Living Environment Regents Review

Homeostasis

A balanced state in an organism's body.

Dynamic Equilibrium

A balanced state created by many small, opposing changes.

Metabolism

All the chemical processes that take place in an organism.

Nutrition

Use nutrients for growth, synthesis, repair and energy.

Cellular Respiration

Convert energy in food into a usable form (ATP).

Synthesis

Make complex compounds from simple substances.

Transport

Absorb and distribute materials throughout the body or the cell.

Regulation

Control and coordination of life processes.

Excretion

Remove wastes produced by metabolic activities.

Reproduction

Pass on genes to offspring.

Inorganic Molecules

Simple compounds.

Water (H2O)

Most common substance in all living things (about 60% of body mass).

Carbon Dioxide (CO2)

With water, used by plants to make glucose during photosynthesis.

Oxygen (O2)

Needed by most organisms for cellular respiration.

Cellular Respiration (aerobic)

Process that uses oxygen to release energy from glucose.

Fermentation (anaerobic)

Process that releases energy from glucose without using oxygen.

Nitrogen (N2)

Most common gas in air (70%). Needed to make protein and nucleic acids.

pH Scale

Measured by the pH scale (0.0 - 6.9 acid, 7.0 neutral, 7.1 - 14.0 base).

Organic Compounds

Large, complex molecules (polymers) that always contain carbon and hydrogen.

Carbohydrates

Sugars and starches that provide and store energy.

Lipids

Fats and oils that store energy and provide insulation.

Proteins

Complex compounds that carry out all the body's activities.

Lock and Key Model

Proteins must have the right shape to 'fit' with other molecules.

Enzymes

Act as catalysts, controlling all chemical reactions in the body.

Cell Theory

All living things are made of one or more cells.

Unicellular

Single celled organisms (e.g., amoeba, paramecium).

Multicellular

Organisms that have more than one cell.

Nucleus

Controls the cell and contains hereditary material (chromosomes, genes, DNA).

Mitochondrion

Carries out cellular respiration and gives cell usable energy in the form of ATP.

Ribosome

Makes proteins by joining amino acids.

Chloroplast

Contains chlorophyll and carries out photosynthesis.

Cell Membrane

Separates cell interior from outer environment and controls what enters and leaves the cell.

Diffusion

Movement of substances from an area of high concentration to an area of low concentration.

Osmosis

Diffusion of water.

Active Transport

Substances move into or out of cells from an area of low concentration to an area of high concentration, requiring energy.

Ingestion

To take nutrients into the body.

Digestion

To break down nutrients (polymers) into smaller molecules (monomers).

Autotrophic Nutrition

Organisms take inorganic molecules (CO2 & H2O) and convert them into organic nutrients.

Autotroph

An organism that makes its own food.

Photosynthesis

Process in which sun's energy is stored in the chemical bonds of sugar.

Heterotrophic Nutrition

Organisms must consume nutrients from other organisms.

Heterotroph

An organism that can't make its own food.

Carnivores

Organisms that eat animals or meat.

Herbivores

Organisms that eat plants or algae.

Omnivores

Organisms that eat both plants and animals.

Decomposers

Organisms that break down dead matter and waste.

ATP

The molecule all cells use for energy.

Fermentation

Anaerobic process that does not require oxygen and produces less ATP.

Natural Selection

Mechanism that causes species to change based on survival and reproduction.

Overproduction

Too many offspring are produced than can possibly survive.

Competition

Offspring must struggle to survive and reproduce.

Variations

Members of a species are different from each other due to sexual reproduction, genetic recombination, and mutations.

Survival of the Fittest

Offspring who inherit helpful variations are better able to survive and reproduce.

Fitness

A measure of how well a trait helps an organism to survive and reproduce in its environment.

Speciation

The process of forming a new species from an existing species.

Geographic Isolation

A population is separated into 2 or more different habitats.

Reproductive Isolation

Populations change so much that they are unable to interbreed.

New Species

Once two populations can no longer breed together, they are considered new species.

Classification

Organisms are classified based on their evolutionary relationship.

Domains

Domains are the largest group of related organisms.

Eukarya Domain

Eukarya Domain has organisms with eukaryotic cells (cells WITH a nucleus).

Archea and Bacteria Domains

Archea and Bacteria Domains have organisms with prokaryotic cells (cells WITHOUT a nucleus).

What are kingdoms?

Large groups of related organisms (Protists, Fungi, Plants, Animals).

Species

A species is able to successfully reproduce with its members and produce fertile offspring.

Scientific Name

The scientific name of an organism is the genus plus the species name.

Genus Name

The genus name comes first but is like the last name of a person.

Phylogenetic Trees

Branching tree diagrams (phylogenetic trees and cladograms) are often used to show evolutionary relationships.

Fossil Record

Fossil record preserves extinct species as well as transitional forms between different types of organisms.

Dating of Rocks

Dating of rocks and rock layers confirm the age of the Earth and fossils.

Anatomy Comparisons

Comparisons of the anatomy, embryology, chemistry, and genes of species confirm expected relationships.

Direct Observation

Humans see evolution happening in nature and in the lab.

Bacteria Resistance

Bacteria evolve resistance to antibiotics.

Insects Resistance

Insects evolve resistance to pesticides.

Artificial Selection

Artificial selection alters a species' traits, modeling natural selection with humans choosing the best traits.

Evolutionary Fitness

Fitness is determined by who is better adapted to survive in a particular environment.

Individual Evolution

Individual organisms do not evolve; only populations can evolve.

Extinction

Only species can become extinct; individual organisms die.

Pre-adaptation

To evolve, variations must exist in a species BEFORE the environment changes.

Cell Organization

The human body is made of cells; all humans begin life as a single cell called a zygote.

Mitosis

Humans grow as a result of cell division.

Specialization

Specialization or differentiation is the process in which a cell changes to have a specific shape and function.

Digestive System

Food is broken down so that it is small enough to enter the body tissues and cells.

Peristalsis

Food is moved through the digestive system by smooth muscular contractions called peristalsis.

Circulatory System

Moves materials through the body to the organs, tissues, and cells that need them.

Capillaries

Capillaries are microscopic blood vessels where diffusion occurs.

Hemoglobin

Hemoglobin is a protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen.

Plasma

Plasma is the fluid of the blood that transports all blood cells, nutrients, and hormones.

Heart

Pumps blood (which carries oxygen) everywhere in your body.

Respiratory System

Breathing provides oxygen O2 needed for cellular respiration and excretes waste carbon dioxide CO2.

Diaphragm

The muscle that allows breathing to occur.

Alveoli

Microscopic sacs inside the lungs where oxygen O2 enters the blood and CO2 leaves the blood.

Pathogen

An organism that causes a disease.

White Blood Cells

Main components of the immune system that identify and destroy pathogens.

Antibodies

Proteins made by white blood cells to attack pathogens.

Antigens

Protein 'tags' on pathogens that identify a bacteria or virus.

Vaccine

An injection of a dead or weakened pathogen that triggers the body to make antibodies.

Antibiotics

Drugs used to stop infections by bacteria only; they can cure diseases.

AIDS

Caused by HIV virus, weakens the human immune system.

Cancer

Caused by uncontrolled cell division forming a tumor.

What does diabetes do?

Affects the body's ability to control the amount of sugar in the blood.