College Biology Midterm Study Guide

Vocabulary flashcards covering core topics from the College Biology midterm study guide, including the scientific method, macromolecules, cell structures and organelles, transport mechanisms, microscopy, photosynthesis, and cellular respiration.

Scientific Method Steps

Observation, hypothesis, experiment, data, analysis, and conclusion.

Hypothesis

An educated guess.

Theory

A longstanding hypothesis that is used for making predictions about other phenomena.

Law

occurs without fail

Cellular Organization

The structural arrangement of parts in a cell or organ arrangement.

Species

All the populations of a particular organism that are able to interbreed.

Population

A group of organisms of the same species living in the same place.

Community

All the populations of different species that live in one place.

Ecosystem

A community and the soil and water within which organisms live together.

Biotic vs. Abiotic

Living versus nonliving factors in an environment.

Hydroxyl Group

A functional group with the chemical formula $-OH$.

Carboxyl Group

A functional group with the chemical formula $-COOH$.

Amine Group

A functional group with the chemical formula $-NH_3$.

Polymerization

A process where enzymes remove a hydroxyl group ($-OH$) from one monomer and a hydrogen ($H$) from another to form $H_2O$.

Dehydration Synthesis

A reaction that joins monomers by pushing water out.

Hydrolysis

A chemical reaction that adds a molecule of $H_2O$ back into polymers to break bonds and permit digestion into monomers.

Carbohydrates

The best source of energy; hydrophilic molecules featuring many $-OH$ groups, such as glucose and starch.

Lipids

Hydrophobic molecules composed of fatty acids and glycerol monomers that provide long-term energy storage.

Nucleic Acids

Macromolecules composed of nucleotide monomers (DNA, RNA) that store, transmit, and express genetic information.

Proteins

Polypeptide polymers made of long chains of amino acid monomers.

-ase

A suffix indicating an enzyme that speeds up chemical reactions without being consumed itself.

Plasma Membrane Structure

A lipid barrier composed of hydrophilic heads and hydrophobic tails.

Hypertonic Solution

A solution that causes a cell to shrink as water moves out.

Hypotonic Solution

A solution that causes a cell to swell as water moves in.

Isotonic Solution

A solution in which water movement is balanced, causing the cell to stay the same size.

Robert Hook

Scientist who observed dead plant cells and coined the term 'cells.'

Anton van Leeuwenhook

Scientist who constructed the first microscope and was the first person to observe living cells.

Mattias Schleidan

Scientist who concluded that all plants are composed of cells.

Theodor Schwann

Scientist who concluded that all animals are composed of cells.

Rudolf Virchow

Scientist who established that cells only arise from other existing cells.

Cell Theory

A biological theory stating that: 1. All living things are made of cells; 2. Cells are the basic unit of structure and function in organisms; 3. Cells only come from preexisting cells.

Mitochondria

The powerhouse organelle of the cell and the site where cellular respiration takes place.

Chloroplast

An organelle found exclusively in plant cells that carries out photosynthesis.

Ribosomes

Cellular structures that synthesize proteins following RNA instructions.

Rough ER

Endoplasmic reticulum studded with ribosomes that functions in protein synthesis.

Smooth ER

Endoplasmic reticulum responsible for lipid synthesis.

Golgi Apparatus

An organelle that processes, sorts, modifies, and packages proteins.

Lysosomes

Organelles packed with hydrolytic enzymes used to break down and recycle waste materials.

Centrioles

Organelles found only in animal cells that function to organize cell division.

Central Vacuole

A plant-specific organelle that stores water, carbohydrates, and starch.

Peptidoglycan

The substance making up the cell wall and membrane of prokaryotes (bacteria).

Cellulose

The structural material that forms the cell wall in plant cells.

Chitin

The structural material that forms the cell wall in fungi.

Photosynthesis Equation

$$6CO_2 + 6H_2O + \text{sunlight} \rightarrow C_6H_{12}O_6 + 6O_2$$

Thylakoids

Membrane compartments in chloroplasts where the light-dependent reactions of photosynthesis take place.

Stroma

The fluid space of the chloroplast where the light-independent reactions (Calvin cycle) take place.

Cellular Respiration Equation

$$C_6H_{12}O_6 + 6O_2 \rightarrow 6CO_2 + 6H_2O + \text{ATP}$$

Magnification vs. Resolution

Magnification makes an image larger, whereas resolution makes an image clearer.