Biological Sciences and The Scientific Method

Vocabulary flashcards covering properties of life, major biological themes, organization levels, scientific concepts, and examples from the lecture.

Property of Order

Characteristic of living things in which structures are organized and coordinated rather than random.

Energy Processing

Ability of organisms to obtain and convert energy to power life processes.

Growth and Development

Increase in size and progress through life stages directed by genetic information.

Responsiveness to Environment

Capacity of an organism to sense and react to external stimuli.

Regulation (Homeostasis)

Maintenance of internal conditions within narrow limits despite external changes.

Reproduction

Biological process of producing new individuals, either sexually or asexually.

Evolutionary Adaptation

Inherited traits that enhance survival or reproduction becoming common in a population over time.

Theme: Organization

Biological concept that life is structured in hierarchical levels from atoms to the biosphere.

Theme: Energy and Matter

Idea that life requires constant energy flow and recycling of chemicals.

Theme: Information

Focus on how genetic and molecular signals store, transmit, and use biological instructions.

Theme: Interactions

Recognition that molecules, cells, organisms, and ecosystems continually affect one another.

Theme: Evolution

Central theory explaining both the diversity and unity of life through descent with modification.

Levels of Organization

Ordered sequence such as atom → molecule → cell → tissue → organ → organism → population → ecosystem → biosphere.

Reductionism

Analytical approach that explains complex phenomena by studying their simpler components.

Emergent Properties

Novel functions arising at higher levels of organization that are absent from individual parts.

Energy Flow

One-way passage of solar energy through an ecosystem, ultimately lost as heat.

Chemical Cycling

Continuous reuse of elements such as carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus within ecosystems.

DNA (Deoxyribonucleic Acid)

Hereditary molecule that stores genetic information in all known organisms.

Central Dogma

Flow of genetic information: DNA → messenger RNA → protein.

Protein

Macromolecule that performs structural, enzymatic, and regulatory functions in cells.

Bacteria

Prokaryotic domain of unicellular organisms lacking nuclei and membrane-bound organelles.

Archaea

Domain of prokaryotes distinct from bacteria, often inhabiting extreme environments.

Eukarya

Domain comprising organisms with nuclei and membrane-bound organelles, including plants, animals, and fungi.

Last Universal Common Ancestor (LUCA)

Hypothetical most recent organism from which all current life on Earth descended.

Scientific Method

Systematic process involving observation, hypothesis formation, experimentation, and conclusion.

Hypothesis

Testable, tentative explanation for an observed phenomenon.

Experiment

Controlled procedure designed to test a hypothesis by manipulating variables.

Statistical Analysis

Application of mathematics to evaluate the significance of experimental data.

Theory (Scientific)

Comprehensive explanation supported by a large body of evidence, capable of generating testable hypotheses.

Synapse

Specialized junction where a neuron communicates with another neuron or muscle cell.

Acetylcholine

Neurotransmitter first shown by Otto Loewi to mediate chemical signaling at synapses.

Systems Biology

Integrative approach that studies interactions within biological systems to understand emergent behavior.