Biology Honors Flash Cards Vocab

Vocabulary review for college prep + HONORS students

Fact (U1,C1)

An objective, verifiable, observation

Principle (U1,C1)

A statement based on repeated experimental observation that describes an aspect of the world

Law (U1,C1)

A broad concept or principle

*(how?)*

* describes patterns in nature
* often accepted as facts

Theory (U1,C1)

An explanation of an observed phenomenon

* NEVER becomes a fact or a law

Qualitative (U1,C1)

Describes the quality of something

Quantitative (U1,C1)

Uses numbers to measure something

Independent Variable (U1,C1)

What the experimenter will deliberately change or manipulate in the investigation

Dependent Variable (U1,C1)

What changes in response to the independent variable

Constants/Controlled Variables (U1,C1)

The aspects of an experiment that are held constant/consistent

Experimental Group(s) (U1,C1)

Groups that are being tested in an experiment

Control Group (U1,C1)

Group used for comparison with your experimental groups - This is the “normal” group

Technology (U1,C1)

The application of scientific discoveries to meet human needs and goals through the development of products and processes

Engineering (U1,C1)

Applies scientific and mathematic principles to solve problems

Matter (U1,C2)

Anything that has mass and occupies space

Atom (U1,C2)

The smallest part of an element (*think PT)* that still has the properties of an element

Cell (U1,C2)

Most basic unit of life

Surface Tension (U1,C2)

Tendency of molecules of the same “kind” to stick together

Solution (U1,C2; U2,C2)

Uniform mixture of two or more substances

Solute (U1,C2; U2,C2)

What gets dissolved

Solvent (U1,C2; U2,C2)

What does the dissolving

Hydrophilic (U1,C2)

Water “loving,” has an affinity for water

Hydrophobic (U1,C2)

Water “fearing,” does NOT have an affinity for water

Macromolecules (U1,C3)

Large organic molecules (*carbon-containing)* that make up all living things

Monomer (U1,C3)

Small, basic sub-units

Polymer (U1,C3)

Larger, more complex structures made of monomers

Monosaccharide (U1,C3)

Single sugar molecules

Polysaccharide (U1,C3)

Larger sugar molecules

Unicellular (U2,C1)

Composed of one cell

Multicellular (U2,C1)

Composed of many cells that may organize into tissues →organs →organ systems

Organelle (U2,C1)

Specialized structures within the cell that work together to help the cell function

Homeostasis (U2,C2)

Need of an organism to stay stable by regulating internal conditions

Concentration (U2,C2)

Amount of solute dissolved in solvent

symbol: \[ \]

Concentration gradient (U2,C2)

Difference in concentration of a substance from one location to another

Phagocytosis (U2,C2)

Cell “eating”

Pinocytosis (U2,C2)

Cell “drinking”

Differentiation (U2,C3)

A process that creates special structures and functions

Stem Cells (U2,C3; U5,C4)

Undifferentiated cells that become differentiated into one of more types of specialized cells

Gastrula (U2,C3)

Embryo with 3 differentiated germ layers

Organogenesis (U2,C3)

The process of body organ and organ system formation that follows gastrulation

Cell Cycle (U2,C3)

A repeated pattern of growth, DNA duplication and cell division that occurs in eukaryotic cells

Chromosome (U2,C3; U4,C1)

One long continuous thread of DNA that consists of thousands of genes and regulatory information

Gene (U2,C3; U4,C1; U5,C1)

A section of DNA that contains the instructions for making a protein

Sister Chromatids (U2,C3; U4,C3)

Two identical chromatids

Centromere (U2,C3)

Region of the condensed chromosomes that looks pinched

Telomere (U2,C3)

Ends of the DNA molecule

Cancer (U2,C3)

Uncontrolled cell division

Metastasize (U2,C3)

Spreading of disease from one organ to others

Carcinogens (U2,C3)

Cancer causing agents; chemicals that cause cancer by mutating DNA

Metabolism (U3,C1; U6,C1)

All of the chemical reactions withing each cell of an organism

Chemical Reactions (U3,C1)

The breaking and forming of bonds between different substances during chemical changes

Catabolic (U3,C1)

Break down larger molecules into simpler compounds →a release in energy = exergonic

Anabolic (U3,C1)

Build larger molecules from smaller ones →requires consuming energy to do it = endergonic

Activation Energy (U3,C1)

The amount of energy needed to make a chemical reaction start

Reactant \[Substrate\] (U3,C1)

Substances that are changed during a chemical reaction

Products (U3,C1)

Substances that are made by a chemical reaction

Endothermic (U3,C1)

Absorbs energy (*in the form of heat or light)*

Exothermic (U3,C1)

releases energy (*in the form of heat or light)*

Enzyme (U3,C1)

Mostly proteins that speed up biochemical reactions by lowering the activation energy

Catalyst (U3,C1)

Substances that speed up reactions without being permanantly altered

Active Site (U3,C1)

Fits only one substrate, and once substrate connects, the bind tights → an induced fit

Denaturation (U3,C1)

When the enzyme’s active site becomes deformed and loses its specific shape → loss of biological activity

ATP (U3,C2)

(***Adenosine Triphosphate)*** An energy-carrying molecule that carries/stores energy for cell functions

Chemiosmosis (U3,C2)

Movement of ions down a concentration gradient

Producer (U3,C3)

Organisms that get energy from nonliving sources like the sun **(*****Autotrophs)***

Consumer (U3,C3)

Get energy from living sources such as plants or animals ***(Heterotrophs)***

Detritivore (U3,C3)

Organisms that eat dead material ***(Decomposers)***

Carnivore (U3,C3)

Organisms that only eat meat

Omnivore (U3,C3)

Organisms that eat both meat and vegetation

Herbivore (U3,C3)

Organisms that eat only vegetation

Photosynthesis (U3,C4)

The overall process by which sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide are chemically converted into chemical energy stored in glucose (*sugar)*

Grana (U3,C4)

Pancake-like stacks of thylakoid membrane

Stroma (U3,C4)

Fluid-like substance that fills the space between the grana

Chlorophyll (U3,C4)

The pigment in the thylakoid membrane of chloroplasts that allows plants to capture sunlight.

Photosystems (U3,C4)

Clusters of chlorophyll and proteins that trap energy from the sun

Electron Carriers (U3,C4)

Molecules that carry electrons in order to pass on their energy

Chemosynthesis (U3,C4)

Process of an organism making its own food using chemicals (*“chemo”)* instead of sunlight *(‘photo”)* like in photosynthesis

Stomata (U3,C4)

Pores on underside of leaf where CO2 enters and O2 exits

Photorespiration (U3,C4)

When the CO2 levels drop and O2 levels rise, which adds oxygen to the Calvin Cycle instead of carbon dioxide, which results in no sugar or ATP made

Cellular Respiration (U3,C5)

The overall process in converting the chemical energy in glucose to chemical energy stored in ATP

Inner Membrane (U3,C5)

Folded membranes ***(Cristae)***

Matrix (U3,C5)

Fluid-like substance that fills the space

Aerobic (U3,C5)

With oxygen

Anaerobic (U3,C5)

Without oxygen

Fermentation (U3,C5)

Anaerobic Respiration

Nucleic Acid (U4,C1)

The macromolecule that holds our genetic material (DNA)

Nucleotide (U4,C1)

Make up nucleic acids

RNA Primer (U4,C1)

Short pieces of RNA to help get the DNA polymerase started

Okazaki Fragments (U4,C1)

Short pieces of DNA

Protein Synthesis (U4,C2)

The process of reading the instructions in DNA to make a polypeptide

Polypeptide (U4,C2)

A chain of amino acids; can bind to others and fold into a protein

Transcription (U4,C2)

DNA is copied into a complementary strand of mRNA

Introns (U4,C2)

Non-coding regions of RNA

Exons (U4,C2)

Coding regions of RNA

Genetic Code (U4,C2)

Code of instructions for how to make proteins

Codon (U4,C2)

A set of 3 nucleotides on the mRNA

Anticodon (U4,C2)

“Complementary” 3 nucleotides on tRNA

Amino Acid (U4,C2)

Monomer (building block for making proteins), held together by polypeptide bonds

Translation (U4,C2)

Interpreting the RNA message into a polypeptide to make a protein

Epigenetics (U4,C2)

The study of changes in gene expression that are heretable

Diploid (U4,C3)

2 full sets of chromosomes; 1 set from mom, 1 set from dad