The Foundation of Life Practice Flashcards

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering the foundations of biology, historical experiments in cell theory, cell types across Kingdoms, and bacterial classifications based on the provided notes.

Cell

The basic unit of life and the smallest unit of structure and function in organisms.

ATP

The chemical form of energy that organisms have the ability to process to maintain life.

Robert Hooke

English scientist (1635-1703) who published 'Micrographia' in 1665 and coined the term 'cellulae' after observing cork.

Antonie van Leeuwenhoek

Scientist (1632-1723) who discovered 'animalcules' using a handcrafted microscope in the late 1600s.

Matthias Jacob Schleiden

A German botanist who focused his interests on the study of plant cells in 1838.

Theodor Schwann

A German physiologist who focused his interests on the study of animal cells in 1839.

Rudolf Carl Virchow

A German physician who proposed in 1858 that 'ALL CELLS COME FROM OTHER CELLS THROUGH THE PROCESS OF CELL DIVISION.'

Spontaneous Generation

A hypothetical process proposed by Aristotle in the 4th century by which living organisms develop from nonliving matter.

Francesco Redi

An Italian physician who conducted an experiment in 1668 using meat and maggots to challenge spontaneous generation.

John Needham

An English priest who in 1748 argued for spontaneous generation after observing bacterial growth in briefly boiled broth.

Lazarro Spallanzani

An Italian scientist who in 1767 disproved Needham by showing that boiled broth in a sealed flask had no growth.

Louis Pasteur

The scientist who in 1861 used a curved-neck flask to definitively prove that microorganisms come from other microorganisms.

Nucleoid

The region in prokaryotic cells where genetic material is located, not enclosed by a nuclear envelope.

Plasmids

Separate genetic materials found in prokaryotic cells that are distinct from the nucleoid.

Binary Fission

The quick method of asexual reproduction utilized by prokaryotic organisms.

Osteocytes

Bone cells which are the toughest body cells because they are bound together by calcium and phosphate.

Chondrocytes

Cartilage cells that are freely bendable because the surrounding material is loose and flexible.

Nerve Cells

Very long cells with many branches that have the ability to carry electric impulses.

Epithelial Cells

Simple cells forming covering layers that serve as barriers for pathogens, fluid loss, and mechanical injuries.

Muscle Cells

Specialized cells with the ability to contract and relax to provide movement.

Adipose Cells

Fat cells that are storage by nature to store fat.

Gametes

Haploid sex cells, such as sperm and egg, specialized for reproduction.

Stem Cells

Cells from which all other cells with specialized functions are generated.

Plastids

Double-membrane organelles in plants and algae responsible for manufacturing and storing food, often containing pigments.

Hyphae

Thin white filaments of fungi that extend to form mycelium during growth.

Protozoans

The most abundant members of Kingdom Protista; they are animal-like unicellular eukaryotes.

Sarcodina

A group of protozoans that move using pseudopodia.

Sarcomastigophora

A group of protozoans that move using flagella.

Ciliophora

A group of protozoans that move using cilia.

Sporazoa

Protozoans that have no specialized structures for locomotion.

Cocci

Circular or spherical-shaped bacteria.

Bacilli

Rod-like shaped bacteria.

Spirilla

Spiral-shaped bacteria.

Halophiles

Archaebacteria that can live in very saline or salty environments.

Thermophiles

Archaebacteria that can live in extremely hot environments like thermal vents.

Acidophiles

Archaebacteria that prefer highly acidic places.

Methanophiles

Archaebacteria that produce methane as a waste product.