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Biology

The scientific study of life.

5 unifying themes in Biology

Organization, Information, Energy and Matter, Interactions, and Evolution.

7 properties of life

Order, Energy processing, Growth and development, Evolutionary adaption, Response to the environment, Regulation, and Reproduction.

Reductionism

An approach that reduces complex systems to simple components.

10 levels of biological organizaton

Biosphere, Ecosystems, Communities, Populations, Organisms, Organs, Tissues, Cells, Organelles, Molecules.

Emergent Properties

Properties that result from the arrangement and interaction of parts as complexity increases.

Cell Theory

States that all living organisms are made from cells.

Prokaryotic Cells

Cells that do not contain a nucleus or other membrane-enclosed organelles. (bacteria and archaea)

Eukaryotic Cells

Cells that have membrane-enclosed organelles, including a nucleus. (plants and animals)

What does DNA stand for?

Deoxyribonucleic acid

Chromosomes

Structures within cells that contain genetic material in the form of DNA.

What are the nucleotides in DNA? Which are pairs?

A (adenine), C (cytosine), G (guanine), T (thymine).

A-T & G-C.

Genes

Units of inheritance that encode information for building molecules within the cell.

Gene Expression

The process of converting information from a gene to a cellular product.

Genome

An organism’s entire “library” of genetic instructions.

Proteomics

The study of whole sets of proteins and their properties (the study of proteomes).

Photosynthesis

The process by which plants generate chemical energy.

Producers

chemical energy generated by plants

Consumers

Organisms that feed on other organisms or their remains.

Negative Feedback

A form of regulation in which the response reduces the initial stimulus. (reduces change).

Positive Feedback

A form of regulation in which an end product speeds up its own production. (amplifies change)

Ecosystems

Communities of organisms interacting with their physical environment.

What are the 3 organism domains?

Bacteria, Archaea, and Eukarya.

What are the 4 subgroups of Eukarya?

Plants, Fungi, Animals, and Protists

Natural Selection

The process by which individuals with favorable traits survive and reproduce.

Adaptation

The process through which organisms become better suited to their environment.

Descent with Modification

The principle that species evolve over time from common ancestors.

Hypothesis

An explanation based on observations that leads to testable predictions.

Quantitative Data

Data that is expressed as numerical measurements.

Qualitative Data

Data that takes the form of recorded descriptions.

Scientific Theory

A well-substantiated explanation that is broader in scope than a hypothesis.

Peer Review

The process in which research papers are vetted by colleagues before publication.

Model Organisms

Species that are widely studied and used to understand biological processes.

Ethical Issues

Concerns arising from new technology that relate to politics, economics, and cultural values.

Interdisciplinary Research

Research that combines methods and concepts from different fields.

Inquiry

The search for information and explanations of natural phenomena.

Feedback Regulation

The process through which the output of a system regulates its activity.

Chemical Cycling

The circulation of chemicals within an ecosystem.

Energy Flow

The passage of energy through the components of an ecosystem.

Unity in Diversity

The concept that a common genetic language, seen in DNA, underlies the diversity of life.

Chromosomal Structure

The arrangement of DNA within chromosomes that allows for information storage.

Charles Darwin

Naturalist known for developing the theory of evolution by natural selection.