Biology Notes - Page 1

Vocabulary flashcards covering life characteristics, organization, classification, and evolution from Page 1 notes.

Growth and development

Characteristics of life describing growth in size and maturation over time.

Energy transformations

Metabolic processes that convert energy from one form to another to power life activities.

Respond to stimuli

Ability to sense and react to internal or external cues; part of maintaining homeostasis and adaptation.

Homeostasis

Maintenance of stable internal conditions (e.g., temperature, pH) despite environmental changes.

Biological organization

Hierarchical order from atoms to ecosystems: atoms → molecules → organelles → cells → tissues → organs → organ systems → organisms → populations → communities → ecosystems.

Organism

A single living individual.

Population

A group of individuals of the same species living in a defined area.

Community

All populations of different species living and interacting in a defined area.

Ecosystem

A biological community and its physical environment interacting as a system.

Domain

The highest taxonomic rank; domains include Bacteria, Archaea, and Eukarya.

Classification (Taxonomy)

System of organizing living things into a hierarchical ladder: domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus, species.

Evolution

Change over time in inherited traits within a population, driven by variation, heredity, and natural selection.

Form follows function

Principle that the structure of an organism or its parts is related to its function.