click below
click below
Normal Size Small Size show me how
Biology Unit 1
Bio terms for chapter 1.1-1.2
Term | Definition |
---|---|
biosphere | All organisms and the part of Earth where they exist |
biodiversity | The variety of organisms in a given area, the genetic variation within a population, the variety of species in a community, or the variety of communities in an ecosystem. |
species | A group of organisms that are closely related and can mate and produce fertile offspring; also the level of classification below genus and above subspecies |
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 or 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 in a changing environment by continually making adjustments to the internal and external environment. |
evolution | Generally, in biology, 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 population change over time; |
evolution part 2 | 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. |
observation | The process of obtaining information by using the senses; the information obtained by using the senses. |
data | observations and measurements recorded during an experiment. |
hypothesis | a testable idea or explanation that leads to scientific investigation. |
experiment | a procedure that is carried out under controlled conditions to discover, demonstrate, or test a fact, theory, or general truth. |
Independent variable | condition or factor that is manipulated by a scientist during an experiment. |
dependent variable | experimental data collected through observation and measurement. |
constant | condition that is controlled so that it does not change during an experiment. |
theory | a system of ideas that explains many related observations and is supported by a large body of evidence acquired through scientific investigation. |
measurement | a determination of the dimensions of something using a standard unit. |
accuracy | a description of how close a measurement is to the true value of the quantity measured. |
precision | the exactness of a measurement. |
microscope | tool that provides an enlarged image of an object. |
gene | the most basic physical unit of heredity; a segment of nucleic acids that codes for a functional unit of RNA and/or a protein. |
molecular genetics | study of DNA structure and function on the molecular level. |
genomics | the study of entire genomes, especially by using technology to compare genes within and between species. |
biotechnology | use and application of living things and biological processes. |
transgenic | organism whose genome has been altered to contain one or more genes from another organism or species.e |