Ch. 1 The Scientific Study of Life

Question 1

What are characteristics of a good scientist?

Answer 1

Intelligent
Dedicated
Creative
Open - minded
Curious

Question 2

What is ecosystem?

Answer 2

All the organisms in a given area, along with the abiotic factors with which the interact

Question 3

What is a community?

Answer 3

An assemblage of all the organisms living together and potentially interacting in a particular area.
- ecosystem minus abiotic

Question 4

What is a population?

Answer 4

An interbreeding group of individuals of one species in a particular area.

Question 5

What is an organism?

Answer 5

An individual living thing.

Question 6

What is the organ system?

Answer 6

A group of organs that work together in performing vital body functions.

Question 7

What is an organ?

Answer 7

A structure consisting of several tissues adapted as a group to perform specific functions.

Question 8

What are tissues?

Answer 8

A cooperative unit of many similar cells that perform a specific function within an organism

Question 9

What is a cell?

Answer 9

A basic unit of living matter separated from its environment by plasma membrane.

Question 10

What is a molecule?

Answer 10

A group of 2+ atoms held together by a covalent bond (ex. DNA)

Question 11

What are the steps to the scientific method/process of science?

Answer 11

1) Observe/Research
2) Question
3) Hypothesis
4) Experiment
5) Analysis of Data
6) Conclusion

Question 12

What is a hypothesis?

Answer 12

A tentative explanation a scientist proposes for a specific phenomenon observed

• deductive reasoning (if…then…)
• predictions

Question 13

What is a controlled experiment?

Answer 13

Remains under normal conditions without change.

Question 14

What is a domain?

Answer 14

A taxonomic category above kingdom

Question 15

What are the three types of domain?

Answer 15

Bacteria
Archaea
Eukarya

Question 16

What are the properties that distinguish life from non life?

Answer 16

1) Order
2) Regulation
3) Growth and Development
4) Energy Utilization
5) Response to Environment
6) Reproduction
7) Evolution

Question 17

What is order?

Answer 17

Exhibits complex organization

Question 18

What is regulation?

Answer 18

Environment may change but regulatory mechanisms maintain organism’s internal environment within limits that sustain life.

Question 19

What is growth and development?

Answer 19

Each organism has a pattern of growth/development of its species

Question 20

What is energy utilization?

Answer 20

Take in energy and transform it to perform all of life’s activities

Question 21

What is response to environment?

Answer 21

Response to stimuli

Question 22

What is reproduction?

Answer 22

DNA lends itself to precise replication and a lll organisms reproduce own kind

Question 23

What is evolution?

Answer 23

Reproduction underlies capacity of species to evolve

Question 24

What is a theory?

Answer 24

A hypothesis supported by convincing evidence from experimentation
- can still be changed with new info

Question 25

In 1859 what occurred?

Answer 25

Darwin published “On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection”

Question 26

What was Darwin’s theory?

Answer 26

Evolution is the reason for life’s diversity. Species arise through “descent with modification” and natural selection.

Question 27

What is natural selection?

Answer 27

Differential success in reproduction by different phenotypes resulting from interactions with environment
- occurs when it produces changes in the relative frequency of alleles in a gene pool

Question 28

What are adaptations?

Answer 28

An inherited characteristic that enhances an organism’s ability to survive and reproduce in a specific area.

Question 29

What are the levels of the Hierarchy of Life?

Answer 29

1) Biosphere
2) Biome
3) Ecosystem
4) Community
5) Species
6) Population
7) Organism
8) Organ System
9) Organs
10) Tissues
11) Cells
12) Organelles
13) Molecules
14) Atoms
15) Sub-atomic particles

Question 30

What is the biosphere?

Answer 30

“Living globe”

• regions on earth that life exists
• 7 miles up/down Earth’s surface (14 miles total)
• things can enter/leave
• sum total of all living things

Question 31

What is a biome?

Answer 31

A climatic region in which similar biomes have same characteristics.

• distance from equator, sea level, climate, geography
• similar plants - > similar animals

Question 32

What is a species?

Answer 32

Organisms so similar they can mate and produce fertile offspring.

Question 33

What is taxonomy?

Answer 33

Science of classification

- placing things in groups to make sense

Question 34

What is Archaea?

Answer 34

Prokaryote cells (unicellular)

• ancient, similar to oldest forms of life
• incapable of making organelles

Question 35

What is Eukarya?

Answer 35

Eukaryotic

• can make organelles
• multicellular/unicellular

Question 36

What does “there is unity in the diversity of life” mean?

Answer 36

All organisms are different but share common characteristics. DNA is what makes us different but also connects us. The 4 nucleotides of DNA make us the same but the number, type, and sequence allow for diversity.

Question 37

Do organisms evolve?

Answer 37

No. Populations and species evolve because it is within the DNA. Small changes eventually become big changes such as new species.