Characteristics of Living vs Nonliving Organisms and Biological Concepts

This set of flashcards covers key vocabulary terms and concepts related to characteristics of living and nonliving organisms, molecular biology, chemical bonds, and processes such as DNA replication, translation, and transcription.

Living Organisms

Organisms that exhibit characteristics such as growth, reproduction, response to stimuli, and metabolism.

Nonliving Organisms

Entities that do not exhibit the characteristics of life, such as being inert or lacking cellular structure.

Phylogenetic Tree

A diagram that shows the evolutionary relationships among various biological species based on their genetic connections.

Covalent Bond

A type of chemical bond where atoms share pairs of electrons.

Ionic Bond

A type of chemical bond that involves the electrostatic attraction between oppositely charged ions.

Hydrogen Bond

A weak bond between two molecules resulting from an electrostatic attraction between a proton in one molecule and an electronegative atom in the other.

Isotope

Atoms of the same element with the same number of protons but different numbers of neutrons.

Thermodynamics

The branch of physical science that deals with the relations between heat and other forms of energy.

Hydrophilic

Substances that are attracted to water; typically polar molecules.

Hydrophobic

Substances that repel water; typically nonpolar molecules.

Monosaccharides

The simplest form of carbohydrates, consisting of single sugar molecules, such as glucose.

Disaccharides

Carbohydrates formed by the combination of two monosaccharides, such as sucrose.

Polysaccharides

Complex carbohydrates composed of long chains of monosaccharide units, such as starch.

Base Pairing in DNA

The specific pairing between nitrogenous bases in DNA; A pairs with T, and C pairs with G.

Denaturing

The process of breaking down the bonds in proteins or nucleic acids, usually caused by environmental factors.

Enzymes

Biological catalysts that speed up chemical reactions in living organisms.

Lipids

A group of organic compounds that are fatty acids or their derivatives and are insoluble in water.

Saturated Fats

Fats with no double bonds between carbon atoms, typically solid at room temperature.

Unsaturated Fats

Fats that contain one or more double bonds between carbon atoms, typically liquid at room temperature.

Endergonic Reaction

A chemical reaction that requires the input of energy to proceed.

Exergonic Reaction

A chemical reaction that releases energy.

Nucleic Acids

Biomolecules essential for life, including DNA and RNA, composed of nucleotide monomers.

DNA Replication

The process by which DNA makes a copy of itself.

Translation

The process by which the genetic code is used to synthesize proteins.

Transcription

The process of copying a segment of DNA into RNA.