BIOL-110 Final Exam Core Vocabulary

Comprehensive practice flashcards covering vocabulary from the BIOL-110 final exam syllabus, including biology fundamentals, cell biology, plant/animal systems, genetics, and ecology.

Sampling error

A difference between results derived from a specific group (sample) and the results from the whole population, often due to sample size.

pH

A measure of the acidity or alkalinity of a solution, representing the concentration of hydrogen ions.

Macromolecule

A very large organic molecule, such as a carbohydrate, lipid, protein, or nucleic acid, composed of many smaller units.

Cell Theory

The biological principle stating that all organisms consist of one or more cells, which are the basic unit of life, and all cells come from pre-existing cells.

Prokaryotic

A type of cell that lacks a nucleus and other membrane-bound organelles.

Selective Permeability

A characteristic of cell membranes that allows only certain substances to pass through while others are blocked.

Cellular Respiration Formula

$$C_6H_{12}O_6 + 6O_2 \rightarrow 6CO_2 + 6H_2O + \text{ATP}$$

Fermentation

An anaerobic pathway by which cells harvest energy from organic molecules in the absence of oxygen.

Photosynthesis Formula

$$6CO_2 + 6H_2O + \text{light energy} \rightarrow C_6H_{12}O_6 + 6O_2$$

Transpiration

The process by which water moves through a plant and evaporates from aerial parts like leaves and stems.

Water Potential

The measure of the relative tendency of water to move from one area to another, influenced by solute concentration and pressure.

Stomata

Small openings on the surfaces of leaves that regulate gas exchange and water loss.

Primary Growth

Growth originating at apical meristems which increases the length of plant roots and shoots.

Secondary Growth

Growth originating at lateral meristems (vascular cambium and cork cambium) that increases the thickness of stems and roots.

Apical Dominance

The phenomenon where the main central stem of the plant is dominant over other side stems, controlled by hormones like auxin.

Auxin

A plant hormone that coordinates many growth and behavioral processes in plant life cycles, including cell elongation.

Alternation of Generations

A life cycle that alternates between a multicellular haploid gametophyte stage and a multicellular diploid sporophyte stage.

Double Fertilization

A fertilization process in angiosperms where one sperm fertilizes the egg to form a zygote and another sperm fuses with two nuclei to form the endosperm.

Taxis

An innate behavioral response by an organism to a directional stimulus, resulting in movement toward or away from the stimulus.

Kinesis

A non-directional movement of an organism or cell in response to a stimulus, where the speed or rate of turning is proportional to the stimulus intensity.

Mitosis

A nuclear division process that maintains the chromosome number, used for growth, tissue repair, and asexual reproduction.

Meiosis

A two-stage nuclear division process that halves the chromosome number, producing haploid gametes for sexual reproduction.

Phenotype

The observable physical or functional traits of an individual, determined by the genotype and environment.

Genotype

The particular set of alleles carried by an individual's cells.

Hardy-Weinberg Equation

The formula used to calculate genotypic frequencies in a population: $p^2 + 2pq + q^2 = 1$.

Natural Selection

A process of evolution in which individuals with certain inherited traits survive and reproduce at higher rates than others.

Homologous Structures

Body parts that are similar in different lineages because they evolved from a common ancestor.

Analogous Structures

Body parts that look alike in different lineages but did not evolve from a common ancestor; they are the result of convergent evolution.

Biological Species Concept

Defining a species as a group of populations whose members have the potential to interbreed and produce fertile offspring.

Niche

The unique ecological role of a species within its community, including all resources it uses and its interactions.