Life: Biological Principles and the Science of Zoology

Vocabulary flashcards defining key biological concepts, properties of living systems, biological hierarchy, and scientific method terms from Chapter 1 of Integrated Principles of Zoology.

Zoology

The scientific study of animal life.

Descent with Modification

The idea that species change over time, give rise to new species, and share a common ancestor.

Chemical Uniqueness

A general property of living systems in which small molecules are uniquely assembled into complex macromolecules, including nucleic acids, proteins, carbohydrates, and lipids.

Emergent Properties

New characteristics that appear at a given level of biological organization as built by evolution.

Volvox globator

A multicellular chlorophytan that illustrates three different levels of the biological hierarchy: cellular, organismal, and populational.

Genetic Code

The correspondence between base sequences in DNA and the sequence of amino acids in a protein.

Catabolic Reactions

Destructive chemical reactions involving the breakdown of large, organic molecules into smaller, simpler ones, accompanied by a release of energy.

Anabolic Reactions

Constructive chemical reactions involving the building of complex, organic molecules from smaller components, requiring an input of energy.

Development

The characteristic changes that an organism undergoes from its origin to its final adult form.

Ecology

The study of organismal interaction with an environment.

Irritability

The general property of living organisms to respond to environmental stimuli.

Hypothetic-Deductive Method

The scientific process of making a conjecture and then seeking empirical tests that potentially lead to its rejection.

Hypothesis

A potential answer to a question being asked, derived from prior observations of nature or from theories based on such observations.

Theory

A hypothesis that is very powerful in explaining a wide variety of related phenomena.

Independent Variable

The variable changed on purpose in an experiment, also known as the manipulated variable.

Dependent Variable

The response to the independent variable in an experiment that is observed and measured.

Experimental Group

The group or subject in an experiment that receives the independent variable.

Control Group

The group or subject in an experiment that does not receive the independent variable.

Constants

Conditions in an experiment that remain the same across all tested groups.

Anecdotal Evidence

Untested ideas or information reported by a single person rather than verified through systematic scientific testing.