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Biology
Vocabulary Words
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Hypothesis | testable explanation for a question |
| Independent variable | what you are changing |
| Dependent variable | what you are measuring |
| Controlled variable | kept the same during experiment |
| Observation | something you notice with your senses |
| Inference | a logical judgment based on an observation |
| Qualitative data | descriptive observation using words |
| Quantitative data | countable or measurable observation |
| Peer review | process to verify an experiment’s results |
| Scientific theory | explanation supported by lots of evidence |
| Ethics | branch of knowledge dealing with moral principles |
| Spontaneous generation | life “arose” from nonliving things |
| Biogenesis | living things come from other living things |
| Scientific law | describes a pattern in nature without explaining it |
| Atom | the basic unit of matter |
| Element | substance with one type of atom |
| Isotope | atoms of the same elements with different # of neutrons |
| Proton | positive particle found in nucleus |
| Neutron | neutral particle found in nucleus |
| Electron | negative particle found outside nucleus |
| Compound | 2 or more elements joined together |
| Ionic bond | e- moved from one atom to another |
| Covalent bond | e- shared between atoms |
| Hydrogen bond | weak attraction between molecules |
| Polar molecule | has an unequal distribution of charge |
| Cohesion | water molecules attracted to themselves |
| Adhesion | water molecules attracted to other polar substances |
| Transpiration | water released from plant leaves |
| Solution | one substance dissolved in another |
| Solute | substance being dissolved |
| Solvent | substance doing the dissolving |
| Acid | forms more H+ ions than water |
| Base | forms more OH- ions than water |
| Polymer | large molecules made of monomers |
| Monomer | small unit that makes up a polymer |
| Carbohydrate | macromolecule known as sugar |
| Lipid | macromolecule known as fat |
| Nucleic acid | macromolecule that stores genetic information |
| Protein | macromolecule made of amino acids |
| Enzyme | protein that catalyzes reactions |
| Cell | basic unit of living things |
| Prokaryotic | cell without a nucleus or organelles |
| Eukaryotic | cell with a nucleus & organelles |
| Nucleus | organelle that contains genetic material |
| Ribosome | organelle that makes proteins |
| Endoplasmic reticulum | modifies proteins, makes carbohydrates & lipids |
| Golgi apparatus | organelle that modifies & ships proteins |
| Vacuole | organelle that stores water & nutrients |
| Lysosome | organelle that breaks down waste |
| Cytoskeleton | fibers that support & shape the cell |
| Chloroplast | organelle that converts light into glucose |
| Mitochondria | organelle that converts glucose into energy |
| Cell membrane | surrounds the cell; allows materials in & out |
| Cell wall | protects plant cells |
| Hydrophobic | substance not soluble in water |
| Hydrophilic | substance soluble in water |
| Active transport | movement through a membrane that requires energy |
| Passive transport | movement through a membrane that does not require energy |
| Diffusion | movement of molecules from high concentration to low concentration |
| Equilibrium | same concentration throughout |
| Facilitated diffusion | passive transport with help of proteins |
| Isotonic | same solute inside & outside cell |
| Hypertonic | higher solute outside cell |
| Hypotonic | lower solute outside cell |
| Endocytosis | moving very large substances into the cell |
| Exocytosis | moving very large substances out of the cell |
| Unicellular | organism with one cell |
| Multicellular | organism with more than one cell |
| Homeostasis | balanced conditions required for survival |
| Osmosis | diffusion of water through a membrane |
| Energy | the ability to do work |
| ATP | energy molecule in cells |
| Autotroph | organism that makes its own food |
| Heterotroph | organism that consumes food |
| Chlorophyll | a pigment that absorbs light |
| Photosynthesis | process of making glucose from light |
| Photolysis | breaking of H2O molecules |
| Cellular respiration | process of making energy from glucose |
| Glycolysis | breaking down of glucose |
| Aerobic respiration | energy-making process used when oxygen is available |
| Fermentation | energy-making process when oxygen is not available |
| Sexual reproduction | new offspring from 2 parents |
| Asexual reproduction | new offspring from only 1 parent |
| Chromosome | condensed DNA wrapped around histones |
| Histone | small proteins on which DNA is wound |
| G1 | portion of interphase when cell grows & copies organelles |
| S | portion of interphase when cell copies its chromosomes |
| G2 | portion of interphase when cell checks copied chromosomes |
| Interphase | part of cell cycle involving growth & copying chromosomes |
| Binary fission | asexual division of prokaryotic cells |
| Mitosis | division of DNA and organelles in eukaryotic cells |
| Cytokinesis | division of the cytoplasm in eukaryotic cells |
| Growth factors | proteins that regulate the cell cycle externally |
| Cyclins | proteins that internally regulate the cell cycle |
| Chromatin | unwound strands of DNA |
| Cancer | disease caused by unregulated cell cycle |
| Carcinogen | substance that causes cancer |
| Tumor | mass of abnormal cells |
| Metastatic | a tumor that spreads to other parts of the body |
| Heredity | how organisms pass traits to offspring |
| Genetics | study of traits within a population |
| Self-pollination | male and female reproductive cells come from the same plant |
| Cross-pollination | male and female reproductive cells come from different plants |
| Trait | a characteristic of an individual |
| True-breeding | parents that consistently produce the same trait in offspring |
| Gene | a segment of DNA that codes for a specific trait |
| Dominant | a trait that overshadows another trait |
| Recessive | a trait that gets overshadowed by a dominant trait |
| Allele | a form of a gene |
| Gamete | a reproductive cell |
| Genotype | genetic makeup of a gene |
| Phenotype | physical expression of a gene |
| Homozygous dominant | both alleles are dominant for a trait |
| Heterozygous | the two alleles are different for a trait |
| Homozygous recessive | both alleles are recessive for a trait |
| Punnett square | a tool to predict the probability of traits in offspring |
| Incomplete dominance | heterozygous phenotype is an intermediate form |
| Codominance | heterozygous phenotype shows both forms |
| Multiple alleles | a trait that has more than 2 forms for one gene |
| Polygenic trait | a trait that is controlled by more than one gene |
| Meiosis | the process of forming haploid gametes |
| Crossing over | the trading of genes in a tetrad during Prophase I of meiosis |
| Tetrad | a pair of homologous chromosomes |
| Haploid | a cell with only one set of chromosomes |
| Diploid | a cell with two sets of chromosomes |
| Sex-linked trait | a trait carried on the sex chromosomes (X or Y) |
| Pedigree | an illustration of a family tree for a trait |
| DNA | the molecule that stores genetic information |
| Nucleotide | building block of DNA (made of sugar, phosphate & base) |
| mRNA | (messenger RNA) carries copes of the DNA sequence out of the nucleus |
| rRNA | (ribosomal RNA) makes up ribosomes |
| tRNA | (transfer RNA) carries amino acids to form protein chains |
| Transcription | process of making an mRNA copy of a DNA strand |
| Amino acids | building blocks (monomers) of proteins |
| Translation | the building blocks of a protein from an mRNA strand |
| Codon | a set of three bases on an mRNA strand |
| Anticodon | a set of three bases on a tRNA that matches a codon |
| Promoter | the location where RNA polymerase binds to begin transcription |
| Operator | a genetic switch turning transcription on or off |
| Transcription factor | a set of proteins used to regulate transcription in eukaryotic organisms |
| Mutation | a change in a DNA sequence |
| Mutagen | a substance that causes mutations in DNA |
| Biotechnology | the use of technology to manipulate biological organisms |
| Human Genome Project | a collaborative project to sequence the entire set of human genes |
| Epigenetics | the regulation of genes by condensing DNA |
| Restriction enzyme | a bacterial protein that cuts DNA at a specific location |
| Electrophoresis | process of separating DNA fragments using electrical currents |
| DNA fingerprint | pattern of DNA bands caused by electrophoresis |
| Selective breeding | choosing of individuals with preferred traits |
| Recombinant DNA | two different pieces of DNA joined together by genetic engineering |
| Transformation | the process of a bacteria plasmid picking up new genes |
| CRISPR- Cas9 | a genetic tool to cut DNA using an RNA guide & an enzyme |
| Transgenic organism | an organism made by combining genes from 2 different species |
| Cloning | the making of an exact genetic copy of a gene or organism |
| Natural selection | the theory that some individuals are better adapted to survive & reproduce |
| Fitness | how well-suited an organism is to survive in its environment |
| Artificial selection | the choosing of individuals with preferred traits |
| Adaption | a trait that allows an organism to better survive in its environment |
| Species | a group of organisms that can interbreed |
| Population | a group of one species in a certain place |
| Gene pool | a set of all the alleles within a population |
| Genetic variation | a measure of the genetic differences in a population |
| Gene flow | the passing of genes from one population to another |
| Hardy-Weinberg Principle | genetic variation will remain constant over generations if certain conditions are met |
| Normal distribution | the arrangement of individuals with a polygenic trait into a bell curve |
| Directional selection | a shift towards one extreme phenotype |
| Stabilizing selection | a shift towards the intermediate phenotype |
| Disruptive selection | a shift towards both phenotypic extremes |
| Genetic drift | the change in genetic variation within a population to due random chance |
| Bottleneck effect | survivors of a random event may have a different allele frequency than the original population |
| Founder effect | allele changes when a new environment is colonized by only a few individuals |
| Speciation | the formation of a new species when populations become isolated from each other |
| Prezygotic barrier | isolation of two populations prior to mating |
| Postzygotic barrier | isolation of two populations after mating |
| Taxonomy | the science of classifying organisms |
| Binomial nomenclature | naming system for an organism using genus and species |
| Dichotomous key | a tool used to identify organisms based on a choice between 2 characteristics |
| Cladogram | a diagram used to represent relationships among organisms |
| Derived character | an advanced trait that only appears in some members of an evolutionary group |
| Outgroup | an evolutionary group that does not share a certain characteristic |
| Phylogeny | the study of evolutionary history & the possible relationships among organisms |
| Clade | a group made of an ancestor and all of its descendants |
| Paleontologist | scientist that studies fossils |
| Mold | fossilized imprint in a rock shaped like an organism |
| Cast | fossilized mold filled with minerals that creates a model |
| Trace | fossils that show behavior (tracks, feces, toothmarks, etc.) |
| Preserved body part | fully preserved organisms or parts of organisms |
| Relative dating | method of determining fossil age compared to other fossils |
| Radiometric dating | method of determining fossil age using isotope decay |
| Law of Superposition | the process of rock being deposited above older layers of rock |
| Extinction | the permanent elimination of a species |
| Index fossils | an organism found in a limited number of rock layers |
| Stratigraphy | the study of how rock layers are deposited |
| Half-life | the rate at which half of a radioactive isotope degrades |
| Mass extinction | an event in which many species die at once around the world |
| Punctuated equilibrium | pattern of evolution including rapid change followed by stasis |
| Endosymbiosis | the theory for the formation of the first eukaryotic cell |
| Ecology | the study of interactions between organisms & their environments |
| Biotic factors | living parts of an environment |
| Abiotic factors | nonliving parts of an environment |
| Organism | one individual living thing |
| Population | a group of one species in a certain place |
| Community | interacting populations |
| Ecosystem | biotic & abiotic factors in an area |
| Biome | all the ecosystems in a portion of the world |
| Biosphere | portion of the earth where life is found |
| Atmosphere | portion of the earth containing air |
| Hydrosphere | portion of the earth containing water |
| Geosphere | portion of the earth rocks and mineral |
| Climate | weather in a location over a long time |
| Weather | daily fluctuation of temperature and precipitation |
| Greenhouse effect | blanket of gases that maintain earth’s climate |
| Estuary | location where freshwater & saltwater meet |
| Rain shadow effect | change in precipitation on two sides of a mountain |
| Albedo | reflected solar radiation |
| Herbivore | an animal that eats only plants |
| Carnivore | an animal that eats only meat |
| Scavenger | an animal that eats dead organisms |
| Decomposer | an organism that breaks down decaying matter |
| Food chain | show the transfer of energy between organisms |
| Food web | overlapping food chains |
| Trophic levels | steps within a food chain or ecological pyramid |
| Geographic range | area in which a population can be found |
| Population density | number of individuals of the same species in an area |
| Population growth | how quickly the population size is changing |
| Linear growth | a pattern of increase in a constant amount |
| Exponential growth | a pattern of increase in a constant rate |
| Natality | addition (birth) of new individuals |
| Fecundity | ability of an organism to reproduce |
| Fertility | number of offspring an individual can produce |
| Mortality | death rate |
| Life expectancy | predicted length of survival |
| Limiting factor | a condition of the environment that restricts a population’s growth |
| Density-dependent factor | a limiting factor that has an increasing effect as the population grows |
| Density-independent factor | a limiting factor that affects all populations regardless of their size |
| Carrying capacity | the number of organisms an environment can support over a long time |
| Logistic growth | exponential growth that slows due to limiting factors |
| Age structure diagram | an illustration of the various age group within a population |
| Niche | the unique role an organism plays within its environment |
| Habitat | where an organism lives |
| Tolerance | the ability of an organism to survive in changing conditions |
| Symbiosis | two species living in close contact for some or all of their lives |
| Genetic diversity | the variety of genes found within a species |
| Species diversity | the variety of species within an area |
| Ecosystem diversity | the variety of ecosystems or environments within an area |
| Invasive species | a species that is artificially introduced into an ecosystem |
| Ecological succession | process of change within an ecosystem over time |
| Primary succession | change within an ecosystem where soil did not previously exist |
| Secondary succession | change within an ecosystem where soil has previously existed |
| Climax community | the most stable group of organisms that occurs at the final stage of succession |
| Renewable resource | a natural resource that is replenished over a short period of time |
| Nonrenewable resource | a natural resource that takes a long time to replenish |
| Ecological footprint | a measure of the demands made on global natural resources |
| Sustainability | using resources at a rate that meets present needs without depleting for the future |
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