click below
click below
Normal Size Small Size show me how
1.1 and 1.2 bio
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| 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 |