Term | Definition |
asexual reproduction | type of reproduction that forms a new organism that is identical to its parent |
carrying capacity | largest population an area can support |
cell | basic unit of life |
cell membrane | the organelle that controls what enters and leaves the cell |
cell wall | a rigid structure found outside plant cells and some other single-celled organisms |
chloroplast | green organelle found in plants that is the site for photosynthesis |
chromosome | a structure made of DNA that contains genes |
consumer | an organism that obtains energy by eating other organisms |
dependent variable | the thing being measured in an experiment |
diffusion | process by which molecules move from an area of higher concentration to an area of lower concentration |
dominant | a trait that is always expressed when present in the organism |
energy pyramid | a diagram that shows the flow of energy from producers to consumers in a food web |
eukaryotic cell | a cell with membrane-bound structures |
function | what something does (its job) |
gene | a segment of DNA that determines a specific trait |
independent variable | the thing changed by the person doing the experiment |
kingdom | first and largest category used to classify organisms |
mitochondria | cell organelle where glucose is broken down to release energy |
nucleus | cell organelle that contains DNA and controls most cell functions |
organelle | a tiny cell structure that carries out a specific function within the cell |
osmosis | process by which water molecules move from an area of higher concentration to an area of lower concentration through a cell membrane |
photosynthesis | process by which plants and some other organisms use water, carbon dioxide, and sunlight to make food (glucose) |
producer | any organism that can make its own food |
prokaryotic cell | a cell without any membrane-bound structures |
recessive | a trait that is only expressed when the dominant trait is absent |
respiration | process by which producers and consumers release energy stored in sugar molecules |
sexual reproduction | type of reproduction where two cells join to form a new organism, offspring is not identical to either parent cell |
species | group of similar organisms that can reproduce among themselves and produce fertile offspring |
structure | what something looks like (its form) |
succession | natural, gradual changes in the types of species that live in an area |