[1] Vocabulary - Introduction: Evolution and Foundations of Biology

Question 1

evolution

Answer 1

change in genetic composition of a population from generation to generation (descent with modification)

Question 2

dependent variable

Answer 2

a factor whose value is measured in an experiment to see whether it is influenced by changes in another factor (the independent variable)

Question 3

genomics

Answer 3

the study of whole sets of genes and their interactions within a species, as well as genome comparisons between species

Question 4

genome

Answer 4

the genetic material of an organism or virus; the complete complement of an organism’s or virus’s genes along with its noncoding nucleic acid sequences

Question 5

inquiry

Answer 5

the search for information and explanation, often focusing on specific questions

Question 6

proteomics

Answer 6

the systematic study of the full protein sets (proteomes) encoded by genomes

Question 7

data

Answer 7

recorded observations

Question 8

bacteria

Answer 8

one of two prokaryotic domains, the other being Archaea

Question 9

gene expression

Answer 9

the process by which information encoded in DNA directs the synthesis of proteins or, in some cases, RNAs that are not translated into proteins and instead function as RNAs

Question 10

experiment

Answer 10

a scientific test; often carried out under controlled conditions that involve manipulating one factor in a system in order to see the effects of changing that factor

Question 11

controlled experiment

Answer 11

an experiment designed to compare an experiment group with a control group; ideally, the two groups differ only in the factor being tested

Question 12

science

Answer 12

an approach to understanding the natural world

Question 13

proteome

Answer 13

the entire set of proteins expressed by a given cell, tissue, or organism

Question 14

experimental group

Answer 14

a set of subjects that has (or receives) the specific factor being tested in a controlled experiment. Ideally, the experimental group should be identical to the control group for all other factors.

Question 15

prokaryotic cell

Answer 15

a type of cell lacking a membrane-enclosed nucleus WITH membrane-enclosed organelles. Organisms with prokaryotic cells (bacteria and archaea) are called prokaryotes.

Question 16

vessel

Answer 16

a nonliving, water-conducting tube found in most angiosperms and a few nonflowering vascular plants that is formed by the end-to-end connection of vessel elements

Question 17

eukarya

Answer 17

the domain that includes all eukaryotic organisms.

Question 18

organism

Answer 18

an individual living thing, consisting of one or more cells

Question 19

gene

Answer 19

hereditary information consisting of specific nucleotide sequences

Question 20

deductive reasoning

Answer 20

a type of logic in which specific results are predicted from a general premise

Question 21

deoxyribonucleic acid

Answer 21

DNA, a nucleic acid molecule, usually a double-standard helix, in which each polynucleotide strand consists of nucleotide monomers with a deoxyribose sugar and the nitrogenous bases adenine (A), cytosine (C), guanine (G), and thymine (T); capable of being replicated and determining the inherited structure of cell proteins.

Question 22

control group

Answer 22

In a controlled experiment, a set of subjects that lacks (or does not receive) the specific factor being tested. Ideally, the control group should be identical to the experimental group in other respects.

Question 23

eukaryotic cell

Answer 23

a type of cell with a membrane-enclosed nucleus and membrane-enclosed organelles. Organisms with eukaryotic cells (protists, plants, fungi, and animals) are called eukaryotes.

Question 24

deoxyribonucleic acid

Answer 24

DNA, a nucleic acid molecule, usually a double-standard helix, in which each polynucleotide strand consists of nucleotide monomers with a deoxyribose sugar and the nitrogenous bases adenine (A), cytosine (C), guanine (G), and thymine (T); capable of being replicated and determining the inherited structure of cell proteins.

Question 25

evolution

Answer 25

change in genetic composition of a population from generation to generation; descent with modification

Question 26

variable

Answer 26

a factor that varies during an experiment

Question 27

independent variable

Answer 27

a factor whose value is manipulated or changed during an experiment to reveal possible effects on another factor (the dependent variable)

Question 28

hypothesis

Answer 28

a testable explanation for a set of observations based on available data and guided by inductive reasoning. A hypothesis is narrower in scope than a theory.

Question 29

natural selection

Answer 29

organisms inherit traits that allow them to survive and reproduce at higher rates

Question 30

inductive reasoning

Answer 30

a type of logic in which generalizations are based on a large number of specific observations

Question 31

systems biology

Answer 31

studying the behavior of whole systems based on the interaction of parts in that system

Question 32

biology

Answer 32

the scientific study of life

Question 33

bioinformatics

Answer 33

the use of software or mathematical models to process biological information from large databases

Question 34

theory

Answer 34

an explanation that is broader in scope than a hypothesis, generates new hypotheses, and is supposed by a large body of evidence

Question 35

emergent properties

Answer 35

new properties that arise with each step upward in the hierarchy of life, owing to the arrangement and interactions of parts as complexity increases

Question 36

archaea

Answer 36

one of two prokaryotic domains, the other being bacteria

Question 37

climate change

Answer 37

a directional change in temperature, precipitation, or other aspect of the global climate that lasts for three decades or more