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Bio - Nature of Life
Biology Ch. 1 - The Characteristics of Life
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Biology | the scientific study of life |
| Atoms | the basic units of matter |
| Atoms | the smallest unit of an element; composed of electrons, protons, and neutrons |
| molecules | union of two or more atoms of the same or different elements |
| cell | the smallest, most basic unit of life |
| cell | the structural and functional unit of all living organisms |
| tissue | a group of cells with a common structure and function |
| organ | composed of tissue functioning together for a specific task |
| organ systems | composed of several organs working together |
| organism | an individual; complex individuals contain organ systems |
| species | a group of similar, interbreeding organisms |
| population | organisms of the same species in a particular area |
| ecosystem | a community plus the physical environment |
| biosphere | regions of the Earth's crust, waters, and atmosphere inhabited by living organisms |
| energy | the capacity to do work |
| metabolism | encompasses all the chemical reactions that occur in a cell |
| homeostasis | the internal environment of an organism that remains constant between physiological boundaries |
| genes | genetic instructions |
| DNA | stands for deoxyribonucleic acid |
| DNA | the genetic blueprint of life |
| mutations | inheritable changes in the genetic information |
| development | the process by which cells express specific genes to distinguish themselves from other cells |
| adaptations | modifications that make a species suited to their way of life |
| evolution | the process in which populations change over time to adapt to their environment, and pass on these changes to the next generation |
| natural selection | the mechanism by which evolutionary change occurs |
| taxonomy | branch of biology concerned with identifying, naming, and classifying organisms |
| systematics | study of the diversity of organisms to classify them and determine their evolutionary relationships |
| categories of classification | domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus, species (Dear King Phillip Came Over For Good Spaghetti) |
| the most inclusive classification | domain |
| the least inclusive classification | species |
| domain Bacteria | contains prokaryotes with unique genetic, biochemical, and physiological characteristics |
| domain Arhcaea | contains prokaryotes with unique genetic, biochemical, and physiological characteristics and live in extreme habitats |
| domain Eurkarya | contains eukaryotic cells and further classified into the kingdoms Protista, Fungi, Plantae, and Animalia |
| Protista | eukaryotic organisms, some single-celled and others multicellular |
| Fungi | molds and mushrooms and act as decomposers |
| Plants | multicellular photosynthesizers |
| Animals | multicellular organisms that ingest their food |
| Eukaryotes | multicellular organisms |
| Prokaryotes | single-celled organisms lacking a nucleus |
| supergroup | high-level taxonomic groups just below the domain level; used for classification of eukaryotes |
| bionomial name | a two-part specific name used by biologists to identify living organisms |
| genus | the first part of a bionomial name |
| epithet | the second part of a bionomial name that identifies the specific epithet of a species within the genus |
| observation | a formal way of watching the natural world |
| inductive reasoning | when a person uses creative thinking to combine isolated facts into a cohesive whole |
| hypothesis | a possible explanation for a natural event based on existing knowledge |
| experiment | a series of procedures designed to test a specific hypothesis |
| experimental design | the manner in which a scientist intends to conduct an experiment |
| prediciton | follows the formation of a hypothesis and assists in creating the experimental design |
| experimental variable | an independent variable; the factor in the experiment that is being deliberately changed |
| responding variable | a dependent variable whose value is based on the experimental variable |
| control group | sample that goes through all the steps of an experiment but is not exposed to the experimental variable; a standard against which the results of an experiment are checked |
| model system | simulation of a process; aids conceptual understanding until the process can be studied firsthand |
| model system | a hypothesis that describes how a particular process might be carried out |
| data | result of an experiment |
| conclusion | statement made following an experiment as to whether or not the results support the hypothesis |
| scientific theories | accepted explanations for how the world works |
| principle | or law; a term sometimes used for a theory that is generally accepted by an overwhelming number of scientists |
| placebo | a treatment that appears to be the same as that administered to the other two groups but actually contains no medication |
| technology | the application of scientific knowledge to the interests of humans |
| climate change | changed in the normal cycles of the Earth's climate that may be attributed to human activity |
| global warming | the increased amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere that's causing a rise in temperature |
| biodiversity | the total number and relative abundance of species, the variability of these genes, and the different ecosystems in which they live |
| extinction | the death of a species or larger classification category |
| emerging diseases | diseases that are relatively new to humans |
Created by:
Kendall Posey
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