Heredity and Evolution

4. Capable of being passed from parent to offspring.
5. The complete set of genes an organism possesses.
8. Pertaining to, produced by, or involving living organisms.
9. All the different alleles (versions of a gene) available in a population's interbreeding individuals.
10. The ability of an organism to survive and reproduce in its environment.
11. The process by which species become distinct.
14. Non-living chemical and physical parts of the environment that affect living organisms.
16. The change in the characteristics of a species over several generations.
17. An extreme change in the environment can cause species to disappear permanently.
18. The success of an organism in passing on its genes.
19. A change in the structure of a gene, resulting in a variant form.
20. A group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring.
21. A unit of heredity that is transferred from a parent to offspring.

1. To separate and go in a different direction (as in evolution).
2. A heritable characteristic that helps an organism survive and reproduce in its environment.
3. The process of producing offspring.
6. The observable physical or biochemical characteristics of an organism.
7. Any difference between individuals of the same species.
8. Favorable or advantageous, often in the context of a mutation or trait.
12. A type of biological interaction where two or more organisms seek the same limited resource.
13. A characteristic or feature of an organism.
15. A localized group of organisms belonging to the same species.