chapter 1 voacb

archaea

small single celled organisms that can survive in intense climates like salt water or hot springs

bacteria

common single-celled micro-organism

biosphere

The entire portion of Earth inhabited by life; the sum of all the planet’s ecosystems.

cell

the basic building block of all living things

community

An assemblage of all the populations of organisms living close enough together for potential interactions.

consumer

organism within an ecosystem that obtains its energy and nutrients by eating other organisms

controlled experiment

An experiment in which an experimental group is compared with a control group that varies only in the factor being tested.

domain (archaea, bacteria, and eukarya)

largest grouping of living organisms

ecosystem

All the organisms in a given area

eukarya

Domain of life that includes all larger cells and organisms

eukaryotic cell

A type of cell that has a membrane-enclosed nucleus and membrane-enclosed organelles.

evolution

the idea that living species are descendants of ancestral species that were different from present-day ones; also, the genetic changes in a population from generation to generation.

gene

contains the instructions or code for making a specific protein or set of proteins, the basic units of heredity, and are responsible for the transmission of genetic information from one generation to the next in living organisms.

hypothesis

A testable explanation for a set of observations based on the available data

molecule

Two or more atoms held together by covalent bonds.

natural selection

A process in which individuals with certain inherited traits are more likely to survive and reproduce than are individuals that do not have those traits.

organ

A specialized structure composed of several different types of tissues that together perform specific functions

organism

An individual living thing, consisting of one or more cells.

organelle

a specialized, membrane-bound structure within a cell that performs specific functions to support the cell's life processes.like tiny organs within a cell, each with its own job, just as organs in the human body have specific functions.

organ system

A group of organs that work together in performing vital body functions.

population

A group of individuals belonging to one species that live in the same geographic area and can potentially breed

producer

an organism that is capable of creating its own food

prokaryotic cell

A type of cell lacking a membrane-enclosed nucleus and other membrane-enclosed organelles; found only in the domains Bacteria and Archaea.

species

A group of populations whose members have the potential to interbreed and produce viable, fertile offspring

theory

A widely accepted explanatory idea that is broader in scope than a hypothesis, generates new hypotheses, and is supported by a large body of evidence.