BIOL 1406 Final Exam Review

This set of flashcards covers key vocabulary terms and concepts necessary for understanding the material in the BIOL 1406 course and preparing for the final exam.

Characteristics of Life

Living organisms exhibit defined features including cellular organization, metabolism, homeostasis, growth, reproduction, response to stimuli, and adaptation through evolution.

Homeostasis

The maintenance of a stable internal environment within an organism.

Eukaryotic Cells

Cells that contain a nucleus and organelles, typically found in multicellular organisms.

Prokaryotic Cells

Single-celled organisms that lack a nucleus and membrane-bound organelles.

Metabolism

The sum of all chemical reactions that occur within a living organism to maintain life.

Photosynthesis

The process by which green plants and some other organisms use sunlight to synthesize foods with the help of chlorophyll.

Cell Division

The process by which a cell divides into two new daughter cells, including mitosis and meiosis.

Mitosis

A type of cell division that results in two daughter cells, each having the same number of chromosomes as the parent cell.

Meiosis

A type of cell division that reduces the chromosome number by half, producing four genetically diverse gametes.

Codominance

A form of inheritance where both alleles in a heterozygote are fully expressed.

Epistasis

A genetic interaction where the expression of one gene is influenced by one or more other genes.

Endocytosis

The process by which cells engulf substances from the external environment.

Exocytosis

The process of vesicles fusing with the plasma membrane to release their contents outside the cell.

Enzyme

A biological catalyst that accelerates chemical reactions in the body.

Anabolism

Metabolic pathways that construct molecules from smaller units, requiring energy.

Catabolism

Metabolic pathways that break down molecules into smaller units, releasing energy.

Natural Selection

The process where organisms better adapted to their environment tend to survive and produce more offspring.

Allele

One of two or more versions of a gene that determine specific traits.

Phenotype

The observable physical or biochemical characteristics of an organism, as determined by both genetics and environmental factors.

Genotype

The genetic constitution of an organism, which determines its traits.

Gene Flow

The transfer of genetic variation from one population to another.

Genetic Drift

Random changes in allele frequencies in a population from one generation to the next.

Buffers

Substances that resist changes in pH when acids or bases are added.

Phylogenetic Tree

A diagram that shows evolutionary relationships among various biological species based on similarities and differences in their physical or genetic characteristics.

Hierarchy of Biological Organization

The arrangement of biological entities in levels from atoms to biosphere.