Untitled Flashcards Set

Biosphere

The global ecological system integrating all living beings and their relationships.

Evolution

The change in the heritable traits of biological populations over successive generations.

Natural selection

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

Cilia

Hair-like structures that aid in movement and sensation in various organisms.

Nested hierarchy

A system of organization where categories of organisms are arranged within larger categories.

Scientific method

A systematic method of inquiry that includes observation, hypothesis formation, experimentation, and analysis.

Atoms

The basic unit of a chemical element, consisting of protons, neutrons, and electrons.

Chemical bonds

The connections between atoms in a molecule, including covalent, ionic, and hydrogen bonds.

Polarity

A condition in which molecules have areas of positive and negative charge.

Hydrogen bonding

Weak attractions between hydrogen atoms and electronegative atoms, vital for properties of water.

Macromolecules

Large complex molecules, such as proteins, nucleic acids, carbohydrates, and lipids.

Dehydration synthesis

A chemical reaction that builds up molecules by losing water molecules.

Hydrolysis

The chemical breakdown of a compound due to the reaction with water.

Lipids

Fatty acids and their derivatives, important for energy storage and cell membrane structure.

Proteins

Large biomolecules consisting of one or more chains of amino acids, vital for cellular functions.

Nucleic acids

Biomolecules essential for life, including DNA and RNA, that carry genetic information.

Ribosomes

Complexes of RNA and protein that are responsible for protein synthesis in cells.

Endoplasmic reticulum

An organelle that synthesizes proteins and lipids; rough ER is studded with ribosomes.

Mitochondria

Organelles in eukaryotic cells responsible for energy production through cellular respiration.

Chloroplasts

Organelles found in plant cells that conduct photosynthesis.

Cytoskeleton

A network of fibers that provides structural support to the cell.

Fluid mosaic model

A model describing the structure of cell membranes as a mosaic of various components.

Selective permeability

A property of cell membranes that allows certain molecules to enter or exit the cell selectively.

Active transport

The movement of substances against their concentration gradient, requiring energy.

Metabolism

The totality of an organism's chemical reactions, managing the material and energy resources.

Anabolism

The metabolic process that builds molecules from smaller units.

Catabolism

The metabolic process that breaks down molecules into smaller units, releasing energy.

Gibbs free energy

A thermodynamic quantity that represents the energy available to do work.

ATP

Adenosine triphosphate, the primary energy carrier in cells.

Enzymes

Biological catalysts that speed up chemical reactions in cells.

Substrates

The reactants acted upon by enzymes.

Photosynthesis

The process by which green plants and some organisms use sunlight to synthesize foods from carbon dioxide and water.

Calvin cycle

The set of chemical reactions that take place in chloroplasts during photosynthesis.

Fermentation

A metabolic process that converts sugars to acids, gases, or alcohol in the absence of oxygen.

Meiosis

A type of cell division that reduces the chromosome number by half, creating gametes.

Phenotype

The observable physical or biochemical characteristics of an organism, determined by its genotype.

Genotype

The genetic constitution of an individual organism.

Homologous chromosomes

Chromosome pairs, one from each parent, that are similar in shape, size, and genetic content.

Punnett square

A diagram that is used to predict the outcome of a particular cross or breeding experiment.

Natural selection

A process in which organisms better adapted to their environment tend to survive and produce more offspring.

Speciation

The formation of new and distinct species in the course of evolution.

Ecology

The study of interactions between organisms and their environment.

Demographics

Statistical data relating to the population and particular groups within it.

Adaptation

The process by which a species becomes better suited to its environment.

Genetic drift

A change in the allele frequency of a population due to random sampling of organisms.

Gene flow

The transfer of alleles or genes from one population to another.

Hybrid vigor

The improved or increased function of any biological quality in a hybrid offspring.

Pangenesis

An outdated hypothetical mechanism of heredity proposed by Darwin.

Biogeography

The study of the geographic distribution of living organisms.

Homology

The existence of shared ancestry between a pair of structures, or genes, in different taxa.

Analogous structures

Structures in different species that are similar in function but not due to shared ancestry.

Vestigial structures

Body parts that have lost their original function through evolution.

Cell cycle

The series of events that take place in a cell leading to its division and duplication.

Cyclins

Proteins that regulate the cell cycle.

MPF (Maturation-promoting factor)

A protein complex that triggers the cell's passage past the G2 checkpoint into mitosis.

Telomeres

The protective caps on the ends of chromosomes that shorten with each cell division.

Carcinogen

A substance capable of causing cancer in living tissue.

Ecosystem

A biological community of interacting organisms and their physical environment.

Biodiversity

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

Succession

The process by which ecosystems change and develop over time.

Trophic levels

The hierarchical levels in an ecosystem, comprising producers, primary consumers, and so on.

Producers

Organisms that produce their own food, primarily green plants and algae.

Aquatic biomes

Biomes associated with water, such as lakes, rivers, wetlands, and oceans.

Terrestrial biomes

Biomes located on land, including deserts, forests, and grasslands.

Pollination

The transfer of pollen from the male anthers of a flower to the female stigma.

Trophic cascade

An ecological phenomenon triggered by the addition or removal of top predators.

Extinction

The state or process of a species, family, or larger group being or becoming extinct.

Adaptation radiations

The diversification of a group of organisms into forms filling different ecological niches.

Symbiosis

A close and often long-term interaction between two different biological species.

Allele

One of two or more alternative forms of a gene found at the same place on a chromosome.

Translocation

The movement of a chromosome segment from one chromosome to another.

Nondisjunction

The failure of homologous chromosomes or sister chromatids to separate properly during cell division.

Heredity

The passing on of traits from parents to their offspring.

Mutation

A change in the DNA sequence of an organism.

Phenotypic plasticity

The ability of an organism to change its phenotype in response to changes in the environment.

Biochemical cycles

The cycle of chemical elements and compounds in the environment.

Carbon cycle

The series of processes by which carbon compounds are interconverted in the environment.

Water cycle

The continuous movement of water on, above, and below the surface of the Earth.

Nitrogen cycle

The series of processes by which nitrogen and its compounds are interconverted in the environment.

Phosphorus cycle

The biogeochemical cycle that describes the movement of phosphorus through the lithosphere, hydrosphere, and biosphere.

Eutrophication

The process by which a body of water becomes overly enriched with nutrients, often leading to algal blooms.

Sustainable development

Development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

Invasive species

Non-native species that spread widely in a new habitat.

Endangered species

A species of animal or plant that is serious risk of extinction.

Conservation biology

The scientific study of biodiversity with the aim of protecting species, their habitats, and ecosystems.

Community ecology

The study of how interactions between species affect community structure and organization.

Population ecology

The branch of ecology that deals with the dynamics of species populations and their interactions with the environment.

Biomagnification

The increasing concentration of toxic substances within each successive link in the food chain.

Carrying capacity

The maximum population size that an environment can sustain indefinitely.

Ecological footprint

A measure of human demand on Earth's ecosystems.

Mutualism

A type of symbiotic relationship where both species benefit.

Commensalism

A symbiotic relationship where one species benefits while the other is neither helped nor harmed.

Parasitism

A symbiotic relationship where one organism benefits at the expense of another.

Decomposers

Organisms that break down dead or decaying organic matter.

Limiting factors

Conditions that restrict the size of a population.

Ecological succession

The process by which ecosystems change and develop over time.

Primary succession

Ecological succession that occurs in an area where no soil exists.

Secondary succession

Ecological succession that occurs in an area that was previously occupied but has been disturbed.

Keystone species

A species that has a disproportionately large impact on its environment relative to its abundance.

Fossil evidence

Remains or traces of organisms from the past, preserved in sedimentary rock.