All Freshmen Bio Vocab Terms

Science

Organized way of gathering information about the natural world

Observation

Noticing and describing events or processes

Inference

A logical interpretation based on the knowledge of scientists

Hypothesis

A scientific explanation (could be tested to be proven right or wrong)

Controlled Experiment

A situation where only one variable has changed

Independent Variable

The variable that initially changes in a controlled experiment

Dependant Variable

The variable that changes because of the independent variable.

Control Group

Exposed to equal conditions as the independent variable

Data

Scientific records of observations

The Eight Characteristics of Life

1. Has cells

2. Reproduces

3. Based on an universal genetic code (DNA)

4. Grows and develops

5. Uses/obtains materials and energy

6. Responds to environment

7. Maintains stable internal environment (homeostasis)

8. Evolves

Atom

All elements have atoms, they are the smallest units of matter

Nucleus

Center of the Atom

Electron

Negatively charged

Element

Pure Substance

Isotope

Atoms of the same element with different numbers of neutrons.

Compound

Has 2+ elements in a fixed ratio (H2O)

Ionic Bond

A type of chemical bond formed through the electrostatic attraction between oppositely charged ions.

Ion

An atom or molecule that has gained or lost one or more electrons, resulting in a net electric charge.

Covalent Bond

A type of chemical bond where two atoms share one or more pairs of electrons.

Molecule

A group of two or more atoms bonded together, representing the smallest fundamental unit of a chemical compound.

Matter

Anything that takes up space and has mass

Subatomic Particles

Atoms are composed of them (Neutrons, Protons, and Electrons)

Electron location

Around the nucleus

Proton location

In the nucleus

Neutron location

In the nucleus

Atomic Number

An element’s _____________ is the same as the number of protons in the nucleus

Mass Number

An element’s ___________ is the sum of the protons and neutrons in the nucleus

Radioactive Isotopes

____________________ can be used to determine ages of objects

Energy

The capacity to work

Potential Energy

The energy something has due to it’s location (how high up it is)

Kinetic Energy

The energy of motion

Potential Energy

Electrons in atoms have differing amounts of ________________.

Electron Shell

An electron’s state of potential energy is called an ______________.

Orbital

An _______is a 3-D space where electrons are found 90% of the time

Covalent Bond

A _____________ is the sharing of a pair of valence electrons (by 2 atoms).