Biology Unit Packets and Labs

This set of flashcards covers key terms and processes related to the units on evolution, energy, ecology, and population in biology.

Pangaea

The supercontinent that existed during the late Paleozoic and early Mesozoic eras.

Radioactive Isotopes

Atoms that have an unstable nucleus and emit radiation during their decay.

Cladograms

Diagram used to show relationships between various organisms based on shared characteristics.

Photosynthesis

The process by which green plants and some other organisms use sunlight to synthesize foods with the help of chlorophyll.

Cellular Respiration

The metabolic process in which cells convert glucose and oxygen into energy, carbon dioxide, and water.

Trophic Cascades

Ecological phenomenon triggered by the addition or removal of top predators, resulting in changes in the ecosystem structure and nutrient cycling.

Biomagnification

The process whereby certain substances such as pesticides or heavy metals move up the food chain, increasing in concentration.

Niche Partitioning

A process by which competing species use the environment differently in a way that helps them to coexist.

Climate Graphs

Visual representations of the average temperature and precipitation in a particular area over a specific period.

Eco Succession

The process of change in the species structure of an ecological community over time.

Pangaea

The supercontinent that existed during the late Paleozoic and early Mesozoic eras.

Radioactive Isotopes

Atoms that have an unstable nucleus and emit radiation during their decay.

Cladograms

Diagram used to show relationships between various organisms based on shared characteristics.

Photosynthesis

The process by which green plants and some other organisms use sunlight to synthesize foods with the help of chlorophyll.

Cellular Respiration

The metabolic process in which cells convert glucose and oxygen into energy, carbon dioxide, and water.

Trophic Cascades

Ecological phenomenon triggered by the addition or removal of top predators, resulting in changes in the ecosystem structure and nutrient cycling.

Biomagnification

The process whereby certain substances such as pesticides or heavy metals move up the food chain, increasing in concentration.

Niche Partitioning

A process by which competing species use the environment differently in a way that helps them to coexist.

Climate Graphs

Visual representations of the average temperature and precipitation in a particular area over a specific period.

Eco Succession

The process of change in the species structure of an ecological community over time.

Natural Selection

A mechanism of evolution where organisms better adapted to their environment tend to survive and produce more offspring.

Plate Tectonics

The theory that the Earth's outer shell is divided into several large plates that glide over the mantle, causing earthquakes, volcanoes, and mountain building.

Food Web

A system of interlocking and interdependent food chains that shows the feeding relationships between organisms in an ecosystem.

Mitochondria

Often called the "powerhouses" of the cell, these organelles generate most of the supply of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), used as a source of chemical energy.

Nucleus (Cellular)

The organelle in eukaryotic cells that contains the cell's genetic material (DNA) and controls cell activities.

DNA (Deoxyribonucleic Acid)

The genetic material that carries instructions for the development, functioning, growth, and reproduction of all known organisms.

Carbohydrates

Organic compounds, such as sugars and starches, that primarily serve as an energy source for organisms.

Proteins

Complex macromolecules made of amino acids, essential for the structure, function, and regulation of the body's tissues and organs.

Cell Membrane

A thin, flexible barrier that surrounds a cell and regulates what enters and leaves the cell.

Chloroplasts

Organelles found in plant cells and other eukaryotic organisms that conduct photosynthesis.

Scientific Method

A systematic approach to research involving observation, hypothesis formulation, experimentation, data analysis, and conclusion.

Hypothesis

A testable prediction or explanation based on observations that can be supported or refuted through experimentation.

Ecosystem

A biological community of interacting organisms and their physical environment.

Producers

Organisms that produce their own food, mainly through photosynthesis, forming the base of a food web.

Consumers

Organisms that obtain energy by feeding on other organisms.

Decomposers

Organisms, such as bacteria and fungi, that break down dead or decaying organisms, returning essential nutrients to the ecosystem.

Gene

A unit of heredity that is transferred from a parent to offspring and is held to determine some characteristic of the offspring.

Bacteria

Microscopic, single-celled prokaryotic organisms, some of which can cause disease, while others are beneficial.

ATP (Adenosine Triphosphate)

The main energy currency of the cell, providing energy for most metabolic processes.

pH Scale

A scale used to specify how acidic or basic a water-based solution is, ranging from 0 (very acidic) to 14 (very basic), with 7 being neutral.