General Biology - Introduction and Unifying Themes of Life Flashcards

Vocabulary flashcards covering introductory general biology terms, levels of biological organization, genetic concepts, ecosystem energy dynamics, environmental factors, and scientific method variables.

Biosphere

The broadest level of biological organization, encompassing all ecosystems on Earth.

Ecosystem

A system composed of all the living organisms and non-living chemical and physical components in a particular area.

Community

All the living organisms inhabiting and interacting within a specific ecosystem.

Population

A group of organisms of the same species living together in a given environment.

Organism

An individual living entity.

Organ

A specialized part of an organism made up of different tissues that performs specific functions.

Tissue

A group of similar cells working together to perform a specific function.

Cell

The most basic functional unit of life.

Organelle

A functional structure within a cell that performs specialized tasks.

Molecule

A chemical structure consisting of two or more atoms held together by chemical bonds.

Atom

The smallest unit of matter.

DNA

The nucleic acid molecule that serves as the basic unit carrying genetic instructions.

Gene

A specific sequence of DNA that carries genetic instructions and acts as the smallest unit of inheritance.

Chromosome

A cellular structure consisting of a long DNA molecule containing many genes.

Trophic Level

The specific position an organism occupies within a food web.

Energy Flow

The unidirectional pathway of energy through an ecosystem, entering as light energy from the sun, converting to chemical energy by plants, and dissipating as heat.

Chemical Cycling

The continuous recycling of nutrients and elements between soil, air, plants, organisms, and decomposers within an ecosystem.

Abiotic Factors

Non-living chemical and physical parts of the environment that affect living organisms, such as water, light, radiation, humidity, and soil.

Biotic Factors

Living components of the environment that affect organisms, including plants, animals, fungi, and bacteria.

Evolution

A process of biological change in which species adapt to their environments over generations, accounting for both the diversity and unity of life.

Biological Diversity

The variety and abundance of different forms of life.

Biological Unity

The sharing of common traits among different living organisms due to shared ancestry.

Hypothesis

A testable and measurable statement formulated to explain a set of scientific observations.

Independent Variable

The factor in an experiment that is intentionally manipulated by researchers.

Dependent Variable

The factor measured by researchers in an experiment, which changes in response to the independent variable.

Control Variables

Experimental factors held constant by researchers to ensure they do not alter the dependent variable.