bio midterm unit 1-3

Unit 1 Vocabulary

  • Biology: Study of life.

  • Organization: Highest degree of order in an organism’s internal and external parts.

  • Unicellular organisms: Made of one cell (e.g., Bacteria types).

  • Multicellular: Made of multiple cells (e.g., Humans, animals, etc).

  • Cell: Smallest unit that can perform all life processes.

  • Organs: Structures that carry out specific functions within an organ system.

  • Organ system: Highest level of organization, made of specialized parts (organs and tissues) that carry out their own functions (e.g., Nervous, muscular, respiratory, cardiovascular).

  • Organelles: Tiny structures that carry out functions necessary for a cell to stay alive; contains biological molecules.

  • Biological molecules: Made up of atoms, are chemical compounds that provide physical structure.

  • Tissues: Groups of cells with similar characteristics; allows an organ to do its job; made of cells that are covered in membrane and contain necessary genetic information.

  • Stimulus: Physical or chemical change in the internal or external environment.

  • Homeostasis: Maintaining a stable level of internal conditions.

  • Metabolism: Overall term for chemical reactions responsible for taking in and transforming both energy and other substances.

  • Cell division: Formation of 2 new cells from 1 existing cell.

  • Ecology: Branch of biology that studies how organisms interact with each other and their environment.

  • Ecosystems: Communities of living species and their physical environment.

  • Evolution: The process where inherited characteristics and traits within populations change over time so that new genetically distinct populations and species develop.

  • Natural selection: Some organisms possess traits that enhance their survival and reproduction compared to others; a theory.

  • Adaptation: Traits that enhance an organism's ability to survive and reproduce.

  • Hypotheses: Possible answers to scientific questions.

  • Prediction: Logically predicting what will happen in an experiment.

  • Scientific method: The process through which scientists solve problems.

Basics of Organisms

  • Living things: Categorized into 6 kingdoms of organization:

    • Animals

    • Plants

    • Fungi

    • Protists

    • Eubacteria

    • Archaebacteria

  • 8 Key Characteristics of Living Things:

    • Cells: All living organisms are made up of cells; are the basic unit of structure and function.

    • Organization: Organisms exhibit organized structures in their functions and chemical reactions.

    • Energy: All organisms use and need energy to stay organized.

    • Homeostasis: Important for maintaining stable internal environments.

    • Growth and Development: Growth can occur through cell division or enlargement.

    • Response to Stimuli: Organisms respond to physical or chemical changes in their environment.

    • Reproduction: The process by which organisms produce new individuals.

    • Evolution: Populations change over time through natural selection and adaptation.

Cell Division vs. Cell Enlargement

  • Cell Division: When a single cell divides into two or more of the same cells; increases the number of cells.

  • Cell Enlargement: When an individual cell grows in size; leads to overall growth of an organism or tissue.

Scientific Method

  • Observations:

    • Made using the 5 senses or tools.

    • Includes qualitative (words) and quantitative (numerical data) observations.

  • Hypothesis: A proposed explanation that is testable based on observations and prior knowledge.

  • Prediction: An educated guess regarding the outcome of an experiment, formatted in an if-then structure.

  • Experiment:

    • Used to test a hypothesis; data is collected both qualitatively and quantitatively.

    • Key principles include variable control (independent and dependent variables) and repetition for consistent outcomes.

Types of Microscopes

  • Light Microscope: Cheaper and more common, uses light for magnification.

    • Eyepiece magnification: 10x.

    • Objective lenses: 4x, 10x, 40x, 100x (multiply to find total magnification).

    • Types include compound light (light goes through specimen) and dissecting light (light bounces off).

  • Electron Microscope: Utilizes a beam of electrons, cannot view live specimens, provides great detail.

    • Types include transmission electron microscope (TEM) and scanning electron microscope (SEM).

Cell Culture and Separation Methods

  • Centrifugation: A method to separate materials based on density by spinning at high speeds.

  • Chromatography: Separates mixtures into their respective parts.

  • Gel Electrophoresis: Separates materials according to their movement through a gel in an electric field.

Unit 2 Vocabulary

  • Acid: Substance that increases hydronium ion concentration.

  • Activation energy: Energy required for a chemical reaction to proceed.

  • Alkaline: A basic substance; opposite of acidic.

  • Aqueous solution: Solution where water is the solvent.

  • Atom: Smallest particle of an element with distinct properties.

  • Atomic number: Number of protons in an atom.

  • Balanced equation: Representation of chemical reactions ensuring conservation of matter.

  • Base: Substance that increases hydroxide ion concentration.

  • Bond: Interaction that holds atoms together formed through electron interactions.

  • Buffer: Mixture that resists changes in pH.

  • Catalyst: Substance that speeds up reactions by lowering activation energy.

Classification of Matter

  • Pure Substances: Fixed compositions and distinct properties including elements and compounds.

  • Mixtures: Physical blends of two or more substances categorized as homogeneous (uniform composition) or heterogeneous (varied composition).

Atomic Structures

  • Quantum Mechanical Model: Modern atom model describing electron behavior and nucleus interactions.

    • Structures include protons (positive charge, in nucleus), neutrons (neutral charge, mass of 1 amu), and electrons (negative charge, no mass, located in energy levels around nucleus).

  • Bonds:

    • Ionic Bonds: Formed through electron transfers between metals and nonmetals.

    • Covalent Bonds: Formed by sharing electrons between nonmetals.

    • Hydrogen Bonds: Weak attractions between hydrogen and electronegative atoms.

Energy in Reactions

  • Law of Conservation of Energy: Energy cannot be created nor destroyed, it can only change forms.

  • Types of Reactions:

    • Exergonic: Releases energy, spontaneous reactions.

    • Endergonic: Absorbs energy, non-spontaneous reactions.

    • Catalysts: Speed up reactions without altering reactants or products.

Acids and Bases

  • pH Scale: Determines acidity or basicity based on hydronium ion concentration; acids have pH < 7 and bases have pH > 7.

  • Buffers: Substances that stabilize pH levels in solutions.

Unit 3 Vocabulary

  • Biochemistry: Study of matter behavior within living systems.

  • Electronegatives: Ability of an atom to attract electrons.

  • Cohesion: Water molecules sticking to one another.

  • Adhesion: Water molecules sticking to other substances.

  • Functional Group: Cluster of atoms influencing molecular behavior.

Organic and Inorganic Compounds

  • Organic Compounds: Contain carbon and hydrogen.

  • Inorganic Compounds: Do not contain C-H bonds (e.g., water, minerals).

Macromolecules

  • 4 Main Types:

    • Carbohydrates

    • Lipids

    • Proteins

    • Nucleic Acids

Carbohydrates

  • Elements: Typically C, H, O in a 2:1 ratio.

    • Types: Monosaccharides (single sugar), disaccharides (two sugars), polysaccharides (many sugars).

Lipids

  • Elements: C, H, O in high ratios of H.

    • Includes triglycerides, phospholipids, steroids, etc.

Proteins

  • Elements: C, H, O, N, S (CHONS).

    • Monomers are amino acids; functions as structural and catalytic molecules.

Nucleic Acids

  • Made of nucleotides, can be single-stranded (RNA) or double-stranded (DNA).