Bio CH 1&2 Notes

Flashcards cover the definition of science, the scientific method, NAS definitions, microbiology basics (cell types and microbes), roles of microbes, endosymbiotic theory, phylogeny, taxonomy and nomenclature, and examples of naming.

What is the basic definition of science?

Science is the concerted human effort to understand, or to understand better, the history of the natural world and how the natural world works, with observable physical evidence as the basis of that understanding.

Properly Designed experiments to confirm predictions include?

Controls, independent verification (multiple investigators and/or methods), consideration of variables, and appropriate sample size.

What are the 'Rules of Science'?

Science is guided by natural law, explained by natural law (no supernatural explanations), testable against the empirical world, and conclusions are tentative and subject to verification.

Scientific conclusion are…

always subject to change because they aren't always the final word and have to be modified if they are inconsistent with further observations.

Falsifiable means

It can be tested and potentially shown to be false.

What is the order from least to most important in scientific concepts?

Fact → Hypothesis → Theory → Law.

What is a Fact?

An observation that has been repeatedly confirmed and accepted as true for all practical purposes.

What is a Hypothesis?

A tentative statement about the natural world that leads to deductions.

What is a Law ?

A descriptive generalization of how some aspect of the natural world behaves under stated circumstances.

What is a Theory?

A well-substantiated explanation of some aspect of the natural world that can incorporate facts, laws, and tested hypotheses.

What is microbiology?

The study of living things too small to be seen with the naked eye (microorganisms).

Prokaryotic cells?

Lack membrane-bound organelles (e.g., nucleus); typically unicellular.

Eukaryotic cells?

Have membrane-bound organelles; building organisms; can be unicellular or multicellular.

Which groups are typically considered prokaryotic?

Bacteria and Archaea.

Which groups are included in microbiology as microbes?

Bacteria, Archaea, Fungi, Protozoa, and Viruses.

What is notable about bacteria in terms of cell walls?

Bacteria are prokaryotic; their cell walls contain peptidoglycan.

Do Archaea have peptidoglycan in their cell walls?

No; Archaea lack peptidoglycan and have different cell wall compositions.

What is unique about fungi in terms of their cellular organization?

Fungi are eukaryotic and mostly multicellular (with yeast as a notable unicellular exception).

Are viruses living or nonliving, and why?

Viruses are noncellular entities; their status as living is debated because they require host cells to reproduce.

microbes are…

important to ecology and health because they help maintain ecological balance and live in and on humans and other animals to support health.

What is phylogeny?

The study of the evolutionary history and relatedness of organisms.

What is microbial taxonomy

Taxonomy is the classification of microbes