unit 7 amsco vocab cards

What is the definition of a hypothesis?

A hypothesis is a testable prediction about the relationship between two or more variables.

Fill in the Blank: The scientific method typically starts with _.

a question.

Vocabulary: What is a theory?

A well-substantiated explanation acquired through the scientific method and repeatedly tested and confirmed through observation and experimentation.

What are the main components of an experiment?

Independent variable, dependent variable, control group, experimental group.

Fill in the Blank: The variable is what you measure in an experiment.

dependent.

Question: What is the purpose of the control group in an experiment?

To provide a baseline to compare the results of the experimental group.

Vocabulary: Define biodiversity.

The variety of life in the world or in a particular habitat or ecosystem.

Fill in the Blank: Photosynthesis occurs in the _ of plant cells.

chloroplasts.

What is the role of enzymes in biological processes?

Enzymes act as catalysts to speed up chemical reactions.

Fill in the Blank: The _ is the basic unit of life.

cell.

Question: What is natural selection?

The process through which organisms better adapted to their environment tend to survive and produce more offspring.

Vocabulary: What is a genotype?

The genetic constitution of an individual organism.

What is the law of conservation of mass?

Matter cannot be created or destroyed in an isolated system.

Fill in the Blank: The __ is the variable that is changed in an experiment.

independent variable.

Question: What does DNA stand for?

Deoxyribonucleic acid.

Fill in the Blank: ___ are the building blocks of proteins.

Amino acids.

Vocabulary: Describe the process of osmosis.

The movement of water molecules through a selectively permeable membrane from an area of lower solute concentration to an area of higher solute concentration.

Question: What is the pH scale used for?

To measure the acidity or alkalinity of a solution.

Fill in the Blank: The ___ is the power source for cellular activities.

ATP (adenosine triphosphate).

Vocabulary: What is homeostasis?

The maintenance of a stable internal environment in an organism.

What is an ecosystem?

A community of living organisms and their physical environment interacting as a system.

Fill in the Blank: The _ is a graphical representation of the energy flow in an ecosystem.

food chain.

Question: What is an allele?

One of two or more versions of a gene.

Vocabulary: Define primary succession.

The process of ecological change that occurs in an area where no soil exists.

Fill in the Blank: Genetic variation is important for _ in a population.

evolution.

Question: What is climate change?

Long-term alteration in temperature and typical weather patterns in a place.