| A | B |
|---|
| Cell | The smallest unit of life. |
| Characteristic | A feature (physical or behavioral). |
| Chromosome | A packet of coiled up DNA; located within the cell nucleus; humans have 23 pairs of chromosomes (46). |
| Culture | The way of life of a group of people (learned). |
| DNA | (DeoxyriboNucleic Acid) unique hereditary material found in most organisms. |
| Dominant Trait | A STRONG trait that is likely to appear in offspring if a parent contributes it. |
| Generation | The average time period during which offspring grow up and produce their own offspring (about 30 years for humans). |
| Genetic Ancestry | The genetic information passed down through many generations. |
| Genetics | The study of heredity. |
| Heredity | The passing of traits genetically from parents to offspring. |
| Inherited Behavior (instinct) | A behavior an organism has wen born. It does not require practice. Also called an instinctual behavior. |
| Inherited Trait | Traits that are passed from parents to offspring (Examples: gender and hair color in humans, shape of leaf and color of flower petals in plants). |
| Instinct | A behavior that has been passed on from the parents that is ready to use without learning and that does not require practice (Examples: birds migrating, sea turtles laying eggs on the beach). |
| Learned (acquired) Trait / Learned Behavior | Traits that are acquired through experience (not genetically) (Examples: humans learn to walk, animals learn how to hunt). Learned traits help animals survive in their environment. |
| Multicellular | An organism that needs many cells to meet all of the needs of the organism. Multicellular organisms must develop transport systems to meet the needs of all cells within the organism. |
| Mutation | An event that changes the genetic structure of an organism. |
| Organelle | Organized or specialized structures within a cell. |
| Organism | An individual animal, plant, or single-celled life form. |
| Recessive Trait | A WEAK trait that is not likely to appear in offspring. If a dominant gene is present, the recessive gene will be “covered up.” |
| Trait | A characteristic an organism possesses. |
| Unicellular (single celled) | An organism that has only one cell to meet all of its needs. Examples: Amoeba, paramecium, euglena, bacteria |
| Variation | The differences between individuals in a population. |
