BIOL Flashcards: Chapters 1-4 and Viruses

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering key terms and concepts from Chapters 1, 2, 3, 4, and Viruses.

Biology

The study of life and living organisms.

Hypothesis

A testable explanation for an observation.

Inductive reasoning

Using specific observations to make a general conclusion.

Deductive reasoning

Using a general idea to make a specific prediction.

Qualitative data

Descriptive information, such as color, shape, or texture.

Quantitative data

Numerical information obtained through measurements.

Peer review

When other scientists evaluate research before publication.

Homeostasis

Maintaining stable internal conditions.

Three domains of life

Bacteria, Archaea, and Eukarya.

Prokaryotes vs Eukaryotes

Prokaryotes lack a nucleus; eukaryotes have a nucleus.

Cell

The smallest unit of life.

Proton

A subatomic particle with a positive charge.

Neutron

A subatomic particle with a neutral charge.

Electron

A subatomic particle with a negative charge.

Atomic number

The number of protons in an atom.

Isotopes

Atoms of the same element with different numbers of neutrons.

Valence electron

An electron in the outermost energy level.

Covalent bond

A bond formed when atoms share electrons.

Polar covalent bond

A covalent bond in which electrons are shared unequally.

Ionic bond

An attraction between oppositely charged ions.

Cation

A positively charged ion.

Anion

A negatively charged ion.

Electronegativity

An atom's ability to attract electrons.

Hydrogen bond

A weak attraction involving a partially positive hydrogen and another electronegative atom.

Cohesion

Attraction between molecules of the same substance.

Adhesion

Attraction between molecules of different substances.

Specific heat

The amount of heat needed to raise a substance's temperature.

Hydrophilic

Water-loving or attracted to water.

Hydrophobic

Water-fearing or not attracted to water.

Monomer

A small building block of a larger molecule.

Polymer

A large molecule made of repeating smaller units.

R group (side chain)

The structure that determines the properties of an amino acid.

Primary protein structure

The sequence of amino acids.

Secondary protein structure

Local folding, such as alpha helices and beta sheets.

Tertiary protein structure

The overall three-dimensional shape of one polypeptide chain.

Quaternary protein structure

The arrangement of multiple polypeptide chains.

Denaturation

The loss of a protein's normal shape and function.

Saturated fatty acid

A fatty acid with no carbon-carbon double bonds.

Unsaturated fatty acid

A fatty acid with one or more double bonds.

Triglyceride

A lipid made of glycerol and three fatty acids.

Phospholipids

Lipids with hydrophilic heads and hydrophobic tails that form cell membranes.

Monosaccharide

One sugar molecule.

Disaccharide

Two sugar molecules joined together.

Polysaccharide

A large carbohydrate made of many sugar units.

Starch

A storage polysaccharide found in plants.

Glycogen

A storage polysaccharide found mainly in animals.

Cellulose

A structural polysaccharide found in plant cell walls.

Chitin

A structural polysaccharide found in fungi and arthropods.

Cell theory

States that cells are the basic units of life, all organisms are made of cells, and all cells come from preexisting cells.

Magnification

Making an object appear larger.

Resolution

The ability to distinguish two nearby structures as separate.

Four common cell components

Plasma membrane, cytoplasm, DNA, and ribosomes.

Prokaryotic cells

Cells without a nucleus or membrane-bound organelles.

Eukaryotic cells

Cells with a nucleus and membrane-bound organelles.

Nucleoid

The region where prokaryotic DNA is located.

Nucleus

The organelle that contains most of the cell's DNA.

Ribosomes

Organelles that make proteins.

Mitochondria

Organelles responsible for producing ATP from stored energy.

Cristae

Folds of the inner mitochondrial membrane.

Chloroplasts

Organelles involved in photosynthesis.

Central vacuole

A large plant-cell organelle that helps regulate water and cell expansion.

Lysosomes

Organelles that break down large biomolecules and worn-out organelles.

Rough ER

Organelle that makes and modifies proteins.

Smooth ER

Organelle that makes lipids, helps detoxify substances, and stores calcium.

Golgi apparatus

Organelle that modifies, sorts, packages, and ships proteins and lipids.

Cytoskeleton components

Microfilaments, intermediate filaments, and microtubules.

Tight junctions

Watertight seals between animal cells.

Desmosomes

Structures that hold animal cells together like spot welds.

Gap junctions

Channels that allow small molecules and ions to pass between animal cells.

Virus

An infectious particle made of nucleic acid surrounded by a protein coat.

Capsid

The protein shell surrounding a viral genome.

Capsomeres

The protein subunits that make up a capsid.

Viral envelope

A membrane surrounding some viruses that helps them infect host cells.

Bacteriophages

Viruses that infect bacteria.

Obligate intracellular parasite

Something that can reproduce only inside a host cell.

Host range

The group of host species a virus can infect.

Lytic cycle

A cycle that produces new viruses and destroys the host cell.

Lysogenic cycle

A cycle in which viral DNA is copied with the host cell without immediately destroying it.

Prophage

Viral DNA incorporated into a bacterial chromosome.

CRISPR-Cas

A bacterial defense system that recognizes and destroys viral DNA.

Retrovirus

An RNA virus that uses reverse transcriptase to make DNA.

Reverse transcriptase

An enzyme used by retroviruses to make DNA from RNA.

HIV

A retrovirus that causes AIDS.

Provirus

Viral DNA permanently integrated into a host cell's genome.

Vaccine

A harmless form or part of a pathogen that stimulates the immune system.

Emerging virus

A virus that suddenly appears or begins spreading in a population.

Pandemic

A global epidemic.

Horizontal transmission

Spread of a virus from an external source.

Vertical transmission

Inheritance of a virus from a parent.

Prion

An infectious protein that causes normal proteins to misfold and form harmful aggregates.