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1.1 and 1.2 bio
Term | Definition |
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biosphere | all organisms and the part of the earth where they exist |
biodiversity | the variety of organisms in a given area |
species | a group of organisms that are closely related and can mater to produce fertile offspring; also the level of classification below genus and above species |
biology | the scientific study of living organisms and their interactions with the environment |
science | the knowledge obtained by observing natural events and conditions in order to discover facts and formulate laws or principles that can be verified and tested |
organism | a living thing; anything that can carry out life processes independently |
cell | in biology, the smallest unit that can perform all life processes; cells are covered by a membrane and contain DNA and cytoplasm |
metabolism | the sum of all chemical processes that occur in an organism |
DNA | deoxyribonucleic acid, the material that contains the information that determines inherited characteristics |
system | changing, organized group of related parts that interact to form a whole |
ecosystem | a community of organisms and their abiotic environment |
homeostasis | the maintenance of a constant internal state in a changing environment; a constant internal state that is maintained a changing environment by continually making adjustments to the internal and external environment |
evolution | the process of change by which new species develop from preexisting species over time; at the genetic level, the process in which inherited characteristics within populations change over time; the process defined by Darwin as "descent with modification" |
adaptation | the process of becoming adapted to an environment; an anatomical, physiological, or behavioral change that improves a population's ability to survive |