Foundations of Biology

Comprehensive flashcards covering the foundations of biology, properties of life, history of the microscope, Cell Theory postulates, and the disproval of spontaneous generation.

Biology is the __________ that studies life.

science

The branch of biology that specifically studies viruses is called __________.

virology

There are __________ shared properties/characteristics that biologists use to define life.

$$8$$

The property of life where organisms consist of one or more highly organized cells is called __________.

order

Tiny bacteria shifting toward or away from chemicals is a process called __________.

chemotaxis

Plants bending toward a light source is an example of a response to stimuli known as __________.

phototropism

The genetic material duplicated by single-celled organisms before division is called __________.

DNA

Biologists refer to the "fit" of an organism to its environment as __________.

adaptation

Organisms grow and develop according to specific instructions coded for by their __________.

genes

The relatively stable internal environment required to maintain life is called __________.

homeostasis

The diversity of life on Earth results from __________, which are random changes in hereditary material over time.

mutations

Living things made of only one cell are called __________ or prokaryotes.

unicellular organisms

Living things made of many cells, such as plants and animals, are called __________ or eukaryotes.

multicellular organisms

The word lens is derived from the Latin word __________, due to its similar shape.

lentil

The first compound microscope was invented around the late $16^{th}$ century by __________.

Zacharias Janssen

In $1665$, __________ observed small compartments in cork and named them cellula.

Robert Hooke

Robert Hooke reported his findings about cells in his famous publication called __________.

Micrographia

Antonie van Leeuwenhoek used his high-magnification microscope to observe bacteria and protists, which he called __________.

animalcules

The first two postulates of cell theory were based on the research of Matthias Jakob Schleiden and __________.

Theodor Schwann

Matthias Jakob Schleiden was a professor of __________ at the University of Jena.

botany

In $1858$, Rudolf Virchow stated "Omnis cellula e cellula," meaning all cells arise from __________.

preexisting cells

The discovery of cell division was likely first made in $1855$ by a Jewish scientist named __________.

Robert Remak

The theory that organisms can come from nonliving sources is known as __________.

spontaneous generation

In $1668$, __________ conducted an experiment with meat in jars to disprove that maggots come from nonliving meat.

Francesco Redi

The scientist who erroneously claimed that microorganisms grew spontaneously in boiled chicken broth in $1745$ was __________.

John Needham

Lazzaro Spallanzani contested Needham's results by __________ the flask before boiling the broth.

sealing

In $1859$, __________ used S-shaped flasks to prove that microorganisms were introduced via dust particles rather than arising from the broth itself.

Louis Pasteur