Chapter 1 Flashcards
Biology
The scientific study of organisms, living and fossil
Nucleic acids
(DNA/RNA) that reproduce themselves and serves as templates of protein synthesis
Prokaryotes
Single celled, two main groups emerged early: bacteria and archaea
Eukaryotes
Membrane-enclosed organelles, emerged much later, the nucleus contains the genetic information
Photosynthesis
2.5 billion years ago, transforms light energy into chemical energy, food for organisms
cyanobacteria
(prokaryotes), create more oxygen than trees
nucleus
contains the genetic information
aerobic metabolism
more efficient, uses a lot of oxygen
anaerobic metabolism
fermentation; does not use oxygen
cell specialization
allowed multicellular organisms to get larger and become more efficient at gathering resources and adapting to specific environments
tissue
a group of similar cells
organs
developed by different tissue types
organ systems
grouped by the organs
homeostasis
regulate their internal environments
community
all organisms (living things) in an ecosystem
ecosystem
all living and nonliving things in a particular area
biomes
major ecosystems with distinctive physical features and communities
Ex: arctic tundra, coral reefs, tropical rainforest
biosphere
all environments (everything) on earth
genes
inherited traits; segments of DNA that encode information
genome
sum total of all the DNA molecules in an organism
nucleotide sequences
determine the amino acid sequence in proteins
population
all individuals of a species in a particular area
evolution
core theme of biology; the process of change that has transformed life on earth
charles darwin
compiled factual evidence for evolution and proposed that all organisms are descended from a common ancestor
natural selection
differential survival and reproduction in a population
adaptions
structural, physiological, or behavioral traits that enhance an organism’s chances of survival and reproduction
binomial
each species distinct scientific name
genus
group of species that share a recent common ancestor
phylogenic tree
illustrates the evolutionary histories of different groups
characteristics shared among living things
-made up of cells
-uses molecules from the environment to synthesize new molecules
-extract energy from the environment and use it to do work
-internal environment regulation
- contain genetic information to develop, function, and reproduce
- Evolutionary adaption
- growth and development
How old is earth?
Earth is about 4.6 billion years old
When did life on earth appear?
Life appeared about 4 billion years ago
An abundance of O2 led to the evolution of
Aerobic eukaryotes
cell
life’s fundamental unit of structure and function (cells are alive)
Organelles
A structural component of a cell (building blocks of a cell)
The scientific method
- Make observations
- Ask questions
- Form hypothesis
- Make predictions
- Test the predictions
Controlled experiments
Manipulate one factor while holding all other variables constant
Comparative experiments
Compare data gathered from populations that differ in multiple ways
Model systems
Using one type of organism to understand others
Explain why experiments of different kinds of animals may have relevance for understanding human biology
Animals are biologically very similar to humans and are susceptible to many of the same health problems as humans
