Ch.1 Evolution, the Themes of Biology, and Scientific Inquiry Flashcards
Evolution
The process of change over time that has resulted in the astounding array of organisms found on earth
Properties of Life
Energy processing
Growth and development
Response to the Environment
Reproduction
Regulation
Evolutionary adaptation
Order
Biosphere
Consists of all life on earth and all the places where life exists
Ecosystem
Consists of all living things in a particular area, along with all the non-living components of the environment in which life interacts with
Biological Community
The array of organisms inhabiting a particular ecosystems
Species
A group whose members can only reproduce with other members of the group
Population
Consists of all the individuals of a species living within the bounds of a specified area
Organisms
Individual living things
Organs
A body part that is made up of multiple tissues and has specific functions in the body
Tissues
A group of cells that work together performing a specialized function
Cell
Life’s fundamental unit of structure and function
Molecule
A chemical structure consisting of two or more units called atoms
Reductionism
Breaking a complex system or problem into smaller simpler parts to study the parts to find out more about the whole
Holism
States that one cannot really understand a complex system by just looking at the parts
Emergent Properties
New properties that arise with each step up in the hierarchy of life, owing to the arrangement and interactions of parts as complexity increases
Systems Biology
The exploration of a biological system by analyzing the interactions among its parts
Cell Theory
States that all living organisms are made of cells
Genes
A section of the DNA of the chromosome
Gene Expression
The entire process by which the info in a gene directs the manufacture of a cellular product
Genome
The entire “library” of genetic instructions that an organism inherits
Genome Sequence
The entire sequence of nucleotides for a representative member of a species
Genomics
The systematic study of whole sets of genes and their interactions within a species
Proteomics
The study of sets of proteins and their properties
Proteome
The study of sets of proteins expressed by a given cell, tissue, or organism
Producer
An organism that produces organic compounds from CO2 by harnessing light energy or by oxidizing inorganic chemicals
Consumers
Organisms that feed on other organisms or their remains
Feedback Regulation
The output, or product, of a process, regulates that very process
Negative Feedback
A loop in which the response reduces the initial stimulus
Positive Feedback
An end product speeds up its own production
