Biology Terms Flashcards
Observation
A process of gathering information about events or processes in a careful or orderly way
DNA
Nucleic Acid that contains the sugar deoxyribose
Evolution
The change over time
Theory
A well tested explanation that unifies a broad range of observations
Metabolism
The sum of all chemical reactions within an organism
Homeostasis
The process by which an organism maintains a stable internal environment
Hypothesis
A scientific explanation for a set of observations
Controlled variable
The factor in an experiment that the scientists keep the same
Spontaneous generation
A hypothesis that states that life can arise from non-living matter
Stimulus
The signal to which an organism responds
Dependent variable
A factor in an experiment that a scientist wants to observe; it changes in response to the manipulated variable
Inference
A logical explanation based on prior knowledge and experience
Controlled experiment
It allows a scientist to isolate and test a single variable
Cell specialization
Separate roles for each type of cell in a multicellular organism
Independent variable
A factor in an experiment that the scientists purposefully change
