Evolution

Evolution is change in the inherited traits of populations across generations. It occurs through processes such as natural selection, mutation, genetic drift, and gene flow.

Natural selection: The process by which heritable traits that improve reproductive success become more common in a population. It changes inherited traits when some variants leave more offspring than others.
Population genetics: The study of genetic variation within populations and how it changes over time. It provides the mathematical framework for tracking evolutionary change.
Charles Darwin: The English naturalist who developed the theory of evolution by natural selection. His account made natural selection a central explanation for evolutionary change.
Antibiotic resistance: The ability of bacteria to survive and reproduce despite exposure to antibiotics that once inhibited them. Resistance evolves as treatment favors bacterial variants that can withstand a drug.
Individual development: The changes in form and function that occur within an organism during its lifetime. Evolution occurs across populations and generations, not through an individual’s lifetime development.
Genetic drift: Random changes in allele frequencies caused by chance differences in which individuals reproduce. It changes populations by chance, especially when population sizes are small.
Allele frequency: The proportion of copies of a particular allele among all copies of a gene in a population. Changes in allele frequencies offer a measurable account of genetic evolution.
Alfred Russel Wallace: The British naturalist who independently developed a theory of evolution by natural selection. His independent work helped prompt the joint presentation of natural selection in 1858.
Viral evolution: Genetic change in viruses across generations, shaped by mutation, selection, and transmission. It helps explain changing viral traits and the emergence of new variants.
Lamarckism: The historical theory that traits acquired through use or disuse can be inherited by offspring. It contrasts with modern evolutionary explanations based on inherited genetic variation.

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