Gen Bio Test 1

Biology

The study of living organisms and their interactions with each other and their environment.

Order

The complex and organized structure of living things, including cells, tissues, and organs.

Sensitivity

The ability of organisms to respond to stimuli or changes in their environment.

Reproduction

The biological process by which living organisms produce offspring.

Growth and development

The process of following specific genetic instructions to mature.

Regulation

The maintenance of a stable internal environment, also known as homeostasis.

Energy processing

The use of energy to carry out activities, also referred to as metabolism.

Evolutionary adaptation

The process by which populations change over time in response to their environment.

Atom

The smallest unit of an element that still retains the element's properties.

Element

A pure substance made of only one type of atom; there are 118 known elements.

Molecule

A group of two or more atoms bonded together.

Cation

An ion with a positive charge, formed by the loss of electrons.

Anion

An ion with a negative charge, formed by the gain of electrons.

Isotope

Atoms of the same element with different numbers of neutrons.

pH scale

A logarithmic scale measuring the acidity or alkalinity of a solution.

Buffer

A solute that resists pH changes by absorbing excess H⁺ or OH⁻.

Carbohydrates

Biomolecules that function as immediate energy sources, energy storage, and structural components.

Monosaccharides

The simplest form of carbohydrates consisting of single sugar units.

Polysaccharides

Long chains of monosaccharides that serve as energy storage or structural components.

Lipids

Nonpolar hydrocarbons that serve various roles, including energy storage and membrane structure.

Protein

Biomolecules made of amino acids that perform various functions in the body.

Nucleotide

The monomer of nucleic acids, consisting of a sugar, a phosphate group, and a nitrogenous base.

Prokaryotic cell

A simple, small cell that lacks a nucleus and membrane-bound organelles, such as bacteria.

Eukaryotic cell

A larger, more complex cell with a true nucleus and membrane-bound organelles.

Endosymbiont theory

The theory that mitochondria and chloroplasts originated as free-living bacteria engulfed by eukaryotic cells.

Fluid mosaic model

A model that describes the structural features of cell membranes, which are composed of a bilayer of phospholipids with embedded proteins.

Cilia and flagella

Hair-like structures that assist in cell movement; cilia are short and move in coordinated waves while flagella are longer and move like a propeller.

Cell theory

The theory that all living organisms are composed of cells, cells are the basic unit of structure, and all cells arise from pre-existing cells.

Biology

The study of living organisms and their interactions with each other and their environment.

Order

The complex and organized structure of living things, including cells, tissues, and organs.

Sensitivity

The ability of organisms to respond to stimuli or changes in their environment.

Reproduction

The biological process by which living organisms produce offspring.

Growth and development

The process of following specific genetic instructions to mature.

Regulation

The maintenance of a stable internal environment, also known as homeostasis.

Energy processing

The use of energy to carry out activities, also referred to as metabolism.

Evolutionary adaptation

The process by which populations change over time in response to their environment.

Atom

The smallest unit of an element that still retains the element's properties.

Element

A pure substance made of only one type of atom; there are 118 known elements.

Molecule

A group of two or more atoms bonded together.

Cation

An ion with a positive charge, formed by the loss of electrons.

Anion

An ion with a negative charge, formed by the gain of electrons.

Isotope

Atoms of the same element with different numbers of neutrons.

pH scale

A logarithmic scale measuring the acidity or alkalinity of a solution.

Buffer

A solute that resists pH changes by absorbing excess H⁺ or OH⁻.

Carbohydrates

Biomolecules that function as immediate energy sources, energy storage, and structural components.

Monosaccharides

The simplest form of carbohydrates consisting of single sugar units.

Polysaccharides

Long chains of monosaccharides that serve as energy storage or structural components.

Lipids

Nonpolar hydrocarbons that serve various roles, including energy storage and membrane structure.

Protein

Biomolecules made of amino acids that perform various functions in the body.

Nucleotide

The monomer of nucleic acids, consisting of a sugar, a phosphate group, and a nitrogenous base.

Prokaryotic cell

A simple, small cell that lacks a nucleus and membrane-bound organelles, such as bacteria.

Eukaryotic cell

A larger, more complex cell with a true nucleus and membrane-bound organelles.

Endosymbiont theory

The theory that mitochondria and chloroplasts originated as free-living bacteria engulfed by eukaryotic cells.

Fluid mosaic model

A model that describes the structural features of cell membranes, which are composed of a bilayer of phospholipids with embedded proteins.

Cilia and flagella

Hair-like structures that assist in cell movement; cilia are short and move in coordinated waves while flagella are longer and move like a propeller.

Cell theory

The theory that all living organisms are composed of cells, cells are the basic unit of structure, and all cells arise from pre-existing cells.

Tight junctions

Cellular junctions that press adjacent plasma membranes tightly together to prevent fluid leakage between cells.

Desmosomes

Intercellular junctions that act like rivets, anchoring intermediate filaments together to resist mechanical stress.

Gap junctions

Channels connecting adjacent cell cytoplasms that allow ions and small molecules to pass directly between cells.

Microfilaments

The thinnest cytoskeletal fibers, composed of actin, which support cell shape, muscle contraction, and cytokinesis.

Intermediate filaments

Cytoskeletal fibers with a diameter of $8\text{--}11$ nm that provide mechanical support and anchor cell-cell junctions.

Microtubules

Hollow cytoskeletal tubes organized by the centrosome that facilitate intracellular transport and form cilia and flagella.

Gram-positive bacteria

Bacteria characterized by a thick peptidoglycan cell wall containing lipoteichoic acid.

Gram-negative bacteria

Bacteria characterized by a thin peptidoglycan layer surrounded by an outer membrane containing lipopolysaccharides and porins.

Archaeal membrane lipids

Membrane lipids composed of ether-linked branched isoprenoid chains, distinguishing them from bacterial and eukaryotic lipids.

Primary protein structure

The unique, genetically determined linear sequence of amino acids in a polypeptide chain.

Secondary protein structure

Local folding pattern of a polypeptide backbone into \text{\alpha}-helices or \text{\beta}-pleated sheets via hydrogen bonds.

Tertiary protein structure

The overall three-dimensional shape of a single polypeptide chain, stabilized by interactions among R-groups.

Quaternary protein structure

The structural level formed by the assembly of two or more distinct polypeptide subunits into one functional protein.