Biology Chapter 1

Biology

The scientific study of life

Cell Biology

Study of the fundamental unit of living things

Botany

Study of plants

Zoology

Study of animals

Genetics

Study of heredity

Ecology

Study of interactions between organisms and their environment

Evolution

Descent with modification due to genetic changes from generation to generation

Order

Life is characterized by highly ordered structures

Reproduction

The ability to produce more of their own kind

Growth and Development

Controlled by inherited information encoded in DNA

Energy Processing

Taking in energy and using it to power all activities

Regulation

The ability to maintain a beneficial internal environment

Response to the Environment

The ability to respond to environmental stimuli

Evolutionary Adaptation

Heritable traits best suited to their environment have greater reproductive success

Biosphere

Largest category, contains all environments on Earth

Ecosystem

Contains all biotic and abiotic components in an environment

Biotic

The living components of an ecosystem (animals, plants, bacteria)

Abiotic

The nonliving components of an ecosystem (water, light, pH, climate)

Community

All organisms in a specific area

Population

All individuals of a single species in a specific area

Organism

One individual

Organ System

A group of organs (i.e., Nervous System)

Organ

Performs a function, made of tissues (i.e., Brain)

Tissue

A group of similar cells that perform a specific function (i.e., Nervous tissue)

Cell

The fundamental structural and functional unit of life (i.e., Nerve cell)

Organelle

A membrane-enclosed structure that performs a specific function within a cell

Molecule

A chemical structure consisting of two or more units called atoms

Atom

The smallest unit of matter that retains the properties of an element

Emergent Properties

A unique property that "emerges" when components join to construct a higher-level object

Prokaryote

A smaller, less complex type of cell with no nucleus

Eukaryote

A larger type of cell that contains a nucleus

Species

A group of individuals with morphological similarities and the ability to reproduce viable, fertile young

Taxonomy

The scientific study of naming and classifying groups of organisms based on shared characteristics

Domain

The largest taxonomic category

Bacteria

Unicellular prokaryotes with no nucleus

Archaea

Unicellular prokaryotes that live in extreme environments (i.e., thermal vents, hot springs)

Eukarya

Domain of unicellular and multicellular organisms that have a nucleus

Fungi

Kingdom of decomposers that absorb nutrients from organic waste (mushrooms, molds, yeast)

Plantae

Kingdom of organisms that produce their own food through photosynthesis

Animalia

Kingdom of organisms that obtain nutrients by eating other organisms

Descent with Modification

Species living today arose from ancestors that were different than them, due to random changes in gene frequencies over time

Natural Selection

Changes in the frequency of genetic traits in a population through differential survival and reproduction of individuals bearing those traits

Genes

The unit of inheritance

Nucleotides

The four chemical building blocks (A, T, C, G) that make up a DNA molecule

Producer

A photosynthetic organism that produces food using energy from the sun

Consumer

An organism that obtains energy by eating other organisms

Decomposer

An organism that breaks down dead organic material, which is recycled

Quantitative Data

Numerical data (i.e., measurements, counts, duration)

Qualitative Data

Descriptive data (i.e., color, shape, texture)

Inductive Reasoning

Generalizations made from many observations

Deductive Reasoning

A prediction made based on generalizations

Experiment

Reproducible, orderly procedures carried out to test the credibility of a hypothesis

Experimental Group

The group receiving manipulation or treatment

Control Group

The group that receives no manipulation

Hypothesis

A proposed, testable, and falsifiable explanation for a set of observations

Null Hypothesis

States there is no difference between the treatment and control groups

Prediction

An if/then statement of a hypothesis

Theory

An explanatory idea widely accepted and supported by a large body of evidence, broader in scope than a hypothesis

Law

A generalized rule that explains a body of observations and always applies