Variation & Evolution
This lesson covers:
- What 'variation' is
- How both genes and the environment can contribute to variation
- What 'survival of the fittest', 'natural selection', and 'evolution' mean
- Who Charles Darwin was
- How evolution works
What does the term 'phenotype' mean?
One of the different forms of a gene
The observable characteristics of an organism
The combination of alleles that an organism has
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Differences in the characteristics of individuals within a population is called .
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Which two factors contribute to the variation between organisms?
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A change in the DNA code is called a .
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What factor(s) are involved in determining body mass?
Environmental factors only
Genetic factors only
Both genetic factors and environmental factors
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Which of the following are determined entirely by genetic factors?
(Select all that apply)
Height
Biological sex (male or female)
Natural eye colour
Skin colour
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A change in the genetical material of an organism is called a .
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Which statement about mutations is true?
They generally have no effect, but are occasionally harmful, and very occasionally advantageous
They are always harmful
They are always advantageous
They never have any affect on the organism
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What does the phrase 'survival of the fittest' mean?
Certain individuals are selected by humans to reproduce
Over long periods of time, one population of organisms may become a new species
The individuals with the most favourable characteristics are most likely to survive
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___________ is the process by which the inherited characteristics of a population change over time due to natural selection. In some cases this may result in the formation of a new species.
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Who is credited with developing and proposing the theory of evolution?
Charles Darwin
Jean-Baptiste Lamarck
Charles Babbage
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Which of the following provide evidence for the theory of evolution?
(Select all that apply)
Fossil records
The fact that variation is due to genes and the environment
The spread of antibiotic resistance
The fact that the human body is so complex
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Describe a series of events that might result in zebras evolving to run more quickly.
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Speciation is the evolutionary process by which populations evolve to become distinct .
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