General Biology Lecture Vocabulary

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards generated directly from the biology transcript covering basic principles of life, evolution, scientific reasoning, chemistry, water properties, functional groups, and macromolecules.

Biology

The scientific study of life.

Prokaryotic Cell

A cell without a nucleus or membrane-bound organelles.

Eukaryotic Cell

A cell with a nucleus and membrane-bound organelles.

DNA

The molecule that stores hereditary genetic information.

Gene

A segment of DNA that contains information used to produce a functional product, usually a protein or RNA.

Taxonomy

The science of naming and classifying organisms.

Evolution

Change in inherited characteristics of populations over generations.

Unity of Life

The idea that all living organisms share fundamental characteristics and common ancestry.

Diversity of Life

The variety of organisms and their characteristics on Earth.

Natural Selection

The process in which individuals with heritable traits that improve survival or reproduction tend to leave more offspring.

Evolutionary Tree

A diagram showing hypothesized evolutionary relationships among organisms.

Scientific Method

A systematic process used to investigate questions and test explanations.

Observation

Information gathered through the senses or measurements.

Inference

A conclusion based on observations and prior knowledge.

Inductive Reasoning

Using specific observations to develop a general conclusion.

Deductive Reasoning

Using a general principle to predict a specific outcome.

Hypothesis

A testable explanation or prediction.

Scientific Theory

A well-supported explanation that is supported by extensive evidence.

Independent Variable

The variable that the researcher changes or controls.

Dependent Variable

The variable that is measured or observed.

Control Group

The group used as a baseline for comparison in an experiment.

Correlation

An association between two variables.

Matter

Anything that has mass and occupies space.

Element

A substance that cannot be broken down into simpler substances by ordinary chemical means.

Atom

The smallest unit of an element that retains the properties of that element.

Proton

A positively charged subatomic particle located in the nucleus.

Neutron

A subatomic particle with no charge (neutral) located in the nucleus.

Electron

A negatively charged subatomic particle located in the electron cloud or orbitals surrounding the nucleus.

Atomic Number

The number of protons in an atom.

Mass Number

The total number of protons plus neutrons in an atom.

Isotopes

Atoms of the same element with different numbers of neutrons.

Radioactive Isotope

An isotope with an unstable nucleus that releases radiation as it decays.

Electron Shell

A region around the nucleus where electrons are found.

Octet Rule

The principle that atoms tend to become more stable when their outer shell has $8$ electrons.

Valence Electrons

Electrons in the outermost occupied electron shell.

Chemical Bond

An attraction that holds atoms or ions together.

Covalent Bond

A bond in which atoms share electrons.

Nonpolar Covalent Bond

A covalent bond in which electrons are shared relatively equally.

Polar Covalent Bond

A covalent bond in which electrons are shared unequally.

Molecule

Two or more atoms held together by covalent bonds.

Ion

An atom or molecule with a net electrical charge because it has gained or lost electrons.

Cation

A positively charged ion formed by losing electrons.

Anion

A negatively charged ion formed by gaining electrons.

Ionic Bond

The attraction between oppositely charged ions.

Hydrogen Bond

A weak attraction between a partially positive hydrogen and an electronegative atom, usually oxygen or nitrogen.

Van der Waals Interactions

Weak attractions caused by temporary or induced differences in electron distribution.

Electronegativity

The ability of an atom to attract shared electrons.

Reactants

The starting substances in a chemical reaction.

Products

The substances formed by a chemical reaction.

Chemical Reaction

A process that rearranges atoms to form new substances.

Cohesion

The attraction of molecules of the same substance to each other.

Adhesion

The attraction between molecules of different substances.

Surface Tension

The resistance of a liquid's surface to being broken or stretched, caused by cohesion.

Specific Heat

The amount of heat required to change the temperature of a substance.

Heat of Vaporization

The amount of heat required to convert a liquid into a gas.

Solute

A substance dissolved in a solution.

Solvent

The substance that dissolves the solute.

Solution

A homogeneous mixture of a solute dissolved in a solvent.

Hydrophilic

Water-loving; attracted to or interacting well with water.

Hydrophobic

Water-fearing; tending to avoid or not interact well with water.

Buffer

A substance or system that resists large changes in pH when acids or bases are added.

Organic Compounds

Carbon-containing compounds associated with living organisms, typically containing C-H bonds.

Isomers

Compounds with the same molecular formula but different structures or arrangements.

Structural Isomers

Isomers with different covalent arrangements of atoms.

Cis-Trans Isomers

Isomers that differ in the arrangement of groups around a double bond.

Enantiomers

Molecules that are mirror images of each other and cannot be superimposed.

Functional Group

A specific group of atoms that gives an organic molecule characteristic chemical properties.

Monomer

A small molecular subunit that can be linked to form larger molecules.

Polymer

A large molecule made from repeating monomer units.

Dehydration Synthesis

A reaction that joins molecules together while removing water.

Hydrolysis

A reaction that breaks a bond by adding water.

Carbohydrate

A biological molecule made mainly of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen that often functions in energy storage or structure.

Monosaccharide

A single sugar molecule; the basic unit of carbohydrates.

Disaccharide

Two monosaccharides joined together.

Polysaccharide

A carbohydrate made of many sugar units.

Starch

A plant storage polysaccharide made primarily of glucose units.

Glycogen

The main storage polysaccharide in animals.

Cellulose

A structural polysaccharide found in plant cell walls.

Lipid

A largely hydrophobic biological molecule that includes fats, oils, phospholipids, and steroids.

Fat (Triacylglycerol)

A molecule made of glycerol attached to three fatty acids.

Saturated Fatty Acid

A fatty acid with no carbon-carbon double bonds.

Unsaturated Fatty Acid

A fatty acid with one or more carbon-carbon double bonds.

Trans Fats

Unsaturated fats containing trans double bonds that can result from industrial processing and have unfavorable health effects.

Ester Linkage

A bond formed between a carboxyl group and a hydroxyl group, commonly found in fats.

Phospholipid

A lipid containing glycerol, two fatty acids, a phosphate group, and an additional polar group.

Steroid

A lipid characterized by four fused carbon rings.

Cholesterol

A steroid lipid that is an important component of animal cell membranes and a precursor for some hormones.

Enzyme

A biological catalyst that speeds up chemical reactions without being consumed.

Alpha Carbon

The central carbon atom of an amino acid to which the amino group, carboxyl group, hydrogen, and R group are attached.

Peptide Bond

A covalent bond linking amino acids together.

Polypeptide

A chain of amino acids linked by peptide bonds.

Primary Protein Structure

The specific sequence of amino acids in a polypeptide.

Secondary Protein Structure

Local folding patterns such as alpha helices and beta sheets caused mainly by hydrogen bonding in the backbone.

Tertiary Protein Structure

The overall three-dimensional shape of one polypeptide caused by interactions among R groups and other parts of the chain.

Quaternary Protein Structure

The arrangement and interaction of multiple polypeptide subunits.

Disulfide Bonds

Strong covalent bonds that can form between the sulfur-containing R groups of cysteine amino acids.

Denaturation

The loss of a protein's normal three-dimensional structure and function due to changes such as heat, pH, or chemicals.

Nucleic Acid

A biological macromolecule that stores, transmits, or helps use genetic information.

Nucleotide

The monomer of nucleic acids, consisting of a sugar, phosphate group, and nitrogenous base.

Genomics

The study of genomes and their genes on a large scale.