CELL1010 Chapter 1 - Dr. V Tulane University

biology

the study of life; science that observation, questioning, hypothesizing, experimental verification for proof, theoretical explanation for phenomena.

seven common characteristics of life

cells and organization, energy use and metabolism, responses to environmental changes, regulation and homeostasis, growth and development, reproduction, biological evolution

cell

simplest unit of organization

cell theory

states that all organisms are made of cells, cells are the smallest units of life, cells come from pre-existing cells via cell division

respiration

a type of chemical reactions that is responsible for the breakdown of nutrients and often releases energy in the process.

metabolism

what you refer to the collective chemical reactions involved with the breakdown and synthesis of cellular molecules

photosynthesis

what plants, algae and certain bacteria do. harness light energy.

homeostasis

to stay the same. what organisms do to maintain stable internal conditions

growth

produces more or larger cells

development

a series of changes in the properties of a cell, tissue, organ or organism. physiological changes.

DNA

genetic material which provides a blueprint for the organization, development and function of living things

genes

segments of DNA. usually transcribed onto mRNA and then translated into a polypeptide, units of heredity; code for a protein

polypeptide

the linear chain of amino acid sequences

protein

composed of one or more polypeptides, tools of gene expression

biological evolution

the phenomenon that populations of organisms change from generation to generation.

atom

the smallest unit of an element that has the chemical properties of the element. all matter is composed of this

molecules

atoms bond together to form this

macromolecule

many molecules bond to form this

cells

molecules and macromolecules associate with each other to form this large structure.

tissues

formed by many cells

organ

formed by two or more tissues

organism

formed by organs

species

a related group of organisms

population

a group of organisms of the same species that occupy the same environment

community

an assemblage of populations of different species

ecosystem

formed by interactions of a community of organisms with their physical environment

biosphere

includes all of the laces on Earth where living organisms exist.

lineage

the traditional way to view evolution. a vertical manner which involves a progression of changes in a series of ancestors

vertical evolution

also called lineage. a vertical manner which involves a progression of changes in a series of ancestors

mutations

random changes in the genetic material of organisms

natural selection

when the frequency of a mutation increases from generation to generation

horizontal gene transfer

genes sometimes transferred between organisms of different species. usually in prokaryotic cells

taxonomy

the grouping of species based on a common ancestor

the three domains

bacteria, archaea, eukarya

prokaryotic domains

bacteria, arcahea

eukaryotic domains

eukarya

binomial nomenclature

a two part description that biologists use to refer to organisms

genome

the complete genetic composition of an organism; evolution history and relatedness of all living organisms

proteome

refers to all the proteins that a cell or organism can make

bioluminescence

the ability of some living organisms to produce and emit light due to reactions in which chemical energy is converted to light energy

ecology

the study of organisms in their natural environment

anatomy and physiology

the structures and functions of plants and animals

cell biology

the study of cells

molecular biology

study individual molecules such as proteins in living cells

reductionism

involves reducing complex systems to simpler components as a way to understand how the system works

systems biology

term used to describe research aimed at understanding how the properties of life arise by complex interactions

hypothesis

a proposed explanation for a natural phenomenon

predictions

what a hypothesis must do. the expected outcomes that can be shown to be correct or incorrect

falsifiable

if a hypothesis is incorrect it should be this which means that it can be shown to be incorrect by additional observations or experimentation.

theory

a broad explanation of some aspect of the natural world that is substantiated by a large body of evidence.

discovery based science

the collection and analysis of data without the need for a preconceived hypothesis; the goal is to gather information, often leads to hypothesis testing

hypothesis testing

also known as the scientific method. you use this to test the validity of a hypothesis.
1. Observation
2. Hypothesis
3. Experimentation
4. Data Analysis
5. Hypothesis is accepted or rejected

control group

part of the scientific method. this group is the group you will compare the other group to. usually not the ones being tested

experimental group

this group is the one you are testing

anabolism

the making or building of large molecules from smaller ones by using energy. A type of metabolism.

catabolism

larger compounds are broken down to make smaller compounds by releasing energy. A type of metabolism.

endospore

take their DNA, encapsulate it, and protect it til favorable conditions arrive.

ideal body temperature for humans

98.6* F

unicellular growth

changes in density of a unicellular organism

variation

raw material for evolution

evolution

accumulation of change over time

theory of acquired inheritance

when you use something more it becomes more dominant; when you use something less it becomes less prominent.

parthinogenesis

producing an offspring without fertilization (ex. male ants arise from unfertilized eggs)

levels of organization

1. Atoms
2. Molecule & Macromolecules
3. Cells (cellular level)
4. Tissues
5. Organs
6. Organism (organismal level)
7. Population (population level)
8. Community
9. Ecosystem
10. Biosphere

unity

some characteristics are preserved over time in the process of evolution

analogous

structures that look similar because they have similar function. Do NOT share the same ancestor.

homologous

came from same ancestor, but structures that look different developed for their own their own function.

introns

intervening sequences in DNA

exons

coding sequences

deductive

applies general principles to predict scientific results

inductive

uses specific observations to construct general scientific principles

pleiotropic

one gene has many phenotypic effects