16.9 Terminology

  • Evolution is the gradual development of species as the result of natural selection.
  • A fossil is the remains of an ancient organism.
  • A mutation is a change in an individual's genome.
  • Natural selection is a phenomenon where the fittest individuals reproduce most effectively.
  • Extinction is a phenomenon where a species disappears completely.
  • Archaea and bacteria are primitive, unicellular, prokaryotic organisms.
  • Eukaryotic organisms are an evolutionary group that consist of protists, plants, animals, and fungi. Their cells have nuclei and specialized organelles. 
  • Cyanobacteria are water-dwelling bacteria capable of photosynthesis.
  • Angiosperm plants or flowering plants reproduce via flowers. Most plants one can see in Finnish nature are angiosperms.