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Biology Midterm
Review some of the key terms of unit 1 and 2!
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Conclusion | A summary of your findings and whether the data supports your hypothesis. |
| Controlled Variables | All other factors in an experiment that must be kept the same to make sure the test is fair. |
| Control Group | The group in an experiment that does not receive the treatment; it provides a baseline for comparison. |
| Hypothesis | An educated guess or prediction, often written as "If...then...because..." |
| Multicellular Organisms | Living things made of many cells capable of becoming specialized. |
| Qualitative Data | Data that is a description (e.g., the leaves are yellow, the animal moved quickly). |
| Quantitative Data | Data that is measured in numbers with units (e.g., 5 cm, 10 minutes, 20 degrees). |
| Adaptation | A helpful, inherited feature that helps an organism survive in its environment. |
| Adhesion | Molecules sticking to other substances due to charge (water sticks to a leaf). |
| Amino Acids | Monomers that link together to form proteins. |
| Amphipathic | Having both a hydrophilic (water-loving) part and a hydrophobic (water-repelling) part. |
| Asexual Reproduction | Reproduction where one parent creates an exact copy of itself. |
| Atom | The smallest unit of matter, made up of protons, neutrons, and electrons. |
| Autotrophs | Organisms that make their own food from sunlight. |
| Bases | Substances with a low concentration of H⁺ ions; above 7 on the pH scale. |
| Biosphere | All the parts of Earth where life exists. |
| Biology | The scientific study of life and living organisms. |
| Buffer Systems | Systems in body fluids (like blood) that absorb or release hydrogen ions to keep pH steady. |
| Capillary Action | Water being drawn up a thin tube because of cohesion and adhesion. |
| Carbohydrates | Organic macromolecules composed of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen; primarily serve as energy sources. |
| Cell | The basic, smallest unit of life. |
| Cell Specialization | The process where cells change their structure and function to become experts at a specific job. |
| Cellulose | The major component of plant cell walls, providing rigid support; the most abundant organic compound on Earth. |
| Covalent Bond | A chemical bond that occurs when electrons are shared between atoms. |
| Cohesion | The same type of molecules sticking to each other (water sticks to water). |
| Community | All the different species (plants, animals, fungi) in one area. |
| Cholesterol | A type of steroid lipid. |
| Cytosine | One of the four nitrogen bases found in DNA and RNA. |
| Dehydration Synthesis | A chemical reaction that builds a polymer by joining two monomers together; a water molecule is removed as the bond forms. |
| Denaturation | The unfolding of a protein, usually caused by extreme heat or a change in pH level. |
| Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA) | The primary molecule for storing and transmitting genetic information; a double helix with sugar-phosphate backbones and nitrogenous bases. |
| Dependent Variable | The factor the scientist measures to see if it changes; the effect or result. |
| Differentiation | The process where undifferentiated stem cells become more specialized. |
| DNA | Deoxyribonucleic Acid. |
| Ecosystem | All the living (community) and nonliving (water, rocks) things interacting in an area. |
| Electrons | Negatively charged particles found in atoms. |
| Element | A pure substance made up of only one type of atom, identified by the unique number of protons in its nucleus. |
| Emergent Properties | New qualities that appear as complexity increases; result from the specific arrangement and interaction of parts. |
| Empirical Evidence | Knowledge that comes from observations, measurements, and data. |
| Enzyme | A special protein that speeds up chemical reactions in cells without being used up in the process. |
| Experimental Group | The group in an experiment that receives the treatment (the independent variable). |
| Falsifiable | Able to be disproven by evidence. |
| Fats and Oils | Triglycerides; lipids composed of one glycerol molecule and three long fatty acid chains; mainly used for long-term energy storage. |
| Glucose | The most vital energy source for nearly all cells. |
| Glycogen | The main energy storage carbohydrate in animals, stored in the liver and muscles. |
| Growth | An increase in size. |
| Guanine | One of the four nitrogen bases found in DNA and RNA. |
| Heterotrophs | Organisms that must eat other organisms to get energy. |
| Homeostasis | The body's ability to keep its internal conditions (temperature, water, sugar) balanced and stable. |
| Hydrogen Bonds | Bonds that form between different molecules of water; the positive hydrogen atoms of one molecule are attracted to the negative oxygen atoms of another molecule. |
| Hydrolysis | A chemical reaction that breaks down a polymer into its individual monomers; a water molecule is added to break the bond. |
| Hydrophilic | Water-loving; dissolves well in water. |
| Hydrophobic | Water-repelling; does not mix well with water. |
| Independent Variable | The one factor the scientist intentionally changes or manipulates; the cause. |
| Inorganic Molecules | Molecules that do not contain carbon and hydrogen atoms together; usually simple in structure. |
| Ionic Bond | A chemical bond that occurs when electrons are transferred from one atom to another; creates positively and negatively charged ions. |
| Ions | Atoms that have gained or lost electrons and are therefore positively or negatively charged. |
| Lipids | Organic macromolecules that are hydrophobic and do not mix well with water; include fats and oils, phospholipids, and steroids. |
| Macromolecules | Large, essential molecules that form the fundamental structures and carry out the processes of all living things. |
| Metabolism | All the chemical reactions an organism uses to get and use energy. |
| Molecule | Two or more atoms of the same element held together by chemical bonds. |
| Monomers | Small, individual building blocks or repeating units of large macromolecules. |
| Natural Causality | The scientific assumption that events in nature have natural causes (not magic or supernatural). |
| Negative Feedback | A feedback loop where the body's response reverses the original change to return to the set point. |
| Neutrons | Neutral particles in atoms that have no charge. |
| Nitrogenous Bases | Nitrogen-containing molecules in nucleotides that carry the genetic code; include adenine, thymine, cytosine, guanine, and uracil. |
| Non-polar Molecule | A molecule that is neutral all around and has no charge. |
| Nucleic Acids | Macromolecules responsible for storing, transmitting, and expressing hereditary (genetic) information. |
| Nucleotides | The building blocks (monomers) for nucleic acids; composed of a deoxyribose sugar, a phosphate group, and a nitrogen base. |
| Organ | Different tissues working together (for example, the heart). |
| Organ System | Different organs working together (for example, the vascular system). |
| Organelle | Tiny parts inside a cell that perform specific functions. |
| Organism | A single, individual living thing. |
| Organization | The characteristic of life where organisms are highly structured and made of one or more cells. |
| Organic Molecules | Molecules that contain both carbon and hydrogen atoms and are usually large, complex molecules. |
| Oxygen | One of the four elements extremely important in living organisms and forms the backbone of most biological molecules. |
| pH Scale | A measure of the concentration of H⁺ ions; ranges from 0 to 14. |
| Peptide Bonds | Chemical bonds formed between amino acids in proteins. |
| Phospholipids | Lipids that have a hydrophilic glycerol head and hydrophobic fatty acid tails; make up cell membranes. |
| Polar Molecule | A molecule that has a slightly negative side and a slightly positive side due to unequal sharing of electrons in a covalent bond. |
| Polypeptide Chains | Chains of amino acids linked together by peptide bonds. |
| Population | All organisms of the same species in one area. |
| Positive Feedback | A feedback loop where the body's response amplifies or increases the original change until a process is completed. |
| Primary Structure | The unique, linear sequence of amino acids that make up a polypeptide chain. |
| Protons | Positively charged particles found in atoms. |
| Proteins | Polymers made from monomers called amino acids; perform nearly every function required for life. |
| Purines | Nucleic acid bases (adenine and guanine) that have a double-ring structure. |
| Pyrimidines | Nucleic acid bases (cytosine, thymine, and uracil) that have a single-ring structure. |
| Qualitative Data | Data that is a description (for example, the leaves are yellow, the animal moved quickly). |
| Quantitative Data | Data that is measured in numbers (for example, 5 cm, 10 minutes, 20 degrees). |
| Quaternary Structure | Two or more polypeptide chains precisely fit together in a complex structure that forms a functional macromolecule. |
| Receptor (Sensor) | A part of a feedback loop that detects changes in the environment. |
| Response | The reaction of an organism to a stimulus. |
| Ribonucleic Acid (RNA) | A nucleic acid with a primary function of using the information stored in DNA to build proteins; single-stranded with ribose sugar and uracil base. |
| Saturated Fatty Acids | Fatty acids that have only single bonds between carbon atoms; are solid at room temperature. |
| Scientific Inquiry | A way of asking questions and finding answers about the natural world based on evidence and testing. |
| Scientific Method | The steps of an investigation: observation, question, hypothesis, experiment, analysis, and conclusion. |
| Set Point | The ideal, normal value the body tries to maintain (like 98.6°F for body temperature). |
| Sexual Reproduction | Reproduction where genetic information from two parents is combined to create diverse (unique, different) offspring. |
| Specific Heat | The amount of heat a substance can absorb without getting hot; water has a very high specific heat. |
| Steroid Hormones | Lipids with a structure made of fused carbon rings; used as signaling molecules in the body. |
| Steroids | Lipids that have a structure made of fused carbon rings with no fatty acid tails. |
| Stimulus | Any change in the environment that causes a living thing to react. |
| Surface Tension | Water molecules on the surface having an inward attraction that gives water strength at the surface. |
| Testable Question | A question that can be answered by designing an experiment or collecting data. |
| Tertiary Structure | The three-dimensional structure of one polypeptide chain. |
| Thymine | One of the four nitrogen bases found in DNA. |
| Tissue | A group of similar cells working together (for example, muscle tissue). |
| Triglycerides | Lipids composed of one glycerol molecule and three long fatty acid chains. |
| Unicellular Organisms | Organisms made of only one cell that performs all life functions. |
| Uniformity | The scientific principle that scientific laws are consistent across time and space. |
| Universal Solvent | A substance that dissolves more substances than any other solvent; water is the universal solvent. |
| Unsaturated Fatty Acids | Fatty acids that contain some double bonds between carbon atoms, causing bends or kinks; are liquid at room temperature. |
| Uracil | A nitrogen base found in RNA (replaces thymine from DNA). |
| Valence Electrons | Electrons found in the outermost energy shell of an atom; available to form bonds with other atoms. |
| Virus | A simple structure that is not made of cells and must invade a host cell to reproduce. |
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