Biology 1003 - Unit 1: Course Overview and Properties of Living Things

Vocabulary flashcards covering core biological concepts, taxonomy, cellular differences, metabolic processes, and homeostatic mechanisms from Biology 1003 Unit 1.

Biology

The study of living things.

Anatomy

The discipline of biology that studies physical structures.

Physiology

The discipline of biology that studies the functions of organisms and their parts.

Evolution

The change in heritable characteristics (genes) of biological populations over successive generations, driven primarily by natural selection.

Ecology

The discipline of biology that studies interactions with the environment and other organisms.

Cell Biology

The discipline of biology that studies cells.

Histology

The discipline of biology that studies the microanatomy of tissues.

Genetics

The discipline of biology that studies genes and heredity.

Microbiology

The discipline of biology that studies microorganisms.

Immunology

The discipline of biology that studies the immune system.

Pathology

The discipline of biology that studies disease.

Pharmacology

The discipline of biology that studies drugs and their interactions with the body.

Taxonomy

The practice of classifying organisms based on physical traits, behavior and biology, evolutionary history, and genetic data.

Prokaryotes

Single-celled organisms with no nucleus, no membrane-bound organelles, haploid genetic structure, and $>99\%$ containing a cell wall.

Eukaryotes

Unicellular or multicellular organisms with a nucleus, membrane-bound organelles, haploid or diploid genetic structure, and approximately $10\times$ the size of prokaryotes.

Autotrophs

Organisms that make their own food from inorganic substances like water, sunlight, air, and other chemicals.

Heterotrophs

Organisms that are not capable of producing their own food and must obtain it from other organisms.

Archaea

Unicellular prokaryotes structurally similar to bacteria but genetically similar to eukaryotes, classified as extremophiles with none known to cause disease.

Protists

Mostly unicellular eukaryotic organisms that acquire energy as autotrophs or heterotrophs, categorized into protozoa (animal-like), algae (plant-like), or slime molds (fungi-like).

Endosymbiotic Theory

The theory that an ancient archaea swallowed and formed a symbiotic relationship with an aerobic bacterium (mitochondria), and later a photosynthetic bacterium (chloroplast).

Metabolism

The collection of all energy transfer reactions in an organism.

Anabolism

The metabolic category involving the synthesis of large molecules to store energy.

Catabolism

The metabolic category involving the breakdown of large molecules to release energy.

Genome

The collection of all DNA in an organism.

Asexual Reproduction

A mode of reproduction where offspring have the exact same genetic material as the parent cells, such as binary fission in bacteria.

Sexual Reproduction

A mode of reproduction involving the recombination of genetic material between parents to generate genetically unique offspring.

Homeostasis

The self-regulating process by which organisms maintain internal stability while adjusting to internal and external stimuli.

Receptor (Sensor)

The component of homeostatic regulation that detects a stimulus.

Integrating Centre

The component of homeostatic regulation that evaluates information and determines the response.

Effector

The component of homeostatic regulation that carries out the response via positive or negative feedback.

Negative Feedback Mechanism

A homeostatic mechanism where the effector negates or reverses the effect of the stimulus.

Positive Feedback Mechanism

A homeostatic mechanism where the effector propagates or strengthens the effects of the stimulus.