Chapter 1: Introduction - Biology Today

A complete set of vocabulary flashcards covering basic characteristics of life, taxonomy, human classification, ecosystem dynamics, and scientific methods based on Chapter 1 notes.

Energy

The capacity to do work.

Metabolism

All the chemical reactions that occur in a cell.

Homeostasis

The ability of an organism to maintain relatively constant internal conditions.

Evolution

The process by which a species changes through time.

Taxonomy

The science of identifying and classifying organisms according to specific criteria.

Domain Archaea

Prokaryotic, single-celled organisms (also known as Archaeabacteria) that live under extreme environmental conditions.

Domain Eubacteria

Prokaryotic, single-celled "true" bacteria that live in water, soil, or within a host (e.g., Escherichia coli, Lactobacillus acidophilus).

Domain Eukarya

Domain containing eukaryotic organisms, most of which are multicellular (except Protista), divided into four kingdoms.

Kingdom Protista

A kingdom in Domain Eukarya containing mostly single-celled organisms, such as amoebas, dinoflagellates, and slime molds (~30,000 species).

Kingdom Fungi

A kingdom in Domain Eukarya containing multicellular organisms like mushrooms (~70,000 known species) and unicellular yeasts like Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Kingdom Plantae

A kingdom in Domain Eukarya containing all multicellular, autotrophic organisms (~248,000 known species).

Kingdom Animalia

A kingdom in Domain Eukarya containing diverse, multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, with less than 1% being birds, mammals, fish, reptiles, and amphibians.

Binomial Nomenclature

The process of naming an organism using its genus name and a specific epithet in Latin.

Classification of Humans

The taxonomic breakdown of Homo sapiens: Domain Eukarya, Kingdom Animalia, Phylum Chordata, Class Mammalia, Order Primates, Family Hominidae, Genus Homo, Species Homo sapiens.

Species

A group of genetically similar organisms that can successfully breed and have fertile offspring.

Population

A group of the same species occupying a given area, sharing the same resources and gene pool.

Community

A group of different species interacting together in the same environment.

Ecosystem

A biological community of biotic elements interacting with abiotic elements, characterized by chemical cycling and energy flow.

Biosphere

The zone of life in the air, water, and land that surrounds the planet.

Control Group

A group in an experimental design that goes through all the steps of the experiment but is not exposed to the factor being tested.

Data

The results obtained from an experiment.

Mean

The arithmetic average of a sample.

Standard Deviation

An estimate of the variation in experimental data from the mean.

Cell Theory

The biological principle stating that all organisms are composed of cells, cells are the basic unit of life, and all cells come from preexisting cells.

Gene Theory

The biological concept stating that organisms contain coded genetic information (DNA) that dictates their function, form, and behavior.

Levels of Biological Organization

The hierarchical structural organization of living things, extending from atoms and molecules to cells, tissues, organs, organ systems, and organisms.