ancestor
Definition
An ancestor is a member of an organism's lineage that lived in the past. Ancestors are related to an organism through descent, and they share some of the same genes.
The term ancestor can be used to refer to any individual in an organism's lineage, regardless of how closely they are related. For example, a person's great-grandparents are their ancestors, but so are their more distant relatives, such as their great-great-great-grandparents.
Ancestors can be traced back many generations. This is done by creating a family tree, which is a diagram that shows an organism's ancestors and their descendants. Family trees can be used to learn about an organism's genetic history and to identify patterns of inheritance.
How can the word be used?
The gene for blue eyes is an ancestor of the gene for brown eyes.
Different forms of the word
Noun: ancestor.
Adjective: ancestral.
Adverb: ancestrally.
Plural: ancestors.
Synonyms: forebear, forefather, progenitor, predecessor.
Antonyms: descendant.
Etymology
The word "ancestor" comes from the Latin word antecessor, which means "one who goes before." The Latin word is made up of the prefix ante ("before") and the verb cedere ("to go").
Question
What is an ancestor?
AQA Science Exam Question and Answer
Question:
What is an ancestor?
Answer:
- An ancestor is a member of an organism's lineage that lived in the past. Ancestors are related to an organism through a common ancestor.
- In biology, the term "ancestor" is often used to refer to a specific individual or group of individuals that are the direct progenitors of a particular organism. For example, the human species is descended from a common ancestor with chimpanzees.
- However, the term "ancestor" can also be used more broadly to refer to any organism that is related to another organism through a common ancestor. For example, all living things on Earth are ultimately descended from a common ancestor that lived billions of years ago.