Chapter 1 – Learning About Life Flashcards

Vocabulary flashcards covering the properties of life, domains of taxonomy, the scientific method, and metric system terminology from Chapter 1 notes.

Biology

The study of life.

Universal Characteristics

Common traits shared by all living organisms, specifically that they are made of cells and possess DNA.

Regulation

One of the 7 core properties of life; the ability to maintain internal stability or homeostasis.

Order

One of the 7 core properties of life; characterized by a complex and organized structure.

Growth & Development

One of the 7 core properties of life; a pattern of growth controlled by inherited DNA.

Energy Utilization

One of the 7 core properties of life; the process of taking in energy and converting it to power activities.

Reproduction

One of the 7 core properties of life; the process of producing offspring of their own kind.

Evolution

One of the 7 core properties of life; the capacity of populations to adapt and evolve over time.

Response to Environment

One of the 7 core properties of life; the ability to react to environmental stimuli.

Domain Bacteria

A domain comprising single-celled prokaryotic organisms.

Domain Archaea

A domain of single-celled prokaryotic organisms that often inhabit extreme environments.

Domain Eukarya

A domain consisting of organisms made of eukaryotic cells, including protists, fungi, plants, and animals.

Hypothesis

A proposed, tentative explanation for an observation, often described as an "idea on trial."

Prediction

An "$\text{If... then...}$ " statement predicting the outcome if the hypothesis is correct.

Controlled Experiment

A scientific test that compares a control group with experimental groups.

Independent Variable

The single variable that is deliberately manipulated or changed between groups; the control group lacks this variable.

Dependent Variable

The factor being measured or observed to determine the effect of the independent variable.

Controlled Variables

All variables in an experiment that are kept constant across all test groups.

Fact

A piece of information considered to be objectively true based on current evidence, such as "The Earth is round."

Theory

A broad, comprehensive framework such as natural selection that ties together many unrelated observations and hypotheses and is supported by extensive evidence.

Quantitative Data

Objective numerical measurements recorded in data tables or graphs, such as plant height measured in $\text{cm}$.

Qualitative Data

Descriptive observations presented via narrative summaries, tables, drawings, or diagrams.

Discussion (Scientific Report)

The section explaining WHY results occurred, analyzing trends, comparing groups, and evaluating experimental design and sources of error.

Micro- ($\mu$)

Metric prefix representing a factor of $0.000001$ or $10^{-6}$.

Nano- (n)

Metric prefix representing a factor of $0.000000001$ or $10^{-9}$.