Chapter 1 Biology Review Flashcards

Vocabulary practice flashcards generated from Chapter 1 Introduction to Biology review questions and concepts.

Define catabolism

The chemical reactions occurring in an individual cell that break down complex molecules into simple ones, releasing energy that the organism can use.

What is homeostasis

The ability of an organism to maintain a constant internal environment.

DNA

The molecule responsible for transmitting genetic information from parent to offspring.

Primary Source of Biological Energy

The sun, which provides almost all the energy utilized in biological systems.

Biological Levels of Organization

The structural hierarchy of life ordered from smallest to largest: atom, molecule, organelle, cell, tissue, organ, system of organs, organism, population, community, ecosystem, biome, biosphere.

Taxonomy Divisions

The eight biological classification ranks listed from broadest to narrowest: domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus, species.

Genus-Level Similarity

The concept that two organisms chosen from the same genus are more closely related and similar than two organisms chosen from the same order.

Binomial Nomenclature

The standard system used to give a scientific name to a species, combining its genus and species names (such as Felis catus for the domestic cat).

Scientific Name Formatting Rules

The naming convention requiring the genus name to be capitalized and the species name to be lowercase (making Canis Lupus Familiaris incorrect because 'Lupus' should be lowercase).

Scientific Method Steps

The sequential procedure for scientific investigation ordered as: observation, hypothesis, prediction, experimentation, analysis, conclusion.

Producers

Organisms at the base of a food web, such as plankton, that directly utilize the sun's energy to make food.

Natural Selection

The mechanism that determines which mutations persist in a population over generations, favoring beneficial mutations (like faster swimming) over harmful ones (like impaired metabolism).

Species DNA Similarity

The principle that members of species able to mate and produce viable offspring share more similar DNA than members of species that cannot.

Domestic Cat Classification

The complete taxonomy of the domestic cat: Domain Eukaryota, Kingdom Animalia, Phylum Chordata, Class Mammalia, Order Carnivora, Family Felidae, Genus Felis, Species Felis catus.

Created Kinds Correlation

The attempt by biologists to correlate present-day organisms to the original organisms that were created.