Term | Definition |
science | organized way of using evidence to learn about the natural world: also the body of knowledge that scientist have built up after years of using this process |
data | evidence, information gathered from observations |
observation | use of one or more of the senses- sight, hearing, touch, smell and sometimes taste- to gather information |
inference | logical interpretation based on prior knowledge and experience |
hypothesis | possible explanation to a scientific question |
spontaneous generation | hypothesis (disproven) stating that life could rise from nonliving matter |
controlled experiment | factor in an experiment that a scientist purposely keeps the same |
manipulated variable (aka. independent variable) | factor in an experiment that a scientist purposely changes |
responding variable (aka. dependent variable) | factor in an experiment that a scientist wants to observe, which may change in response to the manipulated variable |
theory | well tested experiment that unifies a broad range of explanations |
biology | science that seeks to understand the living world |
cell | collection of living matter enclosed by a barrier that separated the cell from its surroundings: basic unit of all forms of life |
sexual reproduction | process by which two cells from two different parents unite to produce the first cell of a new organism |
asexual reproduction | process by which a single parent reproduces itself |
metabolism | set of chemical reactions through which an organism builds up or breaks down materials as it carries out its life process |
stimulus | a signal to which a organism responds: any kind of detectable signal that carries information |
homeostasis | process by which organisms maintain a relatively stable internal environment |
metric- system | decimal system of measurement based on a certain physical standards and scaled multiples of 10 |
microscope | device that produces magnified images of structures that are too small to see with the unaided eye |