Biology and Life Lecture Series

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering the definition of life, the history of cell theory, organelle functions, and bacterial classification according to the provided lecture notes.

Biology

The study of living things and life itself.

Instinctive Behavior

Behavior that is inborn and automatic, such as sea turtles moving toward the ocean after hatching.

Learned Behavior

Behavior acquired through experience, such as a dog being trained to roll over.

Growth

The increase in size and mass of an organism.

Development

The changes in an organism that lead to maturity, involving cell differentiation and specialization.

Sexual Reproduction

A type of reproduction involving two parents that produces genetically different offspring.

Asexual Reproduction

A type of reproduction involving one parent that produces genetically identical offspring.

Homeostasis

The ability of an organism to maintain a relatively constant internal environment, such as regulating body temperature or water balance.

Metabolism

The sum of all chemical reactions that occur within an organism.

Autotrophs (Producers)

Organisms that make their own food, such as plants.

Heterotrophs (Consumers)

Organisms that obtain food from other organisms, such as animals and fungi.

Levels of Organization

The hierarchy of biological complexity: Atom $\rightarrow$ Biological Molecule $\rightarrow$ Organelle $\rightarrow$ Cell $\rightarrow$ Tissue $\rightarrow$ Organ $\rightarrow$ Organ System $\rightarrow$ Organism.

Evolution

The change in populations over time.

Natural Selection

A process where organisms with favorable traits are more likely to survive and reproduce.

Adaptation

Characteristics that help organisms survive in their specific environment.

DNA (Deoxyribonucleic Acid)

The molecule where genetic information is stored in a universal genetic code.

Endotherms

Organisms that maintain a constant body temperature, such as humans and dogs.

Ectotherms

Organisms whose body temperature changes based on the environment.

Hans and Zacharias Janssen

The individuals credited with inventing the first compound microscope in $1590$.

Robert Hooke

The English scientist who observed cork cells in $1665$ and authored the book Micrographia.

Cellulae

The term used by Robert Hooke to describe the box-like compartments (cell walls of dead plant cells) he observed under a microscope.

Antonie van Leeuwenhoek

The Father of Microbiology who first observed living microorganisms (animalcules) using a microscope with $270\times$ magnification.

Nucleus

The control center of the cell, named by Robert Brown in $1830$, which contains most of the cell's DNA.

Matthias Jakob Schleiden

A scientist who proposed in $1838$ that all plants are composed of cells.

Theodor Schwann

A scientist who proposed in $1839$ that all animals are composed of cells.

Rudolf Virchow

The scientist who proposed in $1855$ that all cells arise from pre-existing cells (Omnis cellula e cellula).

Nucleolus

A dark-staining structure found inside the nucleus that produces ribosomes.

Cell Membrane

A phospholipid bilayer that surrounds the cell and regulates what enters and leaves.

Cell Wall

A structure composed mainly of cellulose found in plant cells that provides support and protection.

Cytoplasm

A semifluid substance containing organelles where many chemical reactions occur.

Ribosomes

Small structures not surrounded by a membrane that synthesize proteins.

Rough Endoplasmic Reticulum

An organelle located near the nucleus with many ribosomes on its surface that transports proteins.

Smooth Endoplasmic Reticulum

An organelle that produces lipids and helps detoxify harmful substances, lacking ribosomes.

Golgi Apparatus

An organelle resembling stacks of flattened sacs that modifies and packages proteins.

Lysosome

Known as the cell's recycling center, it contains digestive enzymes to destroy worn-out organelles and bacteria.

Mitochondrion

Known as the powerhouse of the cell, it produces ATP and carries out aerobic respiration.

Vacuole

A large storage sac in plant cells that holds water, nutrients, and waste, and helps maintain turgor pressure.

Centrioles

Structures found mainly in animal cells that help organize spindle fibers during cell division.

Cytoskeleton

A network of protein fibers, including microfilaments ($7,nm$) and microtubules ($25,nm$), that provides support and shape to the cell.

Gram Staining

A differential staining technique that distinguishes bacteria into Gram-positive (purple) or Gram-negative (pink/red) based on cell wall composition. It is named after Hans Christian Gram.

Peptidoglycan

The primary material in bacterial cell walls that provides support and protection.

Bactericidal

A type of antibiotic, such as Penicillin or Amoxicillin, that kills bacteria directly.

Bacteriostatic

A type of antibiotic, such as Tetracycline, that stops bacteria from growing so the immune system can eliminate them.

What are the three major features all cells have in common?

All cells have a cell membrane, cytoplasm, and genetic material (DNA).

Cell Membrane

A phospholipid bilayer that surrounds the cell and regulates what enters and leaves.

Cytoplasm

A semifluid substance containing organelles where many chemical reactions occur.

Genetic Material (DNA)

The molecule where genetic information is stored in a universal genetic code.

Eukaryotic Cells

Cells that have a true nucleus, that separates the DNA from other cellular structures. Examples are Animals, Plants, Fungi, and Prostist.

Prokaryotic Cells

Cells that have no true nucleus, as they are not separated from the other cells but is in a coiled up region. Examples are Archaean and Bacteria

Stimuli

It is the living thing response to the environment