Chap 1 Unit 1 Flashcards
Hypothesis
A testable explanation for a set of observations based on the available data and guided by the inductive reasoning. A hypothesis is narrower in scope than a theory
Experiment
A scientific test. Often carried out under controlled conditions that involve manipulating one factor in order to see the effects of changing that factor
Producers
An organism that produces organic compounds from CO2 by harnessing light energy (in photosynthesis) or by oxidizing inorganic chemicals (in chemosynthetic reactions carried out by some prokaryotes).
data
recorded observations
Emergent Properties
New properties arise with each step upward in the hierarchy of life, owing to the arrangement & interactions of parts as complexity increases.
Gene Expression
The process by which information encoded in DNA directs the synthesis of proteins or, in some cases, RNAs that are not translated into proteins and instead function as RNA’s
Genome
The genetic material of an organism or virus; the complete complement of an organism or viruses genes along with its non-coding nucleic acid sequences.
Model Organisms
A particular species chosen for research into broad biological principles because it is representative of a large group and usually easily grown in a lab.
Systems Biology
An approach to studying biology that aims to model the dynamic behavior of whole biological systems based on a study of interactions among systems’ parts.
Inductive Reasoning
A type of logic in which generalizations are based on a large number of specific observations
Feedback Regulation
The regulation process by its output or end product
Consumers
An organism that feeds on producers, other consumers, or nonliving organic material.
Deductive Reasoning
A type of logic in which specific results are predicted from a general premise
Eukarya
The domain that includes all eukaryotic organisms
Eukaryotic Cell
A type of cell with a membrane-enclosed nucleus and membrane-enclosed organelles. Organisms with eukaryotic cells (protists, plants, fungi and animals) are called eukaryotes.
Genes
A discrete unit of hereditary information consisting of a specific nucleotide sequence in DNA (or RNA in some viruses)
Archaea
One of two prokaryotic domains
Bacteria
one of two prokaryotic domains
Biology
The study of life
Biosphere
The entire portion of the earth inhabited by life; the sum of all the planet’s ecosystems.
Cell
Life’s fundamental unit of structure & function; the smallest unit of organization that can perform all activities required for life.
Community
all the organisms that inhabit a particular area; an assemblage of populations of different species living close enough together for potential interaction
Controlled Experiment
An experiment designed to compare an experimental group with a control group; ideally, the groups differ only in the factor being tested.
DNA
A nucleic acid molecule, usually a double-stranded helix, in which each polynucleotide strand consists of nucleotide monomers with a deoxyribose sugar & the nitrogenous base adenine (a), cytosine (c), guanine (g), and thymine (t); capable of being replicated and determining the inherited structure of a cell’s proteins.
