct Answers -Hybrid is fertile, but when they breed the next
generation is sterile.
biogeography - Correct Answers -the study of the distribution of species and
ecosystems in space and through time. Organisms and biological communities often
vary in a regular fashion along geographic gradients of latitude, elevation, isolation and
habitat area
gene - Correct Answers -A segment of DNA on a chromosome that codes for a specific
trait
homozygous - Correct Answers -An organism that has two identical alleles for a trait
AND ANSWERS
evolution - Correct Answers -Change in a kind of organism over time; process by which
modern organisms have descended from ancient organisms.
extinction - Correct Answers -The disappearance of all members of a species from
Earth
use and disuse - Correct Answers -Theory proposed by Lamarck that said body parts
develop with increased usage while unused parts weaken or disappear
Lamarckism - Correct Answers -First proposed by Lamarck, the theory of evolution
through the inheritance of acquired characteristics in which an organism can pass on
features acquired during its lifetime.
heritable - Correct Answers -Traits that can be passed on to offspring
homologous structures - Correct Answers -Structures in different species that are
similar because of common ancestry
analogous structure - Correct Answers -similarities among unrelated species that result
from convergent evolution
endemic - Correct Answers -Native or confined to a particular region or people;
characteristic of or prevalent in a field
fossil - Correct Answers -A preserved remnant or impression of an organism that lived
in the past.
uniformitarianism - Correct Answers -The geologic principle that the same geologic
processes that operate today operated in the past to change Earth's surface
inheritance of acquired characteristics - Correct Answers -The hypothesis that
organisms' bodies change during their lifetimes by use and disuse and that these
changes are inherited by their offspring
descent with modification - Correct Answers -each living species has descended, with
changes, from other species over time
, artificial selection - Correct Answers -Selective breeding of plants and animals to
promote the occurrence of desirable traits in offspring
vestigial structure - Correct Answers -remnant of a structure that may have had an
important function in a species' ancestors, but has no clear function in the modern
species
convergent evolution - Correct Answers -Process by which unrelated organisms
independently evolve similarities when adapting to similar environments
scientific theory - Correct Answers -A well-tested explanation for a wide range of
observations or experimental results
strata - Correct Answers -layers of rock identifying how old it is
adaptation - Correct Answers -A trait that helps an organism survive and reproduce
natural selection - Correct Answers -A process in which individuals that have certain
inherited traits tend to survive and reproduce at higher rates than other individuals
because of those traits.
homology - Correct Answers -Similarity in characteristics resulting from a shared
ancestry
convergence - Correct Answers -process whereby organisms not closely related (not
monophyletic), independently evolve similar traits as a result of having to adapt to
similar environments or ecological niches
temporal isolation - Correct Answers -form of reproductive isolation in which two or
more species reproduces at different times
gametic isolation - Correct Answers -A prezygotic reproductive barrier where the sperm
of one species may not be able to fertilize the eggs of another species
hybrid breakdown - Correct Answers -Hybrid is fertile, but when they breed the next
generation is sterile.
biogeography - Correct Answers -the study of the distribution of species and
ecosystems in space and through time. Organisms and biological communities often
vary in a regular fashion along geographic gradients of latitude, elevation, isolation and
habitat area
gene - Correct Answers -A segment of DNA on a chromosome that codes for a specific
trait
homozygous - Correct Answers -An organism that has two identical alleles for a trait
