Question | Answer |
Metabolism | Processes that convert energy and matter from outside sources in order to sustain an organism's life functions |
Anabolism | Processes that use energy and simple chemical building blocks to produce large chemicals and structures necessary for life |
Catabolism | Processes that break down chemicals to produce energy and simple chemical building blocks |
Photosynthesis | The process by which some organisms use energy from the sun and simple chemicals to produce their own food |
Herbivores | Organisms that eat only plants |
Carnivores | Organisms that eat only organisms other than plants |
Omnivores | Organisms that eat both plants and other organisms |
Producers | Organisms that produce their own food |
Consumers | Organisms that eat living producers or other consumers for food |
Decomposers | Organisms that break down the dead remains of other organisms |
Autotrophs | Organisms that are able to make their own food |
Heterotrophs | Organisms that depend on other organisms for food |
Receptors | Structures that allow organisms to sense the conditions of their internal or external environment |
Asexual reproduction | Reproduction accomplished by a single organism |
Sexual reproduction | Reproduction that requires two organisms |
Inheritance | Process by which physical and biological characteristics are transmitted from the parent, or parents, to the offspring |
Mutation | Abrupt and marked change in the DNA of an organism compared to that of its parents |
Hypothesis | An educated guess that attempts to explain an observation or answer a question |
Theory | Hypothesis that has been tested with a significant amount of data |
Scientific law | Theory that has been tested by and is consistent with generations of data |
Microorganisms | Living creatures that are too small to see with the naked eye |
Abiogenesis | The idea that long ago very simple life forms spontaneously appeared through chemical reactions |
Prokaryotic cell | Cell that has no distinct, membrane-bounded organelles |
Eukaryotic cell | Cell with distinct, membrane-bounded organelles |
Species | A unit of one or more populations of individuals that can reproduce under normal conditions, produce fertile offspring, and are reproductively isolated from other such units |
Taxonomy | Science of classifying organisms |
Binomial nomenclature | Naming an organism with its genus and species name |
What are the four criteria for life? | Contains DNA -- Extracts energy from surroundings -- Senses changes and responds -- Reproduces |