Biology Final Exam Study Guide

A comprehensive set of vocabulary flashcards covering basic biology concepts including characteristic of life, biochemistry, cell biology, genetics, and ecology based on the lecture transcript.

Response to Environment

The ability to detect and react to changes in the environment.

DNA

The genetic material that carries instructions for growth, reproduction, and function.

Homeostasis

The ability to maintain a stable internal environment despite external changes.

Reproduction and Growth

The process of producing offspring and undergoing changes to reach maturity.

Cell

The smallest unit of life; all living things are composed of these.

Adaptation

Inherited traits that enhance an organism's ability to survive and reproduce in a specific environment.

Metabolism

The ability to use or obtain resources (food) for growth and activity.

Hypothesis

An educated guess based upon observations that answers a question or problem.

Independent Variable

The variable in an experiment that the experimenter changes or manipulates.

Dependent Variable

The variable in an experiment that changes or is measured due to the independent variable.

Control Group

The group in an experiment that is not changed and is used to compare results.

Atomic Number

The number of protons in an element.

Covalent Bond

A chemical bond that involves the sharing of electron pairs between atoms.

Polarity (Water)

The property of water having a partial positive and partial negative charge.

Cohesion

The property where water molecules stick to each other.

Adhesion

The property where water molecules stick to other surfaces.

High Specific Heat

The property of water where it resists changes in temperature, helping to regulate body temperature and climate.

Capillary Action

The property where water moves through narrow spaces against gravity, such as through vessels in plants.

Acidic Solutions

Solutions that have a pH between $0$ and $7$ and a high concentration of Hydrogen ions.

Basic Solutions

Solutions that have a pH between $7$ and $14$ and a high concentration of Hydroxide ions.

Buffer

A substance that helps maintain a stable pH level.

Enzyme

A biological catalyst whose function is to speed up reactions, affected by factors like temperature and pH.

Liver

An accessory organ that produces bile.

Gallbladder

An accessory organ that stores bile.

Pancreas

An accessory organ that produces enzymes including lactase, protease, lipase, and trypsin.

Dehydration Synthesis

The process of building large molecules from small molecules.

Hydrolysis

The process of breaking down big molecules into smaller molecules.

Nucleolus

The cell part that produces ribosomes.

Cytoplasm

Jelly-like fluid inside the cell.

Nucleus

The control center of the cell that stores genetic material.

Mitochondria

The powerhouse of the cell that makes ATP (energy).

Chloroplast

The organelle that uses sunlight to create food for plant cells and contains chlorophyll.

Vacuole

Cell organelle that stores water, waste, and nutrients; differs between plants and animals.

Golgi Apparatus

The organelle that modifies, packages, and ships proteins out of the cell.

Cell Membrane

The phospholipid bilayer that allows substances to move in and out of the cell.

Smooth ER

The organelle that makes lipids such as cholesterol for the cell membrane.

Ribosomes

The location inside a cell where proteins are made.

Cytoskeleton

A network of protein-like tubules and filaments providing internal structure to the cell.

Lysosome

An organelle containing enzymes that help break down old organelles and invaders like bacteria.

Rough ER

A folded membrane that transports proteins around the cell where ribosomes are located.

Prokaryotic Cells

Cells that do not have a nucleus; an example is bacteria.

Eukaryotic Cells

Cells that contain a nucleus and membrane-bound organelles; examples include plant and animal cells.

Cell Theory

The theory stating all living things are made of cells, cells are the basic unit of life, and all cells come from pre-existing cells.

Ecology

The study of the interactions between organisms and their environment.

Population

A group of organisms from the same species living in a specific area.

Community

Organisms from different species interacting together in a specific area.

Ecosystem

All of the living and nonliving things interacting with each other in a defined area.

Herbivore

A type of consumer that only eats plants.

Carnivore

A type of consumer that only eats meat or other animals.

Omnivore

A type of consumer that eats both plants and animals.

Decomposer

A type of consumer that obtains nutrients from dead and decomposing organisms.

Abiotic Factors

Nonliving parts of an ecosystem.

Biotic Factors

Living or once-living parts of an ecosystem.

Genotype

The genetic makeup or allele combination of an organism.

Phenotype

The physical appearance or visible traits of an organism.

Heterozygous

An organism that has two different alleles for a trait.

Homozygous

An organism that has two identical alleles for a trait.

Mitosis

The cell division process that produces two identical body cells containing $46$ chromosomes.

Meiosis

The cell division process that produces four genetically different sex cells containing $23$ chromosomes.

Photosynthesis Equation

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

Cellular Respiration Equation

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

Transcription

The first stage of protein synthesis where DNA is used to make mRNA in the nucleus.

Translation

The stage of protein synthesis where mRNA and tRNA work together at the ribosome to create a protein.