General Biology Chapter 1: A View of Life.

A comprehensive set of flashcards covering key concepts from Chapter 1: A View of Life, including characteristics of life, organization, evolution, taxonomy, the scientific method, and biodiversity.

What is biology?

The scientific study of life.

True or False: Living things are composed of the same chemical elements as nonliving things.

True.

What governs both living and nonliving things alike?

The same physical and chemical laws.

Do all living things share the same basic characteristics?

Yes.

What is the basic unit of structure and function in all living things?

The cell.

Are organisms only unicellular or multicellular?

They can be unicellular or multicellular.

Do levels of biological organization become more complex and acquire emergent properties as you go up?

Yes.

List the levels of biological organization from atoms to species.

Atom, molecule, cell, tissue, organ, organ system, organism, species.

What is a population?

All the members of a species within an area.

What is a community?

A collection of interacting populations within the same environment.

What is an ecosystem?

A community plus its physical environment.

What is a biosphere?

The zone of air, land, and water where organisms exist.

How is an organism formed?

When organ systems are joined together.

What is the sequence from atoms to an organism?

Atoms → molecules → larger molecules within a cell → cells → tissues → organs → organ systems → organism.

What is energy in biological terms?

The capacity to do work.

What is metabolism?

All the chemical reactions that occur in a cell.

What is photosynthesis?

A process that converts solar energy into the chemical energy of carbohydrates.

What is the ultimate energy source for nearly all life on Earth?

The Sun.

In ecosystems, do chemicals get used up when organisms die?

No; chemicals cycle back through decomposition and recycling.

How does energy flow through an ecosystem?

From the sun to producers, then to consumers and decomposers; continuous input of solar energy is required.

What is homeostasis?

The maintenance of internal conditions within certain boundaries.

How do organisms maintain homeostasis?

Through feedback systems that monitor and adjust internal conditions.

What does it mean to respond to stimuli?

Living things interact with the environment and respond to changes, often with movement.

Why do living things reproduce?

To maintain a population.

What are genes?

Units of heredity that determine characteristics; composed of DNA.

What is DNA?

Deoxyribonucleic acid.

What is an adaptation?

A modification that makes an organism better able to function in a particular environment.

What is evolution?

Change in a population over time to become more suited to the environment.

What does common descent with modification mean?

All living things descended from a common ancestor with gradual modifications.

What is natural selection?

The evolutionary mechanism by which the environment selects traits that improve survival and reproduction.

What fuels natural selection?

Mutations that introduce variation.

What is an evolutionary tree?

A family tree of life tracing ancestry to a common ancestor.

What is taxonomy?

The discipline identifying, naming, and classifying organisms.

What is systematics?

The study of evolutionary relationships between organisms.

List the classification categories from least inclusive to most inclusive.

Species, Genus, Family, Order, Class, Phylum, Kingdom, Domain.

What is binomial nomenclature?

A two-part Latin name with the genus (capitalized) and species designation (lowercase), both italicized.

Give two examples of binomial names.

Homo sapiens (humans); Zea mays (corn).

What are the five steps of the scientific method?

Observation; Hypothesis; Predictions and Experiments; Data Collection with Statistical Analysis; Conclusion.

What is a hypothesis?

A tentative explanation for what was observed; testable.

What is an experiment?

A series of procedures designed to test a hypothesis using deductive reasoning.

What is the experimental design?

The plan that structures an experiment; the independent variable is the factor tested.

What is a test group?

A group exposed to the experimental variable.

What is a control group?

A group that goes through all aspects of the experiment but is not exposed to the experimental variable.

What are data?

The results of an experiment; should be observable and objective.

How are data commonly represented?

Tables and graphs.

What does the standard error measure?

How far the data are from the mean.

What is a p-value?

The probability that results are due to chance; p < 0.05 is typically considered significant.

What does it mean if the hypothesis is supported by the data?

The data are consistent with the hypothesis and its predictions.

What is a scientific theory?

A well-supported set of ideas that joins multiple hypotheses and is supported by a broad range of observations and data.

What is a scientific law or principle?

A widely accepted set of principles with no serious challenges to their validity.

What does the Cell Theory state?

All organisms are composed of cells, and new cells come only from preexisting cells.

What is biodiversity?

The total number and relative abundance of species, the variability of their genes, and the ecosystems in which they live.

Approximately how many species are estimated to exist on Earth?

Up to 8.7 million, with fewer than 2.3 million named.

What is extinction?

The death of the last member of a species or a larger classification.

Which ecosystems are particularly threatened by human activity?

Tropical rain forests and coral reefs.

What does destroying wetlands do?

Worsens flooding and ruins farmland.

What are some examples of emerging diseases?

H5N1, H7N9, SARS, MERS, COVID-19.

Where do emerging diseases come from?

New or increased exposure to insects/animals, changes in behavior, technology use, globalization, and pathogens mutating.

What causes climate change?

Increase in atmospheric CO2 from burning fossil fuels and deforestation; greenhouse effect; global warming.

How does climate change affect ecosystems?

It changes Earth's climate cycles and affects ecosystems and their processes.