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Chapter 1
Biology and You
Term | Definition |
---|---|
biology | the study of life |
cell | basic unit of life |
reproduction | process by which organisms make more of their own kind from one generation to the next |
metabolism | the sum of all of the chemical reactions carried out in an organism (obtain and use energy) |
heredity | the passing of traits from parent to offspring |
homeostasis | the maintenance of a stable internal environment |
evolution | change over time |
species | a group of genetically similar organisms that can produce fertile offspring |
ecology | interactions of organisms with one another and with the nonliving parts of their environment |
observation | act of noting or perceiving objects or events using the five senses |
hypothesis | an educated guess |
prediction | expected outcome of a test, assuming the hypothesis is correct |
experiment | a planned procedure to test a hypothesis |
control group | the group in the experiment that receives no treatment |
independent variable | the factor that is changed in an experiment |
dependent variable | the variable that is measured in an experiment |
theory | a set of related hypotheses that have been tested and confirmed many times by many scientists |