Midterm Exam 1 Study Guide Flashcards

A set of vocabulary flashcards based on Modules 1, 2, and 3 study guide topics.

Properties of Life

The essential characteristics of living organisms, identified as organization, manipulation of energy, responsiveness, self-regulation, growth, and change.

Independent Variable

The specific variable in an experiment that is manipulated or changed by the researcher.

Dependent Variable

The variable in an experiment that is measured to determine the treatment effect.

Control Group

The experimental group kept under standardized conditions without the treatment, used as a benchmark for comparison.

Treatment Group

The experimental group that receives the specific condition or treatment being tested.

Central Limit Theorem

A statistical concept relevant to collecting samples and understanding sample bias.

Mean

A data literacy measure representing the calculated average of a distribution.

Median

A data literacy measure representing the middle value in a ordered set of data.

Valence Shell

The outermost electron shell of an atom; atoms become stable when they achieve a full valence shell.

Ion

A charged particle formed when atoms gain or lose electrons due to positive and negative attraction, forming ionic bonds and compounds such as salt NaCl.

Covalent Bond

A chemical bond formed by the sharing of electron pairs between atoms, associated with specific bond energy.

Exothermic Reaction

A chemical reaction that releases energy to its surroundings.

Endothermic Reaction

A chemical reaction that absorbs energy from its surroundings.

Activation Energy

The minimum energy required to reach the transition state and initiate a chemical reaction.

The Big 6 Elements

The six essential biological elements listed in the course: Hydrogen (H), Carbon (C), Oxygen (O), Nitrogen (N), Phosphorus (P), and Iron (Fe).

Intermolecular Forces (IMFs)

Forces between molecules—such as polar interactions, hydrogen bonding, and dispersion—that influence whether a substance is a solid, liquid, or gas.

Hydrophilic IMFs

Water-attracting intermolecular forces that allow substances to dissolve in water under the principle that like dissolves like.

Hydrophobic IMFs

Water-repelling intermolecular forces that prevent nonpolar substances from dissolving in water under the principle that like dissolves like.

Energy Coupling

The pairing of energy-releasing catabolism with energy-requiring anabolism, mediated by ATP.

Catabolism

The metabolic pathway responsible for breaking down molecules and releasing energy.

Anabolism

The metabolic pathway responsible for synthesizing complex molecules using energy.

Nucleic Acids

Biological macromolecules such as DNA and RNA, composed of nucleotides, defined by their structures and functions.

Carbohydrates

Biological molecules characterized by specific structures, functions, and IMFs; includes glucose, glycogen, starch, and cellulose.

Phospholipid Bilayer

A biological membrane arrangement formed by phospholipids, governed by their specific structure and IMFs.

Saturated vs Unsaturated Fats

Categories of lipids that differ in structural appearance, IMFs, and state of matter (solid or liquid).

Peptide Bonds

The chemical bonds that link amino acids together via their R groups to form protein structures.

Enzymes

Biological catalysts that function by lowering activation energy, whose catalytic activity is influenced by 4 specific factors.