Bio101: Chapter 1

Flashcards covering the scientific method, properties of life, cell theory, cell types, taxonomy, and evolution as presented in the introductory biology lecture.

Scientific Method

A series of steps for studying biology involving: 1. Observation, 2. Question, 3. Hypothesis, 4. Prediction, 5. Experiment, and 6. Result/Conclusion.

Hypothesis

A tentative answer to a question or an explanation on trial.

Scientific Theory

A concept much broader in scope than a hypothesis that only becomes widely accepted if supported by extensive and varied evidence.

Biology

The scientific study of life.

Order

A property of life where all living things have complex but organized structures.

Regulation

A property of life where a living thing can adjust its internal environment, keeping it within appropriate limits.

Growth and Development

A property of life where a living thing increases in size and changes over its lifetime.

Energy Processing

A property of life where living things take in energy (from food) and use it to perform work, resulting in heat and mechanical energy output.

Response to the Environment

A property of life where living things respond to environmental stimuli.

Reproduction

A property of life where living things must produce offspring for a species to survive.

Evolution

A property of life where living things change over time to survive in new or different environments.

Cell

The smallest unit that can display all the characteristics of life and the basic unit of structure and function for all organisms.

Robert Hooke

The scientist (1635-1703) who developed the first microscope and introduced the name "cell."

Matthias Schleiden

A scientist who contributed to Cell Theory (1838) by stating that "all plants are made of cells."

Theodor Schwann

A scientist who contributed to Cell Theory (1838) by stating that "all animals are made of cells."

Virchow’s Cell Theory (1858)

A theory stating that: 1. The cell is the basic unit of all organisms, 2. All living things are made of cells, and 3. All cells come from pre-existing cells.

Unicellular organisms

Organisms made of just one cell, such as Amoeba or Bacteria.

Multicellular organisms

Organisms made of many cells, such as plants and animals.

Prokaryotic Cells

Small, primitive cells that lack a nucleus and membrane-bound organelles, typically containing one long strand of DNA in a nucleoid region.

Eukaryotic Cells

Larger, more complex cells that evolved more recently, containing a nucleus enclosed by a membrane and multiple types of organelles.

Plasma Membrane

A structure shared by prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells that controls what can move in and out of the cell.

Cytosol

The thick jello-like fluid found inside both prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells.

Ribosomes

Granules found in both cell types that are responsible for creating proteins.

Taxonomy

The branch of biology which names and classifies species and organizes living organisms into groups based on similarity.

Binomial Nomenclature

A naming system using Genus and species, where the Genus is capitalized and both are italicized or underlined (e.g., Homo sapiens).

Levels of Classification

The hierarchy of biological classification: Domain, Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, Species.

Domain Bacteria

A domain consisting of prokaryotic organisms.

Domain Archaea

A domain consisting of prokaryotes that live in extreme environments like hot springs or high-salt water.

Domain Eukarya

A domain consisting of organisms where DNA is located in a compartment called the nucleus, including Protists, Plants, Fungi, and Animals.

Kingdom Protists

Single-celled eukaryotic organisms within the Domain Eukarya.

Kingdom Plants

Multicellular autotrophic organisms that get food by photosynthesis.

Kingdom Fungi

Single or multicellular heterotrophic organisms that absorb food from their environment.

Kingdom Animals

Multicellular heterotrophic organisms that obtain food by ingestion.

Autotrophs

Organisms that can make their own food from inorganic compounds.

Heterotrophs

Organisms that must take in pre-formed organic material.

Descent with Modification

The Darwinian idea that species today descended from ancestral species and changed slightly through generations.

Natural Selection

The evolutionary process where species best adapted to local environmental conditions survive and reproduce.

Artificial Selection

The purposeful breeding of domesticated plants and animals by humans, such as broccoli from wild mustard or dogs from wolves.