Biology 1 - Core Themes, Natural Selection, and Scientific Method

Vocabulary flashcards derived from Biology 1 lecture covering core biological themes, domains of life, natural selection, and experimental design terms.

Emergent Properties

Properties that result from the arrangement and interaction of parts within a biological system.

Transcription

The biological process where cell DNA is used to synthesize messenger RNA (mRNA).

Translation

The biological process where mRNA information is translated into a chain of amino acids to fold into a protein.

Crystallin

Transparent proteins tightly packed inside lens cells, synthesized using genetic information from DNA.

Homeostasis

The maintenance of stable internal conditions in an organism, such as the negative feedback regulation of glucose in the blood.

Insulin

A hormone produced by pancreatic cells that circulates through the body to prompt body cells to take up glucose and liver cells to store it.

Domain Eukarya

The biological domain comprising eukaryotic organisms, including Kingdom Plantae, Kingdom Fungi, Kingdom Animalia, and Protists.

Natural Selection

The gradual process by which traits become more or less common in a population based on the level of reproductive success they confer.

Evolution

Change over time in a population occurring as unequal reproductive success among individuals produces overall population changes.

Conditions of Natural Selection

The three necessary criteria for natural selection: variation in a trait, heritability of the trait, and differential reproductive success.

Certhidea olivacea

The scientific name for the insect-eating Green warbler finch.

Geospiza magnirostris

The scientific name for the seed-eating Large ground finch.

Hypothesis

An explanation, based on observations and assumptions, that leads to a testable prediction.

Constants

The factors in an experiment that are kept consistent across all tested groups.

Independent Variable

The variable in an experiment representing the cause, which is manipulated by the researcher.

Dependent Variable

The variable in an experiment representing the effect, which is monitored and measured by the researcher.

Control Group

The group or groups in an experiment for which the outcome is already known.

Experimental Group

The group or groups in an experiment for which the outcome is unknown.