A- Unity and Diversity

Water

Essential for life; it was where cells first formed.

Polar covalent bonds

Bonds in water molecules caused by oxygen's greater electronegativity than hydrogen.

Hydrogen bonds

Weak bonds formed between water molecules due to their polarity.

Cohesive

The property of water that creates surface tension.

Surface tension

The cohesive force that allows some animals to walk on water.

Good solvent

Water's ability to dissolve substances like sugars and enzymes.

Adhesive

Water's property of sticking to polar and charged substances.

Buoyant

Property of water making it more buoyant compared to air.

Specific heat capacity

Water's ability to absorb and retain heat well.

Goldilocks zone

The ideal distance from a star for a planet to have liquid water.

Nucleotides

Repeating units that make up nucleic acids.

Pentose sugar

One of the three parts of a nucleotide.

Nitrogenous base

One of the three parts of a nucleotide; can be adenine, guanine, cytosine, etc.

Phosphate group

One of the three parts of a nucleotide that forms covalent bonds with sugars.

Covalent bonds

Strong bonds formed between the phosphate of one nucleotide and the sugar of another.

Sugar-phosphate backbone

The structure formed by the covalent bonds in nucleic acids.

DNA

Double-stranded nucleic acid with deoxyribose sugar and specific nitrogenous bases.

RNA

Single-stranded nucleic acid with ribose sugar and specific nitrogenous bases.

Complementary base pairing

Base pairing in DNA where adenine pairs with thymine, and guanine pairs with cytosine.

Genetic code

The order of bases in DNA that carries genetic information.

Life processes

Eight essential processes all living things perform, like metabolism and reproduction.

Prokaryotic cells

Cells without a nucleus and membrane-bound organelles; DNA is free in the cytoplasm.

Eukaryotic cells

Cells with a nucleus and membrane-bound organelles.

Homologous structures

Anatomical features that show shared ancestry among different species.

Analogous structures

Features that perform similar functions but evolved independently.

Speciation

The process by which reproductive isolation leads to the evolution of separate species.

Biodiversity

The variety of life forms at three levels: genetic, species, and ecosystem diversity.

Mass extinction

A significant decrease in biodiversity at a global scale, currently caused by humans.

In situ conservation

Conservation of species in their natural habitats.

Ex situ conservation

Conservation of species outside their natural habitats, like in zoos.

Captive breeding

Breeding endangered species in controlled environments to increase their population.

Rewilding

Restoring ecosystems to their natural state and reintroducing species.

EDGE of Existence program

A program to protect species that are evolutionarily unique and at high risk of extinction.