Module 1: Scientific Study of Life

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering the characteristics of life, biological organization, classification systems, and the scientific method as presented in the Chapter 1 lecture notes.

Biology

The study of life.

Order

A characteristic of all life reflecting a complex organization where cells, tissues, organs, and systems follow specific patterns.

Reproduction

The formation of new cells or new generations, which can range from a single cell dividing to two adults having a child.

Growth and Development

The process of increasing in size, maturing, or growing replacement cells to heal wounds.

Responsiveness

How organisms react to stimuli they hear, see, feel, or eat, such as plants growing toward sunlight or bacteria swimming toward food.

Energy Utilization

The process of taking in energy and transforming it into working parts, such as through cellular respiration or photosynthesis.

DNA

Deoxyribonucleic acid; the hereditary information on how to make every protein the body will ever need.

Gene

A specific piece of DNA that contains the information for a particular protein.

Evolutionary Adaptation

The process of changing to suit an environment, often involving changes in DNA that affect an organism's appearance or traits over generations.

Natural Selection

The principle that individuals with favorable traits survive better and have more offspring, passing those traits to the next generation.

Chemical Level

The level of organization where atoms like carbon and oxygen combine to form molecules such as $H_2O$, $O_2$, and $NaCl$.

Cell

The level of organization where a group of molecules work together; it is the basic unit of life.

Tissue

A group of cells working together to perform a particular function, classified into four major types: epithelial, muscle, connective, and nervous.

Organ

A structure composed of several different tissues working together, such as the stomach, liver, or femur.

Organ System

Several organs working together to perform complex functions, such as the digestive or respiratory systems.

Organism

Several organ systems working together to form a single living being, such as a human or a plant.

Species

A group of similar, potentially interbreeding organisms.

Population

A group of individuals of the same species living in the same defined area.

Community

Populations of several different species living and interacting in the same area.

Ecosystem

A system formed by the interaction of a community of living organisms with their nonliving environment.

Biosphere

The sum of all the ecosystems on Earth; also referred to as Biosphere 1.

Producers

Organisms, primarily plants, that produce food for themselves and an ecosystem through processes like photosynthesis.

Consumers

Organisms that obtain energy by eating plants and other animals.

Decomposers

Organisms like bacteria, fungi, and worms that eat dead or decaying matter and return nutrients to the soil.

Prokaryotic Cells

Smaller, simpler cells that lack a nucleus and organelles; an example is bacteria.

Eukaryotic Cells

Larger, more complex cells that contain a nucleus and organelles; examples include plants, animals, and fungi.

Domain Bacteria

A domain containing normal bacteria that live in mild conditions, such as E. coli or Staph. aureus.

Domain Archaea

A domain containing ancient bacteria that live in extreme conditions, such as very hot, very cold, or highly acidic environments.

Domain Eukarya

A domain containing all eukaryotic organisms, including plants, animals, fungi, and protists.

Viruses

Very small, nonliving infectious agents that cannot reproduce without a host and do not meet the full qualifications for being alive.

Prions

Disease-causing infectious proteins, often associated with conditions like mad cow disease.

Hypothesis

A testable explanation for past experiences or observations.

Experiment

A test designed to prove or disprove a hypothesis by observing the effects of changing variables.

Control Group

The normal group in an experiment where all conditions remain the same, used as a baseline for comparison.

Experimental Group

The group in an experiment where exactly one variable is changed to test a hypothesis.

Placebo

An inactive treatment, such as a sugar pill, given to a control group so they believe they are receiving the same treatment as the experimental group.

Data

The recorded results or observations collected from an experiment.

Conclusion

The meaning or final summary derived from the data of an experiment, indicating if the hypothesis was supported.