key terms

Adaptation

An inherited characteristic that enhances an organism's survival and reproduction in a specific environment.

Biosphere

The entire portion of Earth inhabited by life, including all living organisms and the physical environments they occupy.

Cell

The fundamental unit of life, capable of carrying out all life processes.

Chromosome

A structure composed of DNA and proteins that carries genetic information.

Community

An assemblage of different populations of organisms living in the same area and interacting with one another.

Controlled Experiment

An experiment in which an experimental group, exposed to a particular treatment, is compared with a control group that is not exposed to the treatment.

Deductive Reasoning

The process of using general principles to make specific predictions.

Dependent Variable

The factor that is measured in an experiment in response to changes in the independent variable.

DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid)

The molecule that carries genetic information in all living organisms.

Ecosystem

A community of organisms interacting with their physical environment, including both biotic and abiotic components.

Emergent Property

A novel characteristic that arises at each level of biological organization, resulting from the arrangement and interaction of parts.

Eukaryotic Cell

A complex cell with a membrane-bound nucleus and other membrane-bound organelles.

Evolution

The process of change in the genetic makeup of populations over time, leading to the diversity of life on Earth.

Gene

A unit of inheritance that encodes information for building a protein.

Gene Expression

The process by which information encoded in DNA is used to synthesize proteins.

Genome

The complete set of genetic material in an organism.

Genomics

The study of whole genomes, including the interactions of genes.

Homeostasis

The maintenance of a stable internal environment in an organism.

Hypothesis

A testable explanation for an observation.

Independent Variable

The factor that is manipulated by the experimenter in a controlled experiment.

Inductive Reasoning

The process of drawing general conclusions from specific observations.

Natural Selection

The mechanism of evolution proposed by Darwin, in which individuals with traits better suited to their environment are more likely to survive and reproduce.

Organelle

A specialized structure within a cell that carries out a specific function.

Organism

An individual living thing.

Population

A group of individuals of the same species living in the same area and potentially interbreeding.

Prokaryotic Cell

A simple cell lacking a membrane-bound nucleus and other membrane-bound organelles.

Proteomics

The study of the complete set of proteins encoded by a genome.

Scientific Method

A systematic approach to scientific inquiry that involves making observations, formulating hypotheses, conducting experiments, analyzing data, and drawing conclusions.

Species

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

Taxonomy

The science of classifying organisms.

Theory

A well-substantiated explanation of a natural phenomenon, supported by a large body of evidence and widely accepted within the scientific community.