Themes and Concepts of Biology - Flashcards

Flashcards covering key themes and concepts of biology, including properties of life, levels of organization, diversity of life, branches of study, the scientific method, and types of science.

Biology

The science that studies life.

Viruses

Entities that exhibit some characteristics of living things but lack others, and do not meet the criteria biologists use to define life.

Properties of Life

Shared characteristics or functions of living organisms: order, sensitivity or response to stimuli, reproduction, adaptation, growth and development, regulation, homeostasis, and energy processing.

Sensitivity or Response to Stimuli

The ability of organisms to react to diverse stimuli, such as plants bending toward light or bacteria moving toward chemicals.

Chemotaxis

The process by which tiny bacteria move toward or away from chemicals.

Phototaxis

The process by which tiny bacteria move toward or away from light.

Order

Living organisms are highly organized structures that consist of one or more cells, with components forming a complex hierarchy.

Reproduction

The process by which organisms create new individuals, passing DNA containing genes to offspring ensuring species characteristics.

Adaptation

A 'fit' of living organisms to their environment, enhancing reproductive potential and resulting from evolution by natural selection.

Growth and Development

The process by which organisms grow and develop according to specific instructions coded by their genes, leading to characteristic traits.

Regulation

Multiple mechanisms to coordinate an organism's internal functions, such as nutrient transport, response to stimuli, and coping with environmental stresses.

Homeostasis

The ability of an organism to maintain stable internal conditions (part of regulation).

Energy Processing

All organisms use a source of energy for their metabolic activities, either capturing it from the Sun or using chemical energy from molecules.

Atom

The smallest and most fundamental unit of matter, consisting of a nucleus surrounded by electrons.

Molecule

A chemical structure consisting of at least two atoms held together by a chemical bond.

Macromolecules

Large molecules that are typically formed by combining smaller units called monomers (e.g., DNA).

Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA)

A macromolecule which contains the instructions for the functioning of an organism.

Organelles

Small structures that exist within cells, often surrounded by membranes, and perform specialized functions.

Cell

The smallest fundamental unit of structure and function in living organisms; all living things are made of cells.

Prokaryotes

Single-celled organisms that lack organelles surrounded by a membrane and do not have nuclei.

Eukaryotes

Organisms whose cells do have membrane-bound organelles and nuclei.

Tissues

Groups of similar cells carrying out the same function in most multicellular organisms.

Organs

Collections of tissues grouped together based on a common function.

Organ System

A higher level of organization that consists of functionally related organs.

Organism

An individual living entity.

Population

All the individuals of a species living within a specific area.

Community

The set of populations inhabiting a particular area.

Ecosystem

All the living things in a particular area together with the abiotic, or non-living, parts of that environment.

Biosphere

The collection of all ecosystems, representing the zones of life on Earth, including land, water, and portions of the atmosphere.

Evolution

The process of gradual change during which new species arise from older species, and the source of life's diversity.

Carl Linnaeus

Scientist who first proposed organizing known species of organisms into a hierarchical taxonomy.

Taxonomy

A hierarchical system proposed by Carl Linnaeus for organizing the known species of organisms.

Taxonomic Hierarchy

The eight levels of classification for organisms from lowest to highest: species, genus, family, order, class, phylum, kingdom, domain.

Domain

The highest level of taxonomic hierarchy, recognizing three groups of life: Eukarya, Archaea, and Bacteria.

Eukarya

A domain of life containing organisms that have cells with nuclei, including fungi, plants, animals, and several kingdoms of protists.

Archaea

A domain of single-celled organisms without nuclei, many of which are extremophiles living in harsh environments.

Bacteria

A domain of single-celled organisms without nuclei, distinct from Archaea.

Binomial Naming System

Linnaeus's system of naming organisms using two unique italicized names: a capitalized genus name and a lower-case species name.

Phylogenetic Tree

A diagram showing the evolutionary relationships among biological species based on similarities and differences in genetic or physical traits.

Carl Woese

American microbiologist who pioneered work showing that life on Earth evolved along three lineages, now called domains: Bacteria, Archaea, and Eukarya.

Extremophiles

Organisms, often from the Archaea domain, that live under extreme conditions.

Molecular Biology

A subdiscipline of biology that studies biological processes at the molecular level, including interactions among DNA, RNA, and proteins.

Microbiology

The study of the structure and function of microorganisms.

Neurobiology

A branch of biology that studies the biology of the nervous system, also recognized as the interdisciplinary field of neuroscience.

Paleontology

A branch of biology that uses fossils to study life's history.

Zoology

The study of animals.

Botany

The study of plants.

Biotechnologists

Biologists who apply knowledge of biology to create useful products.

Ecologists

Biologists who study the interactions of organisms in their environments.

Physiologists

Biologists who study the workings of cells, tissues, and organs.

Forensic Science

The application of science to answer questions related to the law, often involving the examination of trace materials associated with crimes.

Science

Knowledge about the natural world, acquired through systematic methods including observation, experimentation, and logical reasoning.

Scientific Method

A method of research with defined steps that include experiments and careful observation, often beginning with an observation and leading to a testable hypothesis.

Hypothesis

A suggested explanation for an event that can be tested and must be falsifiable.

Scientific Theory

A generally accepted, thoroughly tested, and confirmed explanation for a set of observations or phenomena, forming the foundation of scientific knowledge.

Scientific Laws

Concise descriptions, often expressed in mathematical formulas, that describe how elements of nature will behave under certain specific conditions.

Natural Sciences

Fields of science related to the physical world and its phenomena and processes, often divided into life sciences and physical sciences.

Life Sciences

A division of natural sciences that studies living things, including biology.

Physical Sciences

A division of natural sciences that studies nonliving matter, including astronomy, physics, and chemistry.

Inductive Reasoning

A form of logical thinking that uses related observations to arrive at a general conclusion, common in descriptive science.

Deductive Reasoning

A form of logical thinking that uses a general principle or law to forecast specific results, used in hypothesis-based science.

Descriptive (Discovery) Science

A type of scientific study that aims to observe, explore, and discover.

Hypothesis-based Science

A type of scientific study that begins with a specific question or problem and a potential answer or solution that can be tested.

Prediction

A statement similar to a hypothesis, typically in the format 'If…then…'

Testable (Hypothesis)

A characteristic of a hypothesis, meaning it can be verified or disproven through experimentation.

Falsifiable (Hypothesis)

A characteristic of a hypothesis, meaning it can be disproven by experimental results.

Variable

Any part of an experiment that can vary or change during the experiment.

Control

A part of an experiment that does not change, used as a baseline for comparison.

Basic Science (Pure Science)

Science that seeks to expand knowledge regardless of the short-term application of that knowledge, focused on knowledge for knowledge's sake.

Applied Science (Technology)

Science that aims to use scientific knowledge to solve real-world problems, such as improving crop yield or finding disease cures.

Serendipity

Discovery made by means of a fortunate accident or a lucky surprise, such as the discovery of penicillin.

Human Genome Project

A study in which human chromosomes were analyzed and mapped to determine the precise sequence of DNA subunits and the exact location of each gene.

DNA Replication

The process during which new copies of DNA are made, shortly before a cell divides.

Peer-reviewed articles

Scientific papers that are reviewed, usually anonymously, by a scientist's colleagues who are experts in the same research area, to ensure suitability for publication.

Grant proposals

Requests for research funding that are subject to peer review to ensure the originality, significance, and thoroughness of the proposed work.