Chapter 1 Flashcards
biology
the science of life
homeostasis
a process that allows organisms to maintain relatively constant internal conditions that are different from their environment
atoms
the fundamental elements of matter
molecules
atoms joined together into clusters
organelles
complex biological molecules assembled into tiny structures
cells
membrane bonded units
population
same species located in the same area
species
particular kind of organisms living together
community
different populations living together
ecosystem
the physical habitat a community lives in
biosphere
the entire planet
deductive reasoning
applies general principles to predict results
hypothesis
a proposed explanation made on the basis of limited evidence
experiment
testing hypothesis
natural selection
the gradual process by which heritable biological traits become either more or less common in a population
artificial selection
selective breeding
cell theory
foundation of understanding the reproduction and growth of all organisms
organs
are body structures composed of several different tissues acting as a structural and functional unit
organ system
group of organs working together for one purpose
macromolecule
a large molecule commonly created by polymerization of smaller subunits
conclusion
the result
dependent variable
what is measured and affected in an experiment
bacteria
microscopic living organisms, usually one-celled, that can be found everywhere
organism
an individual animal, plant, or single-celled life form
objective
a goal
publish
to prepare and issue
Charles Darwin
the English naturalist who developed the theory of evolution by natural selection. As a young man he spent five years on a British ship, HMS Beagle, visiting coasts and islands in the southern part of the world
evolution
the process by which different kinds of living organisms are thought to have developed and diversified from earlier forms
analoguous
performing a similar function but having a different evolutionary origin, such as the wings of insects and birds
archaea
a group of microorganisms that resemble bacteria but are different from them in certain aspects of their chemical structure
data
facts and statistics collected together for reference or analysis
control variable
something that is constant and unchanged
independent variable
a variable whose variation does not depend on that of another.
Alfred Russel Wallace
English naturalist who formulated a concept of evolution that resembled Charles Darwin’s
geometric progression
a progression of numbers with a constant ratio between each number and the one before
homologous
similar in position, structure, and evolutionary origin but not necessarily in function
eukaryote
an organism consisting of a cell or cells in which the genetic material is DNA in the form of chromosomes contained within a distinct nucleus
tissue
any of the distinct types of material of which animals or plants are made, consisting of specialized cells and their products
observation
a remark, statement, or comment based on something one has seen, heard, or noticed
Thomas Malthus
an English economist who argued that increases in population would outgrow increases in the means of subsistence
arithmetic progression
a sequence of numbers such that the difference of any two successive members of the sequence is a constant
homeodomain fold
a protein structural domain that binds DNA or RNA and is thus commonly found in transcription factors
inductive reasoning
seeking strong evidence that supports the conclusion
scientific theory
a series of statements about the causal elements for observed phenomena
scientific law
a statement based on repeated experimental observations that describes some aspects of the universe
