Introduction to Cell Biology - Flashcards

Vocabulary flashcards covering key concepts from the lecture notes.

Seven characteristics of life

Life is characterized by order, reproduction, growth and development, energy processing, regulation, response to the environment, and evolutionary adaptation.

Themes of Biology

Organization, information, energy and matter, interactions, and evolution.

Domain Bacteria

One of the three domains of life; prokaryotic organisms lacking a nucleus.

Domain Archaea

Prokaryotic organisms genetically distinct from bacteria, often extremophiles.

Domain Eukarya

Organisms with cells containing a nucleus and organelles, including protists, fungi, plants, and animals.

Protists

A diverse group of mostly single-celled or simple multicellular eukaryotes within Domain Eukarya.

Kingdom Animalia

Multicellular, eukaryotic, heterotrophic organisms that obtain energy by consuming other organisms.

Kingdom Plantae

Multicellular, photosynthetic eukaryotes that produce food via photosynthesis.

Kingdom Fungi

Eukaryotic, absorptive decomposers that obtain nutrients from organic matter.

DNA

The universal chemical substance of genes that stores genetic information using bases A, T, C, G.

Genes

DNA sequences that serve as blueprints for proteins, driving diversity among organisms.

Evolution

The process of change in heritable traits across generations; descent with modification.

Natural selection

A mechanism of evolution where individuals with favorable traits produce more offspring, increasing those traits.

Fitness

The relative reproductive success of a trait or genotype within a population.

Charles Darwin

19th-century naturalist who proposed descent with modification and natural selection as drivers of evolution.

Process of Science

Systematic exploration and discovery, hypothesis formation and testing, and evaluation of societal benefits.

Mimicry

An evolutionary strategy where a mimic species evolves to resemble a model species, driven by selection via the signal receiver.

Signal receiver

The organism that responds to a signal (often a predator) and drives selection on signaling traits.

Model

The organism that is imitated in mimicry; the traits the mimic resembles.

Coral snake color mnemonic

Rhyme used to distinguish venomous coral snakes from mimics by the order of colors (red, yellow/white, etc.).

Geographic distribution

The geographic ranges of species and where they overlap, affecting interactions like mimicry.

Hypothesis

A testable statement about the expected outcome of an experiment.

Experimental design

The plan for testing a hypothesis, including treatments, controls, and data collection methods.

Data analysis

Interpreting measurements and counts to determine whether results support the hypothesis.

Evidence for Evolution

The main types of evidence—fossil, biogeographical, anatomical, and biochemical (including DNA)—that support evolution.