BIOL 1406 Chapter 01

Question 1

evolution

Answer 1

is the process of change that has transformed life on earth

unifies biology at different scales of size throughout the history of life on earth

Question 2

biology

Answer 2

is the scientific study of life

Question 3

properties of life

Answer 3

order, evolutionary adaptation, response to the environment, reproduction, growth and development, energy processing, regulation

Question 4

levels of biological organization

Answer 4

atoms, molecules, organelles, cells, tissues, organs and organ systems, organisms, populations, communities, ecosystems, the biosphere

Question 5

emergent properties

Answer 5

result from the arrangement and interaction of parts within a system

Question 6

reductionism

Answer 6

is the reduction of complex systems to simpler components that are more manageable to study

Question 7

system

Answer 7

is a combination of components that function together

Question 8

systems biology

Answer 8

constructs models for the dynamic behavior of whole biological systems

Question 9

the effects of organisms on their environment

Answer 9

organisms interact with their environments, exchanging matter and energy; for example, a tree takes up water and minerals from the soil and carbon dioxide from the air, the tree then releases oxygen to the air and roots help form soil

Question 10

ecosystem dynamics

Answer 10

two major processes:

1. cycling of nutrients, in which materials acquired by plants eventually return to the soil
2. the flow of energy from sunlight to producers to consumers

Question 11

cells

Answer 11

the lowest level of organization that can perform all activities required for life

are enclosed by a membrane

use DNA as their genetic information

The ability of cells to divide is the basis of all reproduction, growth, and repair of multi-cellular organisms

Question 12

eukaryotic cell

Answer 12

has membrane-encolsed organelles, the largest of which is usually the nucleus

plants, animals, fungi, and all other forms of life are eukaryotic

Question 13

prokaryotic cell

Answer 13

simpler and usually smaller, and does not contain a nucleus or other membrane-enclosed organelles

bacteria and archaea are prokaryotic

Question 14

DNA

Answer 14

deoxyribonucleic acid; DNA is the substance of genes, inherited by offspring from their parents, controls the maintenance and development of organisms

each DNA molecule is made up of two long chains arranged in a double helix; each link of a chain is one of four kinds of chemical building blocks called nucleotides

DNA is transcribed into RNA then translated into a protein

Question 15

genes

Answer 15

are the units of inheritance that transmit information from parents to offspring

control protein production indirectly

Question 16

chromosome

Answer 16

one long DNA molecule with hundreds or thousands of genes

Question 17

genome

Answer 17

an organism’s entire set of genetic instructions

Question 18

“high-throughput” technology

Answer 18

yields enormous amounts of data

Question 19

bioinformatics

Answer 19

the use of computational tools to process a large volume of data

Question 20

negative feedback

Answer 20

as more of a product accumulates, the process that creates it slows and less of the product is used

Question 21

positive feedback

Answer 21

as more of a product accumulates, the process that creates it speeds up and more of the product is produced

Question 22

taxonomy

Answer 22

is the branch of biology that names and classifies species into groups of increasing breadth

domains, followed by kingdoms are the broadest units of classifications

Question 23

order of taxonomy

Answer 23

Domain, Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, Species

Dutifully Keeping Precious Creatures Organized For Grumpy Scientists