Biology 1 - Introduction to Life Science and Microscopy

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering the basics of biology, historical figures, branches of science, cell theory, organelles, and microscope components based on the SHS curriculum.

Biology

Known as “The Science of Life,” it involves the study of the functions and relationships of living things or organisms.

Natural Philosophers

The early Greek biologists who began biological investigations before $500\text{ B.C.}$ and are believed to be the first scientists.

Aristotle

Known as The Father of Biology, he was a natural philosopher who studied the hearts and brains of animals.

Galen

A Roman physician who became the greatest authority on human anatomy.

Andres Vesalius

A Belgian student whose methods of teaching and anatomy book set new and lasting standards for the science.

William Harvey

An English physician and physiologist who studied the functions of organisms.

Marie Francois Bichat

A physician from Paris who discovered that organs are composed of tissues.

Rene Dutrochet & Robert Hooke

Scientists who discovered the cell as the basic unit of structure in tissues.

Antoni van Leeuwenhoek

A Dutch naturalist known as the Father of Microbiology who improved microscope design and was the first to see living cells.

Leonardo da Vinci

An Italian polymath who suggested using magnifying lenses to observe tiny objects before the compound microscope was invented.

Botany

The branch of biological science that involves the study of plants.

Zoology

The branch of biological science that involves the study of animals.

Morphology

The study of the structure forms of organisms.

Anatomy

The study of the parts or structures of organisms.

Physiology

The study of the functions of parts of an organism.

Cytology

The study of the structure and functions of the cell.

Histology

The study of tissues.

Ecology

The study of the environment and the inter-relationship of organisms.

Embryology

The study of the growth and development of new organisms.

Taxonomy

The study of classification and naming of organisms.

Genetics

The study of heredity.

Evolution

The study of the origin and differentiation of different kinds of organisms.

Paleontology

The study of the fossils of living things.

Microbiology

The study of microorganisms.

Biochemistry

The study of the chemistry of life.

Biogeography

The study of the distribution of plants and animals on earth.

Entomology

The study of insects.

Helminthology

The study of worms.

Ichthyology

The study of fishes.

Ornithology

The study of birds.

Mammalogy

The study of mammals.

Conchology

The study of shells.

Parasitology

The study of organisms that live and subsist on or in other living organisms.

Anthropology

The study of man.

Fixation

The laboratory technique of soaking a specimen in a fixative like formaldehyde after cutting it into small pieces.

Mounting

Placing a specimen on a slide for investigation.

Embedding

Placing a fixed specimen in wax or plastic to make it easy to slice.

Sectioning

Slicing an embedded specimen into very thin cuts.

Staining

Coloring a specimen to highlight details in specific cells or tissues.

Centrifugation

Using a centrifuge to spin materials in liquid to collect them by fractions or layers.

Microdissection

Using tiny instruments to perform operations on living cells under a microscope.

Chromatography

The separation and analysis of complex chemical mixtures.

Electrophoresis

The separation of substances composed of particles with electric charges.

Spectrophotometry

Using light to analyze samples to determine what a substance is and its concentration.

Cell and Tissue Culture

Maintaining living cells or tissues in a culture outside the body.

Hans and Zacharias Janssen

Dutch spectacle makers credited with inventing the first compound microscope around $1595$.

Animalcules

The name given by Antoni van Leeuwenhoek to the living organisms (protozoa) he discovered in water droplets.

Robert Hooke

He coined the term “cells” after observing cork and published his findings in the book Micrographia in $1665$.

Classical Cell Theory

The theory stating that all living things are made of cells, cells are the basic unit of structure, and all cells come from pre-existing cells.

Matthias Schleiden & Theodore Schwann

A botanist and zoologist who concluded in $1838$ that all living things are made of cells.

Rudolph Virchow

A German doctor who popularized the idea “Omnis cellula e cellula” (all cells come from other cells).

Robert Remak

Proposed that cells come from pre-existing cells five years before Virchow, though he did not receive initial recognition.

Protocells

The idea that cells originated from self-replicating organic molecules.

Unicellular

Organisms made of only one cell.

Multicellular

Organisms made of multiple cells.

Eukaryotic Cells

Advanced and complex cells containing organelles and a nucleus.

Prokaryotic Cells

Single-celled organisms that do not have a nucleus or membrane-enclosed organelles.

Nucleus

The control center of the cell containing DNA, bounded by a nuclear envelope.

Chromatin

The tangled form of DNA that condenses into chromosomes during cell division.

Ribosomes

Organelles responsible for synthesizing proteins.

Endoplasmic Reticulum (ER)

A membrane passageway for transporting materials; can be Rough (with ribosomes) or Smooth (without).

Golgi Apparatus

The organelle that receives, customizes, and folds proteins into usable shapes.

Lysosome

The “garbage collectors” of the cell filled with enzymes to break down debris.

Mitochondrion

The powerhouse of the cell that performs cellular respiration to create $ATP$.

Cytoskeleton

Maintains cell shape using microfilaments and microtubules.

Cell Wall

A structure found outside the cell membrane in plants and bacteria that provides support and protection.

Phospholipids

Molecules in the cell membrane bilayer with hydrophilic heads and hydrophobic tails.

Chloroplast

A plant-specific organelle responsible for photosynthesis containing chlorophyll.

Cilia

Microscopic hair-like structures used for movement or filtration.

Flagella

A tail-like structure for movement, found in bacteria and human sperm cells.

Eyepiece

The lens the viewer looks through, usually containing a $10x$ or $15x$ power lens.

Coarse Adjustment

A knob used to bring the specimen into general focus when using the low power objective.

Fine Adjustment

A knob used to tune focus and increase detail, specifically with the high power objective.

High Power Objective (HPO)

A long cylinder lens with $40x$ magnification.

Oil Immersion Objective

The longest cylinder lens with $100x$ magnification.

Iris Diaphragm

The part of the microscope that adjusts the amount of light reaching the specimen.