Honors Biology

What is Biology?

The scientific study of life, covering the structure, function, growth, origin, evolution, and distribution of living organisms.

What is a Cell?

The basic structural and functional unit of all known living organisms; the smallest unit of an organism that is considered alive.

What is Photosynthesis?

The process by which plants and other organisms convert light energy into chemical energy to fuel their activities.

What is Cellular Respiration?

The process where cells break down glucose to produce energy, involving glycolysis, the Krebs cycle, and oxidative phosphorylation.

What is Mitosis?

A type of cell division that results in two daughter cells each having the same number and kind of chromosomes as the parent nucleus, typical of ordinary tissue growth.

What is Meiosis?

A type of cell division that results in four daughter cells each with half the number of chromosomes of the parent cell, as in the production of gametes and plant spores.

What is a Gene?

The genetic makeup of an organism or cell.

What is a Chromosome?

A thread-like structure of nucleic acids and protein found in the nucleus of most living cells, carrying genetic information in the form of genes.

What is Heredity?

The process by which genetic information is passed from parents to their offspring.

What is Evolution?

The process by which organisms change over time as a result of changes in heritable physical or behavioral traits.

What is a Phylogenetic Tree?

A branching diagram showing the inferred evolutionary relationships among various biological species or other entities based upon similarities and differences in their physical or genetic characteristics.

What is Ecology?

The branch of biology dealing with interactions among organisms and between organisms and their environment.

What is a Species?

A group of living organisms consisting of similar individuals capable of exchanging genes or interbreeding.

What is a Population?

A group of individuals of the same species living and interacting in a given area.

What is a Community?

An interacting group of various species in a common location.

What is an Ecosystem?

An ecological community together with its environment, functioning as a unit.

What is the Biosphere?

The regions of the surface, atmosphere, and hydrosphere of the earth occupied by living organisms.

What is an Autotroph?

An organism that is able to form nutritional organic substances from simple inorganic substances such as carbon dioxide.

What is a Heterotroph?

An organism that cannot produce its own food, instead taking nutrition from other sources of organic carbon, mainly plant or animal matter.

What is a Herbivore?

A consumer that primarily eats plants.

What is a Carnivore?

A consumer that primarily eats meat.

What is an Omnivore?

An organism that eats both plants and animals.

What is a Detritivore?

An organism that feeds on dead or decaying organic matter.

What is a Decomposer?

An organism that breaks down dead or decaying organisms, carrying out decomposition.

What is a Food Chain?

A linear sequence of organisms through which nutrients and energy pass as one organism eats another.

What is a Food Web?

A graphical representation of the interconnected food chains in an ecological community.

What is a Trophic Level?

Each of several hierarchical levels in an ecosystem, comprising organisms that share the same function in the food chain and the same nutritional relationship to the primary sources of energy.

What is Ecological Succession?

The process by which the structure of an ecological community evolves over time.

What is Biodiversity?

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

What is a Habitat?

The natural home or environment of an animal, plant, or other organism.

What is a Niche?

The role and position a species has in its environment; how it meets its needs for food and shelter, how it survives, and how it reproduces.

What is Symbiosis?

A close and prolonged interaction between organisms of different species.

What is Mutualism?

Symbiosis that is beneficial to both organisms involved.

What is Commensalism?

A relationship between two organisms in which one benefits and the other is neither harmed nor helped.

What is Parasitism?

A relationship between two organisms of different species where one benefits and the other is harmed.

What is Molecular Biology?

The study of the molecular basis of genes and gene expression; molecular genetics.

What is Physiology?

The scientific study of the functions and mechanisms in a living system.

What is Anatomy?

The study of the structure and organization of living organisms.

What is Ethology?

The scientific study of animal behavior.

What is Taxonomy?

The branch of biology concerned with the identification, naming, and classification of species.

What is Adaptation?

The process of change by which an organism or species becomes better suited to its environment.

What is Homeostasis?

The maintenance of stable internal conditions in an organism in response to changes in the environment.

What is a Tissue?

A group of similar cells performing a specific function.

What is an Organ?

A collection of tissues performing a specific function or set of functions.