Unit 1 - Exam Topics: Creative Commons Non-Commercial Share-Alike (Lectures 1-6)

Flashcards cover Unit 1 topics: basics, origin and evolution, inorganic chemistry I, water & pH, organic chemistry basics, and Examination I.

Fill in the Blank: The science that studies relationships between organisms and their environment is __.

Ecology

What are the components listed under the Scope of Ecology?

Habitat, Population, Community, Ecosystem

What is the Scientific Method?

A systematic process of inquiry involving observation, hypothesis formation, experimentation, data analysis, and conclusions.

Systematics, Taxonomy, and Phylogeny: what do these terms study or describe?

Systematics studies relationships among organisms; taxonomy classifies and names them; phylogeny describes evolutionary relationships.

Darwin & Evolution

Charles Darwin proposed natural selection as the mechanism of evolution (development alongside Alfred Russel Wallace).

The Origin of Life

Concepts about how life began on Earth (origin of life from non-living matter).

The Geological Time Scale

A framework for describing Earth's history and major evolutionary events in chronological order.

Cellular History

The history and evolution of cellular life on Earth.

Kingdoms and Domains

Biological classification structure; three domains—Bacteria, Archaea, Eukarya—and multiple kingdoms within them.

Inorganic Chemistry I: Definition, Classification and Properties of Matter

Study of inorganic matter: definitions, classification, and properties of matter.

Atomic Structure

Atoms consist of a nucleus (protons and neutrons) and electrons in orbit; determines identity and many properties.

The Periodic Table

A tabular arrangement of elements ordered by atomic number and grouped by similar properties.

Isotopes

Atoms of the same element with different numbers of neutrons.

Electrons and Energy

Electrons occupy energy levels; their arrangements relate to energy changes in chemical reactions.

Activation Energy

The minimum energy required to start a chemical reaction.

Exergonic and Endergonic Reactions

Exergonic reactions release energy; endergonic reactions require energy input.

Oxidation and Reduction

Oxidation is the loss of electrons; reduction is the gain of electrons.

Water and pH

Water’s properties and pH concepts, including acids, bases, and buffers.

The Hydrocarbons

Hydrocarbons are organic compounds composed only of carbon and hydrogen.