Introduction to General Biology I

Flashcards covering key concepts from Introduction to General Biology I.

How is life defined in biology?

A collection of complex but organized systems, all working together.

What is biology?

The science of life; the study of life; it deals with structures, functions, and relationships of organisms with their environment.

What are the Greek roots of 'biology' and what do they mean?

Bios means life; logos means study.

What are the three major divisions of the biological sciences?

Microbiology, Botany, Zoology.

What does microbiology study?

The biology of microscopic organisms (viruses, bacteria, algae, fungi, slime molds, and protozoa), mostly unicellular.

What does Botany study?

Plants.

What does Zoology study?

Animals.

What are the two kinds of scientific reasoning?

Inductive reasoning (from specific to general) and deductive reasoning (from general to specific).

What is a scientific theory?

An existing body of knowledge that explains the natural world and is well-accepted by the scientific community.

What is Cell Theory?

Cell is the basic unit of life; all organisms are composed of cells; all cells come from preexisting cells.

What is Gene Theory?

Inherited information dictates the structure, function, and behavior of organisms.

What is the Theory of evolution by natural selection?

Organisms possess inherited traits that may make them adaptable to changing conditions in their environment.

What does Taxonomy study?

Naming and classifying organisms.

What does Cytology study?

Structures and functions of cells.

What does Embryology study?

Formation and development of organisms.

What does Anatomy study?

Structures and parts of organisms.

What does Physiology study?

Functions of living organisms and their parts.

What does Biochemistry study?

Biochemical compositions and processes of living things.

What does Genetics study?

Heredity and variation.

What does Evolution study?

Origin and differentiation of various organisms.

What does Ecology study?

Relationships of organisms with each other and their environment.

What does Immunology study?

The immune system.

What does Morphology study?

Forms and structures of organisms.

What does Bioinformatics study?

The study of biological data using computer programs.

What does Genomics study?

The study of the entire genetic material of an organism.

What does Molecular Biology study?

Molecules that make up the cells of living organisms.

What does Pharmacogenomics study?

How genes affect a person's response to drugs.

What does Proteomics study?

The different proteins in an organism.

What does Synthetic Biology study?

Combined biology and engineering.

What does Systems Biology study?

Systems of biological molecules such as cell, organism or species.

Why is biology considered important for solving societal problems?

Biology can help solve societal problems.

What cognitive benefits does studying biology provide?

It helps you think critically, make informed choices, and solve problems.

How does biology help explain our relationship to other organisms?

It explains our similarities and differences with other organisms.

What understanding does biology provide about the human body?

The functions and reactions of our body.

How does biology relate to life forms’ interactions with their environment?

It helps us understand how life forms survive, respond, and interact to keep balance in the environment.

How can studying life processes of disease-causing agents be useful?

By studying life processes of causative agents of diseases and their reaction to chemicals, we can learn ways to fight and prevent the spread of diseases.

What is science?

A body of systemized information about living things derived from observations and experiments.

What are the two main approaches in scientific investigations?

Discovery-based science and hypothesis-based science.

What does discovery-based science rely on?

Verifiable observations and measurements.

What are the steps of hypothesis-based science?

Observation, Hypothesis, Experiment, Conclusion.

What does Observation involve?

Identifying and clearly defining the problem.

What does an Experiment involve?

Conducting controlled attempts to test one or more hypotheses and includes recording and analyzing results.

What does a Conclusion involve?

Formulating generalizations about the results that may accept, reject or modify the hypothesis.