Biology 1 Midterm Exam Review - Vocabulary

Vocabulary flashcards for Biology 1 Midterm Exam Review Guide. Covers topics from Nature of Science to Photosynthesis.

Biosphere

The part of earth where all life is located.

Biotic factors

Living or once living things in an ecosystem (e.g., pumas, trees).

Abiotic factors

Nonliving things in an ecosystem (e.g., sand, sun, water).

Community

All the organisms in a given area.

Biodiversity

All life on Earth.

Interspecific competition

Competition between different species.

Intraspecific competition

Competition by the same species.

Carrying capacity

The maximum amount of organisms that an ecosystem can handle.

Autotrophs (producers)

Organisms that can produce their own food.

Photosynthetic organisms

Organisms that use the sun as an energy source.

Chemosynthetic organisms

Organisms that use chemical energy.

Heterotrophs (consumers)

Organisms that consume other organisms.

Primary consumers

Consumers that only consume plants.

Secondary consumers

Animals that eat the primary consumers.

Decomposers

Organisms that break apart dead organisms into simpler materials.

Matter

A substance made from various types of particles, each at varying speeds

Element

A chemical substance that can't be broken down into simpler substances.

Reactants

Substances that go INTO a chemical equation.

Products

The result of a chemical reaction.

pH scale

Scale that measures the acidity of a solution from 0 to 14.

Solution

Homogeneous mixture that is made up of a dissolved solute in a solvent.

Solute

The dissolved substance.

Solvent

Dissolves solute, or any substance capable of dissolving another.

Organic compounds

Compounds that have carbon-hydrogen bonds and are produced by living organisms (e.g., DNA, sugar).

Inorganic compounds

Compounds that do not have carbon-hydrogen bonds (e.g., table salt, quartz).

Monomer

A single unit.

Polymer

Multiple units.

Dehydration synthesis

Reaction where polymers are formed, producing larger molecules by adding water.

Hydrolysis

Reaction that breaks down polymers using water.

Carbohydrate

Simple sugars and starches that act as short-term energy sources.

Monosaccharides

Monomers of carbohydrates (fructose, glucose, galactose).

Lipids

Water-insoluble macromolecules used for long-term energy storage and insulation.

Phospholipids

Main structural component of cell membranes, with a hydrophilic head and hydrophobic tail.

Amino acids

Building blocks of proteins.

Enzymes

Proteins that speed up chemical reactions in the body.

Catalyst

Chemical that increases chemical reactions.

Active site

The site where the substrate binds to the enzyme.

Denaturation

When high pH or temperature levels affect an enzyme and change its shape, making it no longer useful.

Nucleic Acids

Macromolecules responsible for storing and copying genetic information.

Nucleotides

Monomer unit of nucleic acids.

ATP

Fuel currency for cell work.

Cell theory

Cells are the basic units of life, all living things are made up of cells, all cells come from other cells.

Organelle

Small structure inside the cell that has a specific function.

Cell (plasma) membrane

A selective permeable membrane that controls what goes in and out of the cell.

Aquaporins

Protein channels that help get water across the phospholipid bilayer.

Passive Transport

Does not require energy, and goes down the concentration gradient.

Active Transport

Requires energy and goes up the concentration gradient.

Concentration gradient

The gradual difference in the concentration of a substance across two areas.

Diffusion

The movement of a substance from an area of high concentration to an area of low concentration until equality is reached.

Osmosis

Diffusion of water across a selectively permeable membrane.

Stomata (plural)

Openings in leaves (underside) to allow gas exchange (CO2 and oxygen).

Experimental error

The weight of an object is rarely an exact measurement.