Biology Study Guide

Nucleus

The central part of an atom made up of protons and neutrons.

Protons

Positively charged particles found in the nucleus of an atom.

Neutrons

Neutral particles found in the nucleus of an atom, having no charge.

Electrons

Negatively charged particles that move in random and chaotic ways around the nucleus.

Atomic Forces

Forces that govern the interactions between protons, neutrons, and electrons in an atom.

Momentum (e-)

The property that keeps electrons from crashing into the nucleus.

Electro Magnetic Force

The force that keeps electrons from leaving the atom.

Strong Nuclear Force (SNF)

A force that holds protons and neutrons together in the nucleus, effective only at very small distances.

Gravity

A fundamental force that attracts objects with mass towards each other.

Polarity

A property affected by compounds, influencing how substances interact.

Independent Variable

The variable that is changed or controlled in a scientific experiment.

Complex Carbohydrates

Larger carbohydrate molecules, such as starch.

Proteins

Large biomolecules made up of amino acids, essential for various biological functions.

Simple Sugars

Basic carbohydrates that are not compounds like sucrose.

Scientific Method

A systematic process used to produce scientific knowledge and learn about the natural world.

Descriptive Study

An observational study that reports information on things found in nature.

Analytical Study

An observational study that looks for patterns in collected information and explains those patterns.

Experiment

A repeatable manipulation of one or more aspects of the natural world.

Variable

A characteristic in an experiment that can be changed.

Scientific Claim

A statement about how the world works that can be tested using the scientific method.

Scientific Evidence

Evidence that supports or counters a scientific theory or hypothesis.

Scientific Literacy

Understanding the basics of science and the scientific process.

Credentials

Qualifications and accomplishments that establish authority on a subject.

Basic Research

Research intended to expand fundamental knowledge, usually government-funded and unbiased.

Applied Research

Research that applies scientific knowledge to human issues, often funded by private industries and potentially biased.

Scientific Literature

The body of written works that report scientific research findings.

Primary Literature

The original research publications where findings are first reported.

Secondary Literature

Summarizes and synthesizes research, providing a broad overview of a subject.

Pseudoscience

Claims that sound scientific but are not based on the scientific method.

Causation

A relationship where one aspect causes changes in another.

Correlation

A statistical relationship indicating that two or more aspects behave interrelatedly, but not necessarily causally.

Meta-analysis

A study that combines results from two or more different studies.

Herd Immunity

Protection against disease that occurs when a critical portion of the population is vaccinated.

Graph

A visual representation of statistics or data.

Periodic Table

A table that organizes elements based on atomic number and mass, showing that all elements are neutral.

Ions

Atoms with unequal numbers of protons and electrons, resulting in a charge.

Isotopes

Variants of elements that have the same number of protons but different numbers of neutrons.

Biological Hierarchy

The organization of life from atoms to the biosphere, including levels such as molecule, cell, tissue, organ, organ system, organism, population, community, ecosystem, biome, and biosphere.