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Inheritance, variation and evolution

AQA GCSE BiologyTopic 6 of 720 lessons

Revision notes for Inheritance, variation and evolution in AQA Biology (8461). Every lesson in BrainCake comes with R.E.C.I.P.E. recall steps, a quick check and spaced reviews.

  1. Sexual and asexual reproductionIn sexual reproduction, a male gamete and a female gamete join together.
  2. MeiosisCells in the reproductive organs divide by meiosis to form gametes.
  3. Advantages and disadvantages of sexual and asexual reproduction (biology only)Sexual reproduction produces variation in the offspring.
  4. DNA and the genomeThe genetic material in the nucleus of a cell is a chemical called DNA.
  5. DNA structure (biology only)DNA is a polymer made from four different nucleotides.
  6. Genetic inheritanceA gamete is a sex cell.
  7. Inherited disordersSome disorders are inherited.
  8. Sex determinationOrdinary human body cells contain 23 pairs of chromosomes.
  9. VariationDifferences in the characteristics of individuals in a population are called variation.
  10. EvolutionEvolution is a change in the inherited characteristics of a population over time, through a process of natural selection, which may result in the…
  11. Selective breedingSelective breeding (also called artificial selection) is the process by which humans breed plants and animals for particular genetic characteristics.
  12. Genetic engineeringGenetic engineering modifies the genome of an organism by introducing a gene from another organism to give a desired characteristic.
  13. Cloning (biology only)A clone is an organism with the same genetic information as its parent.
  14. Theory of evolution (biology only)Charles Darwin put forward the theory of evolution by natural selection after a round the world expedition, where he made many observations of…
  15. Speciation (biology only)Alfred Russel Wallace independently came up with the theory of evolution by natural selection.
  16. The understanding of genetics (biology only)Our understanding of genetics built up over about a hundred years, through the work of many scientists.
  17. Evidence for evolutionThe theory of evolution by natural selection is now widely accepted.
  18. FossilsFossils are the remains of organisms from millions of years ago, found in rocks.
  19. ExtinctionExtinction happens when there are no remaining individuals of a species still alive.
  20. Resistant bacteriaBacteria can evolve very quickly because they reproduce at a fast rate.

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