Ch1 and CH 19: Methods and Evolution Flashcards
biology
the scientific study of life
evolution
the fundamental principle of biology; the process of change that has transformed life
The ten levels of biology
Biosphere; Ecosystems; Communities; Populations; Organisms; Organs; Tissues; Cells; Organelles; Molecules
Biosphere
all life on Earth and their living spaces
Ecosystems
all living things in an area and nonliving parts of the environment; deciduous forest
Communities
only the living things within the ecosystem, doesn’t include nonliving parts of the environment
Populations
populations consist of all the individuals of a species within a specific area; the population of sugar maples in a deciduous forest
Organisms
individual living things; a single sugar maple
Organs
a body part with multiple cell types that carries out a particular function in the body; a single maple leaf
Tissues
a group of cells that work together to perform a specialized function
Cells
multicellular organisms have specialized cells; single cell organisms have a cell that does everything
Organelles
the functional components present in cells
Molecules
combine to provide functions for organelles
Emergent properties
properties that are added when we jump a level in the biological organization
Reductionism
the approach of reducing complex systems to simpler components that are easier to study
Structure and Function
the theme that every structure in an organism is designed to improve function; a hummingbird’s shoulders can rotate so that it can hover