Integrative Physiology and Ecology - Week 1 Lecture 2

These flashcards cover key concepts from the introductory lecture on integrative physiology and ecology, focusing on definitions and principles important for understanding biology.

Integrative Physiology

The study of how individual organisms work and the coordination of their systems.

Horizontal Integration

The study of interactions between organisms and their environment.

Vertical Integration

The understanding of how different levels of biological organization interact, from cells to ecosystems.

Temporal Integration

The analysis of how organisms have changed over evolutionary time.

Biology

The study of life and the processes that govern the functions of living organisms.

Characteristics of Life

Complexity, the ability to respond to the environment, reproduction, and the capacity for evolution.

Plasma Membrane

A biological membrane that separates and protects the interior of a cell from the external environment.

First Law of Thermodynamics

Energy cannot be created or destroyed; it can only be transformed from one form to another.

Entropy

A measure of disorder or randomness in a system, which tends to increase over time according to the second law of thermodynamics.

Evolution

Change in the heritable characteristics of biological populations over successive generations.

DNA

Deoxyribonucleic acid, the molecule that carries genetic information in cells.

Phylogenetic Tree

A diagram that represents evolutionary relationships among species or groups.

Ecology

The study of how organisms interact with one another and with their environment.

Metabolism

The set of chemical reactions that occur in living organisms to maintain life.

Prokaryotes

Cells that lack a nucleus and membrane-bound organelles, including bacteria and archaea.

Eukaryotes

Cells that contain a nucleus and membrane-bound organelles.

Extinction

The end of an organism or a group of organisms, often caused by environmental changes or loss of habitat.