Exploring_life__2_

Organism

An individual living entity that can act or function independently.

Population

A group of individuals of the same species living in a specific area.

Ecosystem

A community of living organisms and their physical environment interacting as a system.

Homeostasis

The ability of a living organism to maintain a stable internal environment despite external changes.

Adaptation

In biology, the process by which organisms adjust over time to improve survival and reproduction.

Biodiversity

The variety of life in the world or in a particular habitat or ecosystem.

Taxonomy

The science of naming, describing, and classifying organisms.

Species

A group of organisms that can interbreed and produce fertile offspring.

Genus

A classification category that ranks above species and below family, comprising species with common characteristics.

Emergent Properties

Characteristics of a system that arise from the interaction of its components, which cannot be understood by analyzing the components in isolation.

Scientific Method

A systematic process for investigation and experimentation used to acquire new knowledge.

Hypothesis

A proposed explanation for a phenomenon that can be tested through experimentation.

Inductive Reasoning

A form of reasoning in which a general conclusion is drawn from specific observations.

Deductive Reasoning

A logical process where a conclusion is based on the concordance of multiple premises that are generally assumed to be true.

Energy Metabolism

The biochemical processes that convert food into energy for growth, maintenance, and repair.

Structure and Function

The relationship between the shape or structure of a biological entity and its purpose or function.

Gene

A segment of DNA that contains the instructions for building proteins and can influence traits.

Producers

Organisms that produce their own food through photosynthesis, serving as a source of energy for consumers.

Consumer

An organism that obtains energy by eating other organisms.

Decomposer

Organisms that break down dead or decaying organic matter, recycling nutrients in the ecosystem.

Natural Selection

The process whereby organisms better adapted to their environment tend to survive and produce more offspring.

Evolution

The gradual process by which species change over time through genetic variation and natural selection.

Information Flow

The transmission of genetic and environmental information which guides development and functioning of living organisms.

Interactions within/between systems

The way in which components and systems influence each other, leading to emergent properties.