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chapter 1 vocab
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| biosphere | all organisms and the part of Earth where they exist |
| biodiversity | variety of life within an area |
| species | group of organisms so similar to one another that they can breed and produce fertile offspring |
| biology | scientific study of all life forms |
| science | the knowledge obtained by observing natural events and conditions in order to discover facts and formulate laws |
| organism | an individual living thing |
| cell | basic unit of life |
| metabolism | all chemical processes that synthesize or break down materials within an organism |
| DNA | molecule that stores genetic information in all organisms |
| system | changing, organized group of related parts that interact to form a whole |
| ecosystem | collection of organisms and nonliving things, such as climate, soil, water, and rocks, in an area |
| homeostasis | regulation and maintenance of constant internal conditions in an organism |
| evolution | change in species over time; process of biological change by which descendants come to differ from their ancestors |
| adaptation | inherited trait that is selected for over time because it allows organisms to survive in their enviroment |