Biology Lecture Review - Weeks 1 to 6

A series of vocabulary flashcards covering key concepts, terms, and definitions from biology lectures on the characteristics and functions of living organisms, cellular structures, metabolic processes, and energy production.

Complexity

The precise spatial organization and cellular structure that characterize living organisms.

Cell

The smallest unit of life, capable of storing and transferring genetic information, performing metabolism, and replicating.

Metabolism

The conversion of energy from one form to another that a cell uses to grow, develop, and replicate.

Prions

Infectious misfolded proteins that lack DNA or RNA, and are considered non-living.

Viruses

Infectious agents consisting of genetic material enclosed in a protein coat that can replicate only inside a host cell.

Covalent bonds

Chemical bonds formed when atoms share one or more pairs of electrons.

Ionic bonds

Chemical bonds formed when electrons are transferred from one atom to another, creating oppositely charged ions.

Hydrogen bonds

Weak electrostatic attractions between a partially positive hydrogen atom and a partially negative atom.

Van der Waals forces

Weak, temporary attractions caused by momentary uneven distribution of electrons in molecules.

Monomer

A small, simple molecule that can chemically bond with other monomers; the building block of polymers.

Polymer

A large molecule made up of many repeating monomers bonded together.

Amphipathic molecules

Molecules that possess both hydrophilic and hydrophobic regions, allowing them to interact with aqueous environments.

Diffusion

The passive movement of particles from a region of high concentration to a region of low concentration.

Osmosis

The passive movement of water molecules across a selectively permeable membrane from a region of higher water potential to a region of lower water potential.

Isotonic solution

A solution with equal solute concentration inside and outside the cell, resulting in no net water movement.

Active transport

The movement of substances against their concentration gradient using energy (ATP) and carrier proteins.

Endosymbiotic theory

A theory that proposes certain eukaryotic organelles originated from free-living prokaryotes that were engulfed by a host cell.

Bioenergetics

The study of how energy flows through living systems, particularly the transformation of light energy to chemical energy in photosynthesis.

ATP

A molecule that stores and provides energy for many biochemical cellular processes.

Cellular respiration

The metabolic process that converts glucose into ATP, involving glycolysis, pyruvate oxidation, the citric acid cycle, and oxidative phosphorylation.

Bradycardia

A decreased heart rate, specifically a response observed in cormorants during dives to conserve oxygen.

Redox reactions

Chemical reactions that involve the transfer of electrons, where one substance is oxidized and another is reduced.

Light-dependent reactions

The first stage of photosynthesis occurring in the thylakoid membranes, where light energy is used to produce ATP and NADPH.

Calvin cycle

The set of light-independent reactions in photosynthesis that convert carbon dioxide into carbohydrates using ATP and NADPH.