Biology 1 General Biology Flashcards: Unit 1

These flashcards cover the major topics discussed in Biology 1, including chemistry, the cell, evolution, diversity, human impact, and human health.

What are the Major Topics in Biology?

Chemistry, The Cell, Evolution, Diversity, Human Impact, Human Health

What is Science?

The process of understanding the natural world.

What is scientific literacy?

A general, fact-based understanding of the basics of the scientific method.

What is Biology?

The study of life.

What is Biology Literacy?

The ability to use the process of scientific inquiry to think creatively about real-world issues that have a biological component.

List the steps of the Scientific Method

Observation, Question, Hypothesis, Experiment, Results, Conclusion

What is an independent variable?

What is being manipulated as a potential cause.

What is a dependent variable?

The response, output, or effect under investigation.

What is a negative control?

A group for which no change is expected.

What is a positive control?

A group for which a change is expected.

What is a theory?

A hypothesis that has stood the test of time. Explains a great many observations, has not been shown to be false, and can be refuted, but very unlikely.

What is pseudoscience?

Any field of study that is falsely presented as having a scientific basis.

What are anecdotal observations?

Based on a few observations, no proven links between claims.

Why does science have limits?

Science helps us make sense of the natural world. It will never prove or disprove the existence of God.

What is matter?

Anything that occupies space and has mass.

What is an atom?

The smallest unit of matter that cannot be broken down into any other substance.

What is an element?

Different types of atoms, based on the number of protons present.

What are the parts of an atom?

Protons, Neutrons, Electrons.

What is an isotope?

Atoms with the same number of protons but vary in the number of neutrons.

What four elements make up the bulk of living cells?

Oxygen, Carbon, Hydrogen, and Nitrogen

What is a stable atom?

Completely filled outer electron shells.

What is a reactive atom?

Incompletely filled outer electron shells.

Why is carbon versatile?

Carbon has 4 electrons on its outer shell and needs 4 more electrons to be stable.

With what does carbon most commonly bond?

Hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, other carbons.

What are the three types of chemical bonds?

Covalent bonds, ionic bonds, hydrogen bonds.

What are covalent bonds?

When atoms share electrons.

What are ionic bonds?

One atom transfers one or more electrons to another.

What are hydrogen bonds?

Attractions between opposite charges.

What is electronegativity?

It describes that O2 doesn’t want to share electrons well.

Why is water essential to life?

Cohesion and Adhesion, Temperature Regulation, Ice Floating, Water as a Solvent

What is cohesion?

Water molecules stick to each other.

What is adhesion?

Water molecules stick to other surfaces.

Why does ice float?

Liquid water - the h-bonds are constantly breaking and reforming. Ice - the h-bonds are long-lasting.

What is a solvent?

A dissolving agent to form a mixture called a solution.

What is pH?

Power of hydrogen.

What is an acid?

Fluids with pH < 7 has more H+ ions.

What is a base?

Fluids with pH > 7 has more OH- ions.

What are the four classes of macromolecules?

Carbohydrates, Lipids, Proteins, Nucleic Acids

What are carbohydrates?

Includes sugars and large molecules made of sugar (saccharine) units.

What are simple sugars?

Monosaccharides, disaccharides. Ex: glucose, fructose. Only 1-2 sugar units

What are complex carbohydrates?

Polysaccharides. 3 sugar units or more.

What is glycogen?

Storage of energy for animals

What is starch?

Storage of energy for plants.

What is cellulose?

Makes plant cell walls

What is chitin?

Exoskeleton material

What happens to unused “blood sugar?”

Converts into glycogen (short term) or fat (long term) for future use.

What is cellulose?

Forms plant cell walls and structure.

What are lipids?

More Carbon-Hydrogen bonds than carbohydrates, which results in more energy.

What are fats?

Energy storage

What are sterols?

Regulatory roles in animals. Ex: cholesterol, sex hormones

What are phospholipids?

Forms membranes that enclose cells.

What are waxes?

Protects against water loss.

What is a saturated fat?

All of the bonds between Carbons are single bonds. Mostly animal fats (meat, eggs, etc…). Not essential.

What is an unsaturated fat?

At least one of the bonds between Carbons is a double bond. Mostly plant fats (avocados, peanuts, olive oil, etc…). High in calories but can lower cholesterol.

What are proteins?

Building blocks of life.

What is an enzyme?

A class of proteins that assist in chemical reactions.

What are nucleic acids?

DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) and RNA (ribonucleic acid)

What two scientists discovered the cell?

In 1830, scientists discovered the cell with the invention of the microscope.

What is a prokaryotic cell?

No nucleus, DNA is in the cytoplasm. All single cellular.

What is a eukaryotic cell?

Has a nucleus that contains DNA. Can be multicellular.

List components all Bacteria have

Plasma membrane, cytoplasm, ribosomes, DNA.

Differences between Eukaryotes and Prokaryotes

Eukaryotes are larger in size. In addition to prokaryotic components, eukaryotes have additional components: Nucleus, organelles.

All Eukaryotes have the Following

plasma membrane, cytoplasm, ribosomes, and DNA. Nucleus, Cytoskeleton, Mitochondria, Other Organelles

What makes up the cell wall?

Cellulose

What are chloroplasts?

Solar power plant. Sites of photosynthesis – Conversion of light energy into food energy.

What is the plasma membrane?

A boundary between each cell and it’s surroundings.

What makes up the Plasma Membrane?

Phospholipids

What is diffusion?

Movement of a molecules from an area of higher concentration to an area of lower concentration.

What is osmosis?

The movement of water from low solute (higher water) to high solute (or lower water) concentration, does not require energy.

What is tonicity?

The relationship between the concentration of solutes inside the cell compared to solutes outside the cell.

What is active transport?

Active transport requires energy, and moves against the concentration gradient.

What is endocytosis?

Import large molecules into the cell.

What is exocytosis?

Export large molecules out of the cell.