Introduction to Biology & Chemical Foundation of Life

Vocabulary practice flashcards covering fundamental concepts in introductory biology, levels of biological organization, natural selection, scientific methodology, atomic structure, chemical bonding, water properties, and solution chemistry.

Biology

The scientific study of life.

Biosphere

The entire habitable portion of planet Earth, consisting of all of Earth's ecosystems combined.

Ecosystem

All of the organisms of all of the species within a particular area plus the non-living components of that area.

Community

All of the populations of different species within a particular area combined.

Population

All of the organisms of just one single species within a particular area.

Organism

A single individual biological entity.

Organ System

A group of related organs working together for a common function.

Tissue

Groups of related cells working together for a common function.

Cell

The fundamental unit and building block of life, representing the lowest level in the biological hierarchy that can be considered alive.

Prokaryotic Cell

A simple cell type lacking membrane-bound organelles or a nucleus, exemplified by bacteria.

Eukaryotic Cell

A cell type containing membrane-bound organelles and a nucleus, exemplified by amoebas and multicellular organisms.

Organelles

Subcellular structures within a cell, such as the Golgi apparatus, nucleus, and mitochondria.

Emergent Properties

New properties that arise at each level of the biological hierarchy due to the specific arrangement and interactions of parts within lower levels.

Natural Selection

The mechanism of evolution characterized by unequal reproductive success, where individuals with superior adaptive traits survive and pass those traits to offspring.

Artificial Selection

The selective breeding of plants and animals by humans to accentuate desirable inherited traits.

Taxonomy

The branch of biology established by Carolus Linnaeus concerned with naming and classifying species.

Binomial Nomenclature

The two-part Latinized naming system for species, composed of a genus name followed by a specific epithet.

Kingdom Animalia

A kingdom in Domain Eukarya consisting of multicellular heterotrophs that consume food by ingestion.

Kingdom Fungi

A kingdom in Domain Eukarya consisting of multicellular heterotrophs that consume food by absorption.

Kingdom Plantae

A kingdom in Domain Eukarya consisting of multicellular autotrophs that produce food by photosynthesis.

Inductive Reasoning

A logical process of arriving at a general conclusion based on many specific observations.

Hypothesis

A tentative, testable answer to a scientific question.

Controlled Experiment

An experiment comparing an experimental group receiving treatment to a control group without treatment, while keeping all other variables constant.

Independent Variable

The factor manipulated by a researcher or naturally varying in an experiment (plotted on the x-axis).

Dependent Variable

The factor measured in an experiment to evaluate the response caused by changes in the independent variable (plotted on the y-axis).

Theory (Scientific)

A broad explanation supported by extensive evidence that links multiple phenomena and generates new testable hypotheses.

Matter

Anything that occupies space and has mass, existing as a solid, liquid, or gas.

Element

A chemical substance that cannot be broken down into other substances.

Trace Elements

Fourteen essential chemical elements required by living organisms in only very small quantities (collectively less than $0.01\%$ of living matter).

Compound

A substance composed of two or more different chemical elements combined in a fixed ratio.

Atom

The smallest unit of matter that retains all properties of an element.

Atomic Number

The number of protons in an atom's nucleus, which determines the identity of an element.

Mass Number

The total number of protons plus neutrons in an atom's nucleus.

Isotopes

Different forms of the same chemical element that have equal numbers of protons but different numbers of neutrons.

Valence Shell

An atom's outermost electron shell, which governs its chemical reactivity depending on its electron count.

Ionic Bonds

Chemical bonds resulting from the transfer of electrons between atoms, creating oppositely charged ions that attract each other.

Covalent Bonds

Chemical bonds formed when two atoms share one or more pairs of electrons.

Electronegativity

An atom's measure of attraction for the shared electrons within a covalent bond.

Polar Molecule

A molecule with uneven electron sharing due to differing electronegativities, giving parts of the molecule slight positive and negative charges.

Hydrogen Bonds

Weak electrical attractions formed between the slightly positive hydrogen atom of one polar molecule and a slightly negative atom of another polar molecule.

Cohesion

The attraction that causes molecules of the same kind to stick to one another.

Adhesion

The attraction that causes molecules of one substance to stick to a different surface.

Specific Heat Capacity

The amount of heat energy absorbed or released for a substance to undergo a change in temperature.

Acids

Solutes that release hydrogen ions ($\text{H}^+$) when dissolved in aqueous solutions, increasing $\text{H}^+$ concentration.

Bases

Solutes that release hydroxide ions ($\text{OH}^-$) when dissolved in aqueous solutions, increasing $\text{OH}^-$ concentration.

Buffers

Chemicals that resist changes in pH by regulating hydrogen ion ($\text{H}^+$) concentrations in solutions.

Organic Molecules

Molecules that contain carbon atoms covalently bonded to other elements.