Bio Flashcards

What is Ecology?

The branch of biology that deals with the relationships of organisms to one another and to their physical surroundings.

What is Biochemistry of Life?

The study of chemical processes within and relating to living organisms.

What does the study of Cell Structure, Function, & Transport involve?

The study of the structure and function of cells and the processes that occur within them.

What is Cellular Energy?

The study of how cells produce and use energy.

What is Experimental Design?

The process of planning an experiment to ensure that it yields valid and reliable results.

What are Experimental Variables?

Factors in an experiment that can be changed or controlled to test the effects on the outcome.

What is a Dependent Variable?

The variable that is measured in an experiment.

What is an Independent Variable?

The variable that is changed or controlled in an experiment.

What are Controlled Variables (Constants)?

Factors that are kept constant to ensure that the results are valid.

What is the difference between a Control Group and Controlled Variables?

The control group is not exposed to the independent variable, while controlled variables are kept constant.

What is a Hypothesis?

A proposed explanation for a phenomenon, which can be tested.

What is a Theory?

A broader explanation for a set of related phenomena, supported by a large body of evidence.

What is a Law in scientific terms?

A statement that describes an observable phenomenon or a natural occurrence.

What are Emergent Properties?

New attributes of a system that arise from the interaction and arrangement of its components.

What are the Levels of Ecological Hierarchy?

The organization of biological systems, ranging from populations to communities to ecosystems.

What are Biotic Factors?

Living components of an ecosystem.

What are Abiotic Factors?

Non-living components of an ecosystem.

What does Density & Dispersion refer to in ecology?

How individuals in a population are spaced within an area.

What are Demographics?

Statistical data relating to the population and particular groups within it.

What is Exponential Growth?

A growth pattern in which the population size doubles at a constant rate.

What is Logistic Growth?

Growth that starts exponentially but slows as the population approaches carrying capacity.

What is Population Density?

The number of individuals per unit area.

What are Density-Independent Factors?

Environmental factors that affect populations regardless of their density.

What are Density-Dependent Factors?

Factors that affect population growth based on the population density.

What is Population Dispersion?

The pattern of spacing among individuals within a population.

What is Uniform Dispersion?

A type of population dispersion where individuals are evenly spaced.

What is Random Dispersion?

A type of population dispersion where individuals are spread out in an unpredictable way.

What is Clumped Dispersion?

A type of population dispersion where individuals are grouped in patches.

What is Carrying Capacity (K)?

The maximum population size that an environment can sustain.

What is the difference between R vs K Selection?

R-selection favors high reproduction rates, while K-selection favors stable populations.

What is the Competitive Exclusion Principle?

The concept that two species competing for the same resource cannot coexist.

What is a Niche in ecology?

The role and position a species has in its environment.

What is Commensalism?

A relationship between two organisms where one benefits and the other is unaffected.

What is Mutualism?

A relationship between two organisms where both benefit.

What is Parasitism?

A relationship where one organism benefits at the expense of another.

What is Predation?

The act of one organism capturing and consuming another for food.

What is Competition?

The struggle between organisms for the same resources in a habitat.

What are Trophic Levels?

The hierarchical levels in an ecosystem, including producers, consumers, and decomposers.

What is the difference between Food Chains and Food Webs?

Food chains show a linear pathway of energy flow, while food webs display interconnected food chains.

What is the difference between Bioaccumulation and Biomagnification?

Bioaccumulation is the buildup of toxins in an organism, while biomagnification refers to the increase in concentration of toxins up the food chain.

What is the difference between Primary and Secondary Succession?

Primary succession occurs in lifeless areas, while secondary succession occurs in areas where a disturbance has destroyed a community.

What are Nutrient Cycles?

The movement and exchange of organic and inorganic matter back into the production of living matter.

What is the Carbon Cycle?

The cycle of carbon in the ecosystem, involving processes such as photosynthesis and respiration.

What is the Nitrogen Cycle?

The series of processes by which nitrogen and its compounds are interconverted in the environment.

What is the Phosphorus Cycle?

The cycle that describes the movement of phosphorus through the lithosphere, hydrosphere, and biosphere.

What is the Water Cycle?

The continuous movement of water through the environment via evaporation, condensation, and precipitation.

What are Eutrophic Bodies of Water?

Water bodies with high nutrient levels, leading to excessive plant growth.

What is an Element?

A pure substance made up of only one type of atom.

What is a Compound?

A substance formed when two or more elements chemically bond together.

What are Neutrons?

Subatomic particles found in the nucleus of an atom, with no charge.

What are Protons?

Positively charged subatomic particles found in the nucleus of an atom.

What are Electrons?

Negatively charged subatomic particles that orbit the nucleus of an atom.

What is the Atomic Nucleus?

The central part of an atom, containing protons and neutrons.

What is Atomic Mass?

The weighted average mass of an element's isotopes.

What is Potential Energy?

The energy stored in an object due to its position.

What are Valence Electrons?

Electrons in the outermost shell of an atom that are involved in bonding.

What are Chemical Bonds?

Forces that hold atoms together in a compound.

What is Electronegativity?

A measure of an atom's ability to attract and hold electrons.

What is an Ion?

An atom or molecule that has gained or lost one or more electrons and has a charge.

What are Ionic Compounds?

Compounds formed from the electrostatic attraction between oppositely charged ions.

What is a Polar Molecule?

A molecule with a partial positive charge on one end and a partial negative charge on the other.

What is Cohesion?

The attraction between molecules of the same substance.

What is Adhesion?

The attraction between molecules of different substances.

What is Capillary Action?

The ability of a liquid to flow in narrow spaces without external forces.

What is a Hydrogen Bond?

A weak bond between two molecules, resulting from an electrostatic attraction between a proton in one molecule and an electronegative atom in the other.

What is Kinetic Energy?

The energy of an object due to its motion.

What is Evaporative Cooling?

The process by which the evaporation of a liquid cools the surface from which it evaporates.

What is Specific Heat?

The amount of heat required to raise the temperature of a substance.

What is a Solvent?

A substance that dissolves a solute, resulting in a solution.

What is a Solute?

The substance that is dissolved in a solution.

What is a Hydration Shell?

The layer of water molecules that surround and interact with a solute.

What does Hydrophilic mean?

Substances that are attracted to water and can dissolve in it.

What does Hydrophobic mean?

Substances that repel water and do not dissolve in it.

What is pH?

A measure of how acidic or basic a solution is.

What is an Acid?

A substance that increases the concentration of hydrogen ions (H+) in a solution.

What is a Base?

A substance that decreases the concentration of hydrogen ions (H+) in a solution.

What is a Buffer?

A solution that resists changes in pH when acids or bases are added.

What is Molarity?

A measure of the concentration of a solute in a solution.

What is Organic Chemistry?

The study of the structure, properties, composition, reactions, and preparation of carbon-containing compounds.

What are the Major Elements of Life?

The essential elements that make up living organisms, primarily carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, phosphorus, and sulfur.

What are Hydrocarbons?

Organic compounds consisting exclusively of hydrogen and carbon.

What are Isomers?

Compounds with the same molecular formula but different structures.

What are Structural Isomers?

Isomers that differ in the covalent arrangements of their atoms.

What are Geometric (cis/trans) Isomers?

Isomers that differ in the arrangement of groups around a double bond.

What are Enantiomers?

Isomers that are mirror images of each other.

What are Functional Groups?

Specific groups of atoms within molecules that are responsible for the characteristic reactions of those molecules.

What is a Hydroxyl Group?

-OH; a functional group that makes a molecule more polar and water-soluble.

What is a Carbonyl Group (ketone/aldehyde)?

A functional group consisting of a carbon atom double-bonded to an oxygen atom.

What is a Carboxyl Group?

-COOH; a functional group that can act as an acid by donating a hydrogen ion.

What is an Amino Group?

-NH2; a functional group that acts as a base by picking up a hydrogen ion.

What is a Sulfhydryl Group?

-SH; a functional group that can stabilize protein structure.

What is a Phosphate Group?

-PO4; a functional group involved in energy transfer and nucleic acids.

What is a Methyl Group?

-CH3; a nonpolar functional group that can affect gene expression.

What is ATP?

A high-energy molecule found in every cell; the energy currency of the cell.

What is GTP?

Guanosine triphosphate, an energy source for protein synthesis.

What are Macromolecules?

Large complex molecules, typically consisting of thousands of atoms.

What is a Polymer?

A large molecule composed of repeating structural units.

What is a Monomer?

A small molecule that can join together with other small molecules to form a polymer.

What is a Condensation Reaction?

A chemical reaction that combines molecules with the release of a water molecule.

What is a Dehydration Reaction?

A chemical reaction that involves the loss of a water molecule.