Bi 112: Cell Biology for Health Occupations

Introductory flashcards covering the characteristics of life, biological hierarchy, classification of domains and kingdoms, and the mechanisms of evolution and natural selection.

Metabolism

The requirement of energy inputs by living things.

Homeostasis

The process by which living things regulate themselves.

DNA

A genetic system that serves as the basis for changes and adaptations in living things.

Emergent Properties

Properties that result from the interaction of components and cannot be deduced by looking at the parts themselves; life is considered one of these.

Prokaryotic Organisms

Single cells that lack a nucleus or membrane-bound organelles, typically have cell walls made of peptidoglycan, and contain small ribosomes.

Eukaryotic Organisms

Single or multi-celled organisms with a nucleus and other organelles, possessing larger and denser ribosomes compared to prokaryotes.

Peptidoglycan

The substance that makes up the cell wall of most prokaryotes.

Domain

The broadest category in the diversity of life; the three domains are Bacteria, Archaea, and Eukarya.

Domain Bacteria

A domain containing single-celled prokaryotes that are often colonial, mostly heterotrophic, and belong to the Kingdom Eubacteria.

Domain Archaea

A domain of unicellular prokaryotes that are closer to Eukarya than Bacteria; they are often extremophiles living in environments like hydrothermal vents.

Extremophiles

Organisms, often within Domain Archaea, that live in extreme environments such as hot springs or hydrothermal vents.

Kingdom Protista

The simplest and very diverse eukaryotes, including algae, protozoa, and slime molds; can be heterotrophic or autotrophic.

Kingdom Fungi

Mostly multicellular organisms with cell walls that digest food externally; includes decomposers and symbionts like yeast, mushrooms, and Penicillium.

Kingdom Plantae

Multicellular, photosynthetic (autotrophic) organisms with walled cells, including mosses, ferns, conifers, and flowering plants.

Kingdom Animalia

Multicellular heterotrophs that digest food internally; most move, reproduce sexually, and are invertebrates.

Carolus Linnaeus

The individual who devised the binomial system for naming organisms.

Binomial System

A two-name naming system consisting of the genus (first name) and the species (second name within the genus).

Evolution

Genetically based change in a line of descent of a population over a period of time; populations change, not individuals.

Mutation

A change in the structure of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) which serves as the raw material for evolution and the basis for variation in heritable traits.

Adaptive Trait

A trait that provides an individual with an advantage in survival or reproduction under specific circumstances.

Natural Selection

Darwin's theory explaining life’s diversity, involving the elimination of individuals with certain traits and the increased reproduction of survivors with traits that enhance survival.

Artificial Selection

The process where breeders act as selective agents, breeding individuals with favored traits to make those traits more common in a population.