Practice Questions

1.Define evolution

Evolution is the change in inherited characteristics of a population over time.

2. Explain why some individuals in a population are more likely to survive than others.

Some individuals in a population have variations in their characteristics.
If a characteristic gives an advantage (an adaptation), those individuals are better suited to their environment.
This means they are more likely to survive (e.g. avoid predators or get food).

3.Some bacteria are resistant to antibiotics. Explain how antibiotic resistance develops in a bacterial population.

Some bacteria have a mutation that makes them resistant to antibiotics.
When antibiotics are used, non-resistant bacteria are killed.
The resistant bacteria survive and reproduce.
They pass on the resistance gene to their offspring.
Over time, the population becomes mostly resistant.