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Organism

Living things that maintain internal order that is separate from the environment.

Atom

Smallest unit of element that has the chemical properties of elements; all matter composed of atoms.

Molecules

Atoms bond together to form molecules; many molecules bonded together form macromolecules.

Cells

Simplest unit of life; surrounded by a membrane and contains a variety of molecules and macromolecules.

Tissues

A group of cells that have a similar structure and function.

Organ

Composed of 2 or more tissues that carry out a particular function or set of functions.

Organ Systems

In multicellular species, organs are typically part of a larger, interacting system.

Population

A group of organisms of the same species that occupy the same environment.

Species

A group of collected organisms that share distinctive attributes in nature and can interbreed.

Community

A biological community is an assemblage of populations of different species.

Ecosystem

Formed by the interactions of a community of organisms with their physical environment.

Biosphere

Includes all of the places on Earth where living organisms exist.

Biological evolution

A heritage change in a population of organisms from one generation to the next.

Evolution

The diversity of life evolved over time by processes of mutation, natural selection, and genetic exchange.

Structure and function

Basic units of structure define the function of all living things.

Information flow, exchange, and storage

The growth and behavior of organisms are activated through the expression of genetic information.

Pathways and transformations of energy and matter

Biological systems grow and change via processes based on chemical transformation pathways governed by thermodynamics.

Systems

Living systems are interconnected and interacting; interactions produce emergent properties.

Model Organisms

Organisms studied by researchers to compare results and determine broader scientific principles.

Ecology

The study of organisms in their natural environments.

Anatomy

The study of the structures of living things.

Physiology

The study of the functions of living things.

Cell biology

The study of cells and their interactions.

Molecular biology

The study of the structure and function of the molecules of life.

Hypothesis

A proposed explanation for a natural phenomenon; it’s meant to be testable.

Theory

A broad explanation of an aspect of the natural world substantiated by a large body of evidence.

Reductionism

Reducing complex systems to simpler components to understand how the system works.

System biology

Research aimed at understanding how emergent properties arise.

Amphipathic

Molecules that have both hydrophilic and hydrophobic regions.

Glycosylation

The process of covalently attaching a carbohydrate to a protein or lipid.

Cytoskeleton

A network of protein filaments in eukaryotic cells essential for shape and structure.

Motor proteins

Proteins that use ATP to promote movement within cells.

Enzymes

Molecules that catalyze biologically important chemical reactions.

Nucleus

The organelle in eukaryotic cells that contains the cell's genetic material.

Plasma membrane

The membrane that separates the internal contents of a cell from its external environment.

Exocytosis

The process by which materials inside a cell are packaged into vesicles and expelled into the extracellular environment.

Endocytosis

The process of taking substances into the cell via vesicles formed by the plasma membrane.