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Bio; Unit 1; Vocab
Unit 1: Introducing Biology Vocabulary
| 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 a n ecosystem |
| Species | A group of organisms that are closely related and can mate to 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 overserving 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 preform 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 | Deoxyribonicliec 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 tje genetic level, te process in which inherited charcateristics with in populations change over time; the process defined by Darwin as "desce |
| 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 s 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 investigtion |
| Measurement | A determination of 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 provide an enlarged image of an object |
| Gene | The most basic physical unit of heredity; a segment of nucleic acid that codes for a functional unit of RNA and/or 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 on or more genes from another organism or species |