Biology Topic 1

Biology

The scientific study of life.

Emergent Properties

Characteristics that arise from the arrangement and interaction of parts within a system.

Reductionist Approach

Studying isolated components of a living system.

Systems Biology

Analysis of interactions among parts of a biological system. Can be used to study life at all levels

Cell

The smallest unit of organization that can perform all activities required for life.

Prokaryotic Cells

Simpler and smaller cells without a nucleus or membrane-enclosed organelles.

Eukaryotic Cells

Cells with membrane-enclosed organelles, including a nucleus which is the largest.

DNA

The genetic material containing chromosomes that encode information for building molecules.

Genomics

The study of sets of genes in one or more species. This approach depends on “high-throughput” technology which provides enormous amounts of data

Proteomics

The study of whole sets of proteins and their properties.

Bioinformatics

The use of computational tools to process large volumes of biological data.

Feedback Regulation

The process where the output of a process regulates that very process.

Negative Feedback

a more common form of Regulation where the output reduces the initial stimulus.

Positive Feedback

A less common form of regulation where an end product speeds up its own production.

Domains of Organisms

Bacteria, Archaea, and Eukarya.

Element

A substance that cannot be broken down into simpler substances.

Compound

A substance consisting of two or more elements in a fixed ratio.

Molecule

Two or more atoms chemically joined together.

Atomic Number

The number of protons in an atom's nucleus.

Mass Number

The sum of protons and neutrons in an atom's nucleus.

Isotopes

Atoms of the same element with different numbers of neutrons.

Radioactive Isotopes

Isotopes that decay spontaneously, emitting particles and energy.

Potential Energy

The energy that matter has due to its location or structure.

Valence Electrons

Electrons in the outermost shell of an atom that determine chemical behavior.

Covalent Bond

A bond formed by the sharing of a pair of valence electrons between atoms.

Ionic Bond

An attraction between a positively charged ion (cation) and a negatively charged ion (anion).

Hydrogen Bond

A weak bond formed when a hydrogen atom covalently bonded to one electronegative atom is attracted to another electronegative atom.

Reactants

The starting molecules in a chemical reaction.

Products

The final molecules in a chemical reaction.

Chemical Equilibrium

A state where the forward and reverse reactions occur at the same rate.

Cohesion

The tendency of water molecules to stick together due to hydrogen bonding.

Surface Tension

A measure of how difficult it is to break the surface of a liquid.

Solvent

The liquid that acts as the dissolving agent in a solution.

Solute

The substance that gets dissolved in a solution.

Aqueous Solution

A solution where water is the solvent.

Molarity

The number of moles of solute per liter of solution.

Acid

A substance that increases the H+ concentration in a solution.

Base

A substance that decreases the H+ concentration in a solution.

Buffer

A substance that minimizes changes in H+ and OH– concentrations in a solution.

Macromolecules

Large, complex molecules essential for life, including carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids.

Polymer

A long molecule consisting of many similar building blocks (monomers).

Monomer

The repeating units that serve as building blocks for polymers.

Dehydration Reaction

A reaction where two monomers bond together through the loss of a water molecule.

Hydrolysis

A reaction that disassembles polymers into monomers by adding water.

Carbohydrates

Sugars and polymers of sugars, serving as major fuel for cells.

Lipids

Hydrophobic molecules that include fats, phospholipids, and steroids.

Proteins

Molecules that perform a variety of functions, including catalyzing reactions and providing structural support.

Amino Acids

Organic molecules that serve as the building blocks of proteins.

Peptide Bond

The covalent bond linking amino acids in a protein.

Nucleic Acids

Polymers made of nucleotides, including DNA and RNA.

Gene Expression

The process by which information from a gene is used to synthesize a functional gene product, typically a protein.

Double Helix

The structure formed by two polyn

Cell

Each one of these is enclosed by a membrane that regulates passage of materials between the cell and its environment

Prokaryotic

Bacterial and archaean cells

Eukaryotic Cells

All other cell forms that aren’t prokaryotic

Genes

units of inheritance and encode information for building the molecules synthesized within the cell. Usually creates the blueprint for the production of protein.

Gene Expression

Genes are encoded into DNA. DNA turns into RNA. RNA turns into a protein. This is gene expression

proteome

The entire set of proteins expressed by a given cell, tissue, or organ

Feedback

The self-regulation of biological processes

5 unifying themes within biological sciences

organization, information, energy and matter, interactions, and evolution.

Bioinformatics

The use of computational tools to process a large volume of data

Negative feedback

a form of regulation that occurs by the output reducing the initial stimulus (More common)

Positive feedback

when an end product speeds up it’s own production.(Less common)

Domains of Life

Bacteria, Archaea, and Eukarya.

Prokaryotes

Bacteria and Archaea are considered _______

Eukarya

This domain includes all eukaryotic organisms. Including the protists and three kingdoms plants, fungi, animals.

Eukarya Classification

Domain Eukarya includes the protists and three kingdoms:Plants, Fungi, and Animals.

Photosynthesis

Plants produce their own food by photosynthesis.

Nutrient Absorption

Fungi absorb nutrients.

Protists

The most numerous and diverse eukaryotes, which are mostly single-celled organisms.

Protist Classification

_______ are classified into several groups and can be more related to plants, animals, and fungi than to other _____.

DNA

_____is the universal genetic language common to all organisms.

Data

Recorded observations

Qualitative Data

data often take the form of recorded descriptions.

Quantitative Data

data that are expressed as numerical measurements, organized into tables and graphs.

Biology vs

Biology is marked by “discoveries,” while technology is marked by “inventions.”

Element

A substance that cannot be broken down to other substances by chemical reactions.

Compound

A substance consisting of two or more elements in a fixed ratio.

Molecule

Two or more atoms chemically joined together (e.g., molecular oxygen).

20-25%

About ____% of the 92 natural elements required for life.

96%

Carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen make up ___% of living matter.

4%

Most of the remaining __% consists of calcium, phosphorus, potassium, and sulfur.

Trace elements

Elements required by an organism in only minute quantities.

Unique atoms

Each element consists of unique atoms.

Atom

The smallest unit of matter that still retains the properties of an element. They are composed of subatomic particles.

Subatomic particles

Atoms are composed of ____

Neutrons, Protons, Elements

relevant subatomic particles are:

Protons

Subatomic particles with a positive charge.

Electrons

Subatomic particles with a negative charge.

Atomic nucleus

Neutrons and protons form the ______

negative charge

Electrons form a “cloud” of _____ charge around the nucleus.

Neutron and proton mass

Neutron mass and proton mass are almost identical.

Radiometric Dating

A method used to date materials by measuring the ratio of parent isotopes to daughter isotopes and calculating the number of half-lives that have passed.

Parent Isotope

The original radioactive isotope that decays into a daughter isotope at a fixed rate.

Daughter Isotope

The product of the decay of a parent isotope.

Half-Life

The time required for half of the parent isotope in a sample to decay into the daughter isotope.

Energy

The capacity to cause change.

Potential Energy

The energy that matter possesses due to its location or structure.

Electron Shell

The state of potential energy of an electron in an atom, also known as an energy level.

Valence Electrons

Electrons located in the outermost shell of an atom that determine its chemical behavior.