Introduction to Biology Lecture Notes

Vocabulary flashcards covering core biological concepts, characteristics of life, levels of biological organization, emergent properties, energy and metabolism, homeostasis, reproduction and DNA, evolution and domains of life, scientific method variables, and microscope components based on the lecture notes.

Biology

The study of living organisms and the environments they live in.

Atoms

Small units of matter.

Molecules

Atoms joined together.

Cell

Smallest structural and functional unit of an organism.

Tissue

Group of similar cells that perform a particular function.

Organ

Structure composed of several tissue types.

Organ system

Group of organs that work together for a common purpose.

Organism

One complete living thing.

Population

Members of one species in a particular area.

Community

Interacting populations in an area.

Ecosystem

Community of populations interacting with the physical environment.

Biosphere

All of Earth's ecosystems.

Emergent properties

New properties that appear when smaller parts interact as a larger system.

Energy

The capacity to do work.

Photosynthesis

Process that captures energy from sunlight and converts it into chemical energy stored in sugars.

Metabolism

The sum of all chemical reactions that occur within a cell or organism.

Homeostasis

Maintaining stable internal conditions within a narrow, workable range.

Stimulus

A change inside or outside the body that can be detected.

Receptor

A cell or detector structure that detects a stimulus.

Response

An action that helps the organism adjust to a stimulus.

Reproduction

The process by which organisms pass genetic information to the next generation.

Growth

An increase in size and, in many organisms, an increase in the number of cells.

Development

Changes that occur from fertilization through the rest of life, including childhood, adolescence, adulthood, and repair after injury.

DNA

Deoxyribonucleic acid, which carries hereditary information that directs the structure and function of cells.

Genes

Short segments of DNA that help specify traits.

Mutations

Changes in DNA or genes that can be neutral, harmful, or beneficial in a particular environment.

Evolution

Process in which a population changes over time.

Natural selection

A process leading to evolution where individuals with helpful variations leave more offspring.

Adaptation

A trait that becomes common because it provides an advantage in a particular environment.

Prokaryotes

Single-celled organisms whose cells lack a nucleus.

Eukaryotes

Organisms with cells that contain a nucleus, which may be single-celled or multicellular.

Domain Bacteria

A domain of single-celled prokaryotic organisms without a nucleus.

Domain Archaea

A domain of single-celled prokaryotic organisms without a nucleus that are often genetically and biochemically distinct from bacteria.

Domain Eukarya

A domain of eukaryotic organisms with cells that contain a nucleus, including animals, plants, fungi, and protists.

Scientific method

A process scientists use to ask questions, test ideas, collect evidence, and draw conclusions about the natural world.

Testable question

A question that can be answered using observations, measurements, or experiments.

Hypothesis

A possible explanation that can be tested.

Evidence

Information collected through observation or experiment.

Independent variable

The variable the investigator changes or compares in an experiment.

Dependent variable

The variable the investigator measures in an experiment.

Standardized variables

Conditions kept the same across experimental groups.

Control group

The comparison group in an experiment.