Bio-Pac 01: Vocabulary

Question 1

Biology

Answer 1

the study of life

Question 2

Organism

Answer 2

a living thing that can move, grow, and reproduce

Question 3

Development

Answer 3

rapidly or slowly occurring changes due to growth in an organism

Question 4

Species

Answer 4

population of interbreeding organisms capable of producing fertile offspring

Question 5

Growth

Answer 5

process that results in structural changes and increased living material in organisms

Question 6

Environment

Answer 6

external conditions, such as weather, water, air temperature, and any organisms in the area, or internal conditions, such as the presence of infection, to which an organism must continually adjust

Question 7

Stimulus

Answer 7

any adjustment-requiring condition in an organism’s enviroment

Question 8

Response

Answer 8

reaction to an external or internal condition

Question 9

Adaptation

Answer 9

evolution of structural, internal, to behavioral features that help an organism better survive in an environment

Question 10

Homeostasis

Answer 10

equilibrium of an organism’s internal environment that maintains conditions suitable for life

Question 11

Element

Answer 11

One of the simplest chemical substances. A substance that cannot be broken down into simpler substances. There are 90 natural occurring elements, 25 of which are essential to living. The most essential are Oxygen, Carbon, Hydrogen, Nitrogen, Calcium, Phosphorus, Potassium, and Sulfur. There are also trace elements.

Question 12

Molecule

Answer 12

A molecule is a group of atoms held together by covalent bonds and have no overall charge. (Because a molecule is a group of atoms held together by covalent bonds, a molecule can be a compound or an element.)

Question 13

Compound

Answer 13

A substance that is composed of atoms of different elements that are chemically combined, meaning it will not have the same properties as the elements that were used to make the compound.

Question 14

Solution

Answer 14

A mixture, combinations of substances in which individual substances retain their own properties, in which one or more substances are distributed evenly in another substance (dissolved). Can be heterogeneous or homogeneous.

Question 15

Solute

Answer 15

The substance being dissolved.

Question 16

Solvent

Answer 16

The substance that dissolves the solute.

Question 17

Metabolism

Answer 17

All the chemical reactions that occur within an organism.

Question 18

pH

Answer 18

The measure of how acidic or basic a solution is.

Question 19

Acid

Answer 19

Any substance that forms hydrogen atoms (H+) atoms in water (0-6).

Question 20

Base

Answer 20

Any substance that forms hydroxide atoms (OH-) in water (8-14).

Question 21

Isomers

Answer 21

Compounds that have the same simple formula different three dimensional structures. (Isotopes are elements with different numbers of neutrons.)

Question 22

Polymer

Answer 22

A large molecule when many smaller molecules bond together, usually in long chains.

Question 23

Hydrolysis

Answer 23

The breaking apart of a polymer by the addition of water.

Question 24

Amino Acids

Answer 24

The basic building blocks of proteins, a large complex polymer composed of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, and sometimes sulfur.

Question 25

Peptide Bond

Answer 25

The covalent bind formed between amino acids.

Question 26

Nucleotides

Answer 26

The smaller subunits that make up the polymer nucleic acids (DNA, RNA).

Question 27

Enzyme

Answer 27

A protein that speeds up chemical reactions, by increasing the speed of the reactions, lowering the reaction temperature, or making a solution less acidic or basic.

Question 28

TEM

Answer 28

Transmission electron microscope. Aims a beam of electrons through an object in a vacuum. The more dense portions allow less through, and cause that area to be dark on the screen. These images are only two-dimensional. TEM is used to study the parts of cells at hundreds of thousands times.

Question 29

SEM

Answer 29

Scanning electron microscope. Sweeps beams of electrons over the specimen, which then causes electrons to be emitted from the specimen. This microscope produces a three dimensional image. It is able to produce 60, 000 times of magnification of a specimen without losing clarity.

Question 30

STM

Answer 30

Scanning tunneling microscope. Can show the arrangement of atoms on the surface of a molecule.

Question 31

Resolution

Answer 31

The minimal distance that two points can be separated and still be seen as two separate and distinct points. If the two details inside are closer than the resolution of a microscope, they will be seen as one product.