Science
The organized study of the structure & behavior of the physical & natural world through observation, experimentation, & the testing of theories against the evidence obtained (scientific method)
Scientific Method
Have to observe, ask people (experts), create hypothesis, experiment, get data from experiment & learn if it supports the hypothesis, after finding data you draw conclusions, then find others to look over the data & the conclusion you got from your experiment
Observations
A description, measurement, or record of any object or phenomenon
Hypothesis
An informed, logical, plausible, & testable explanation of the natural world
Independent Variable
The variable you manipulate (is fixed & uses x-axis)
Dependent Variable
What changes as a result of the control (what is measured & uses y-axis)
Controls
Have to compare to see what is more effective (taking something we already know about to compare it to something new to see what is more effective)
Experiment
A repeated manipulation of an aspect of the natural world (designed to test the validity of a hypothesis)
Fact (Evidence)
an indisputable observation of a natural or social phenomenon. We set out to gather evidence to see if our hypothesis is supported
Scientific Theory
Theory about what we think is happening or causes something to
Peer Review
Have to have others to look over what we got in our experiments to get other opinions
Biology
The scientific study of life & its interactions
Levels of Biological Organization
Atoms, molecules, cells, tissues, organs, organ systems, organisms, populations, communities, ecosystems, biosphere
Scientific Fact
It is the evidence obtained about the natural world using the scientific process & rendered to extensive peer-review
Atom
The smallest unit of an element & the basic structural unit
Element
A substance that cannot be broken down into simpler substances
Chemical Reaction
A process that forms & breaks chemical bonds that hold atoms together in molecules
Protons
Positively charged subatomic particles
Neutrons
Uncharged subatomic particles
Electrons
Negatively charge subatomic particles
Atomic Nucleus
The central part of an atom that contains protons & neutrons
Atomic Number
The number of protons in the nucleus
Atomic Mass
The total mass of all the protons, neutrons, & electrons within an atom
Atomic Model
A model used to describe the structure & makeup of an atom
Periodic Table
Organizes the elements according to their atomic numbers & chemical characteristics
Chemical Bond
An attraction between two atoms or molecules that tends to hold them together. Types of bonds include covalent, ionic, & hydrogen
Molecule
A particle composed of one or more atoms held together by chemical bonds; the smallest particle of a compound that displays all the properties of that compound
Ionic Bond
Bond between the opposite electrical charges of positively & negatively charged molecules or ions
Covalent Bond
Electrons are shared between atoms (Ex. The 2 Hydrogen atoms of Hydrogen gas (N₂), The Hydrogen & Oxygen atoms of a water molecule (H₂O))
Hydrogen Bond
Attractions occur between polar molecules in which hydrogen is bounded to oxygen or nitrogen. The slightly positive hydrogen attracts the slightly negative oxygen or nitrogen of a nearby polar molecule (Ex. Occurs between water molecules, slightly positive charges on hydrogen atoms attract slightly negative charges on oxygen atoms of nearby molecules)
Cohesion
The tendency of water molecules to stick together (produces surface tension)
Adhesion
The tendency of water molecules to cling to other substances (result is capillary action: movement of water into very narrow spaces)
Specific Heat
The amount of energy required to heat 1 gram of a substance by 1 °C
Heat of Vaporization
The amount of heat needed to cause a substance to evaporate
Hydrophobic
Regions of lipids that repel water
Hydrophilic
Region of lipids that do not repel water
Solvent
A substance that completely surrounds & disperses the atoms or molecules of another substance
Solute
What is dissolved
Solution
A substance with 1 or more dissolved substances
Acid
Solutions in which H⁺ exceeds the OH⁻
Base
Increases the OH⁻ concentration when dissolved in water
pH Scale
Measures how acidic or basic a solution is based on the concentration of H⁺
Buffer
A molecule that helps maintain a solution at nearly a constant pH
Organic
Made by living things (has carbon & hydrogen)(has a carbon backbone)
Inorganic
(Doesn’t have carbon & hydrogen) (Ex. Water only has hydrogen but no carbon)
Biological Molecules
All molecules produced by living things (Ex. carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, & nucleus acids)
Monomer
Composed of one molecule
Polymer
Composed of many molecules. A molecule composed of 3 or more smaller subunits called monomers
Dehydration Synthesis
The joining of two carbon molecules or chains with the release of a water molecule
Hydrolysis
Breaks apart carbon chains into parts incorporating parts of a water molecule into each of the broken chains
Carbohydrate
A compound composed of carbon, hydrogen, & oxygen, with the approximate chemical formula (CH₂O); includes sugars, starches, & cellulose
Monosaccharide
Single sugar (glucose)
Disaccharide
2 linked sugars (sucrose)
Polysaccharide
Many sugars linked (starches)
Starch
(Insoluble) but can be broken down by enzymes in saliva & taste “sweet”
Glycogen
Short-term storage in animals
Cellulose
(Structural in plants) a component of the cell wall
Chitin
(Structural in animals) highly branched chains of glucose - supports soft bodies of arthropods
Proteins
A polymer composed of amino acids joined by peptide bonds
Enzymes
Proteins that regulate metabolic chemical reactions in cells
Amino Acids
Central carbon, amino group, carboxyl group, and a hydrogen
Disulfide Bond
The covalent bond formed between the sulfur atoms of 2 cysteines in a protein; typically causes the protein to fold by bringing otherwise distant parts of the protein close together
Peptide Bond
Joining 2 amino acids together
Peptide
2 amino acids bonded together
Primary Structure
Sequence of amino acids in a protein
Secondary Structure
Helix or pleated sheet (hydrogen bonded together)
Tertiary Structure
Folding of helix or pleated sheet (hydrogen bonds, disulfide bonds)
Quaternary Structure
Individual peptides linked together (hydrogen bonds, disulfide bonds)
Denatured
When proteins normal structure is destroyed
Nucleotide
Phosphate group, 5-carbon sugar, nitrogen carrying base
Nucleic Acid
Nucleotides linked together
DNA
Deoxyribose nucleic acid, contains the genetic information of all organisms
RNA
Ribonucleic acid, it is involved in converting the genetic information obtained from DNA into a protein
Lipids
One of a number of organic molecules containing large non polar regions composed solely of carbon & hydrogen, which make them hydrophobic & insoluble in water; includes oils, fats, waxes, phospholipids, & steroids
Fatty Acids
Long chains of mostly carbon & hydrogen
Fats
(Saturated) composed of all single carbon-carbon bonds (solid at room temperature)
Oils
(Unsaturated) contain some carbon-carbon double bonds, liquid at room temperature
Triglyceride
Composed of a glycerol & 3 fatty acid chains
Saturated Fatty Acids
Referring to a fatty acid with as many hydrogen atoms as possible bonded to the carbon backbone (therefore, has no double bonds in its carbon backbone)
Unsaturated Fatty Acids
Referring to a fatty acid with fewer than the maximum number of hydrogen atoms bonded to its carbon backbone (therefore, has one or more double bonds in its carbon backbone)
Waxes
Similar to fats (higher melting point, more brittle), highly saturated
Phospholipids
Major component of cell membranes, composed of glycerol, a phosphate group & 2 fatty acid chains
Steroids
Contain four fused carbon rings, 2% of you brain matter
Cell
The smallest unit of life, consisting, at a minimum, of an outer membrane that encloses a watery medium containing molecules, including genetic material composed of DNA
Cell Theory
The scientific theory stating that every living organism is made up of one or more cells; cells are the functional units of all organisms; & all cells arise from preexisting cells
Light Microscope
A tool that can identify, observe & magnify objects by transmitting light through a string of lenses
Electron Microscope
An instrument in which a beam of electrons is used to produce an enlarged image of a very small object
Prokaryotic
Organisms that lack membrane bound organelles (Ex. Bacteria & Archaea Bacteria)
Eukaryotic
Organisms that contain several membrane bound organelles (Ex. Protists, Fungi, Plants, & Animals)
Nucleus
A large organelle that contains genetic material (DNA, RNA)
Plasma Membrane
The outer membrane of the cell, a selectively permeable phospholipid belayer imbedded with proteins
Cytosol
The fluid portion within the plasma membrane
Cytoplasm
All the material contained within the plasma membrane of the cell (except the nucleus)
Protoplasm
The colorless material comprising the living part of a cell, including the cytoplasm, nucleus, nucleus, & other organelles
Cytoskeleton
A network of protein fibers in the cytoplasm that gives shape to the cell, holds & moves organisms, & typically involved in cell movement
Nucleoid
Contains a single circular chromosome; it is not surrounded by a membrane
Plasmids
Small rings of DNA that is exchanged between bacterial cells
Cell Wall
Composed of peptides that link chains of sugars that have amino functional groups that protect & give shape to cells (rod-shaped (bacclli), spherical (cocci), spiral-shaped (spirilla))
Pili
Surface proteins projecting from the cell wall; they may be short & numerous (attachment pili) or long & few (sex pili)
Flagellum
A whip-like structures that rotate to propel a bacteria through fluid environment