Chapter 1 — Introduction to Biology: The Nature of Science & the Characteristics of Life (Vocabulary Flashcards)

Vocabulary flashcards covering key concepts from the biology lecture notes.

Science

A systematic method of understanding the natural world based on evidence; derived from Latin 'to know'.

Observation

Noticing and describing phenomena; starting point of scientific inquiry.

Hypothesis

A testable explanation identifying a natural cause for an observation.

Prediction

A testable forecast derived from a hypothesis, often in the form 'If… then…'.

Experiment

A controlled test that manipulates variables to test predictions and reveal cause‑and‑effect relationships.

Descriptive science

Science based on observation and exploration without manipulating variables.

Theory

A broad, well-supported explanation of many related phenomena; more general than a hypothesis.

Preformation theory

Early idea that an embryo's information is preformed in sperm or egg.

Homunculus

A supposed miniature human within sperm or egg used in preformation theory.

Phlogiston theory

Obsolete theory proposing a fire‑like element is released during combustion.

Spontaneous generation

Ancient hypothesis that life arises from nonliving matter; disproved by Pasteur and Redi.

Falsifiability

A hypothesis must be testable and potentially disprovable.

Tentative

Scientific knowledge is provisional and subject to revision.

Science and belief

Science studies the natural world and cannot address supernatural questions or moral judgments.

Biology

The scientific study of life.

Order

Life is highly organized; cells are the basic unit of life.

Sensitivity to stimuli

Organisms detect and respond to environmental changes via senses.

Reproduction

All living things reproduce and pass genetic material (DNA) to offspring (asexual or sexual).

Growth and development

Directed growth and development guided by DNA; progression from simple to more complex forms.

Adaptation

Evolution by natural selection; populations acquire beneficial traits; acclimation is an individual response.

Regulation

Active management of internal cellular processes and functions.

Homeostasis

Maintenance of relatively constant internal conditions in the face of environmental change.

Energy Processing

All organisms process energy for metabolism; sources include chemical energy (heterotrophs) and light energy (autotrophs); all perform cellular respiration.

Cell

Basic unit of life; the smallest unit capable of independent function.

Nucleus

Membrane-bound organelle in eukaryotic cells that houses DNA.

DNA

Deoxyribonucleic acid; genetic material that stores hereditary information.

Virus

Non-cellular infectious agent consisting of genetic material (DNA or RNA) enclosed in protein; requires a host to reproduce.

Obligate intracellular parasite

Viruses that must infect a host cell to reproduce.

Biosphere

Global sum of all living things and their environments on Earth.

Biological hierarchy

Organization from molecules to the biosphere; at each level, new properties emerge; 'the whole is greater than the sum of its parts'.