Chapter 1: Evolution, The Themes of Biology, and Scientific Inquiry Flashcards

1
Q

biology

A

the scientific study of life

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2
Q

unifying themes of biology

A
  • Organization
  • Information
  • Energy and Matter
  • Interactions
  • Evolution
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3
Q

reductionism

A

an approach that reduces complex systems to simple components that are manageable to study

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4
Q

emergent properties

A

new properties that arise with each step upward in the hierarchy of life, owing to the arrangement and interactions of parts as complexity increases

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5
Q

systems biology

A

an approach to studying biology that aims to model the dynamic behavior of whole biological systems based on a study of the interaction’s among the system’s parts

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6
Q

cell theory

A

states that all living organisms are made from cells

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7
Q

eukaryotic cell

A
  • a type of cell with a membrane-enclosed nucleus and membrane-enclosed organelles
  • eukaryotes = protists, plants, fungi, animals
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8
Q

prokaryotic cell

A
  • a type of cell lacking a membrane-enclosed nucleus and membrane-enclosed organelles
  • prokaryotes = bacteria, archaea
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9
Q

DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid)

A
  • a nucleic acid molecule, usually a double-stranded helix, in which each polynucleotide strand consists of nucleotide monomers with a deoxyribose sugar and the nitrogenous bases adenine (A), cytosine (C), guanine (G), and thymine (T)
  • capable of being replicated and determining the inherited structure of a cell’s proteins
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10
Q

gene

A

a discrete unit of hereditary information consisting of a specific nucleotide sequence in DNA (or RNA, in some viruses)

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11
Q

codon

A
  • a three-nucleotide sequence of DNA or mRNA that specifies a particular amino acid or termination signal
  • the basic unit of the genetic code
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12
Q

genome

A
  • the genetic material of an organism or virus
  • the complete complement of an organism’s or virus’ genes along with its noncoding nucleic acid sequences
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13
Q

genomics

A

the systematic study of whole sets of genes (or other DNA) and their interactions within a species, as well as genome comparisons between species

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14
Q

proteomics

A

the systematic study of sets of proteins and their properties, including their abundance, chemical modifications, and interactions

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15
Q

proteome

A

the entire set of proteins expressed by a given cell, tissue, or organism

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16
Q

bioinformatics

A

the use of computers, software, and mathematical models to process and integrate biological information from large data sets

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17
Q

producer

A

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)

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18
Q

consumer

A

an organism that feeds on producers, other consumers, or nonliving organic material

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19
Q

feedback regulation

A

the regulation of a process by its output or end product

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20
Q

negative feedback

A

the most common form of regulation in living organisms, in which accumulation of an end product of a process slows the process

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21
Q

positive feedback

A

a less common form of regulation, in which an end product speeds up its own production

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22
Q

three domains

A
  • Bacteria
  • Archaea
  • Eukarya
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23
Q

eukarya

A

includes all eukaryotic organisms, including the four subgroups:
- Plants, which produce their own food by photosynthesis
- Fungi, which absorb nutrients
- Animals, which ingest their food
- Protists

24
Q

protist

A
  • an informal term applied to any eukaryote that is not a plant, animal, or fungus
  • most are unicellular, though some are colonial or multicellular
25
Q

unity

A

evident in the similar skeletons of different animals

26
Q

Charles Darwin

A
  • published On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection in 1859
  • made two main points: species showed evidence of “descent with modification” from common ancestors; “natural selection” is the mechanism behind descent with modification
27
Q

Alfred Wallace

A

also greatly contributed to the Theory of Natural Selection

28
Q

natural selection

A

a process in which individuals that have certain inherited traits tend to survive and reproduce at higher rates than other individuals because of those traits

29
Q

science

A

an approach to understanding the natural world

30
Q

inquiry

A

the search for information and explanations of natural phenomena

31
Q

data

A

recorded observations

32
Q

qualitative data

A

often take the form of recorded descriptions

33
Q

quantitative data

A

expressed as numerical measurement, organized into tables and graphs

34
Q

inductive reasoning

A

a type of logic in which generalizations are based on a large number of specific observations

35
Q

hypothesis

A
  • a testable explanation for a set of observations based on the available data and guided by inductive reasoning
  • narrower in scope than a theory
36
Q

experiment

A

a scientific test, carried out under controlled conditions

37
Q

deductive reasoning

A

a type of logic in which specific results are predicted from a general premise

38
Q

controlled experiment

A
  • an experiment designed to compare an experimental group with a control group
  • ideally, the two groups differ only in the factor being tested
39
Q

variable

A

a factor that varies in an experiment

40
Q

independent variable

A

a factor whose value is manipulated or changed during an experiment to reveal possible effects on another factor (the dependent variable)

41
Q

dependent variable

A

a factor whose value is measured during an experiment or other test to see whether it is influenced by changes in another factor (the independent factor)

42
Q

theory

A

an explanation that is broader in scope than a hypothesis, generates new hypotheses, and is supported by a large body of evidence

43
Q

evolution

A
  • the process of change over time that has resulted in the astounding array of organisms found on Earth
  • the fundamental principle of biology
44
Q

properties of life

A
  • order
  • energy processing
  • growth and development
  • response to the environment
  • reproduction
  • regulation
  • evolutionary adaptation
45
Q

biosphere

A

the entire portion of Earth inhabited by life; the sum of all the planet’s ecosystems

46
Q

ecosystem

A
  • all the organisms in a given area as well as the abiotic factors with which they interact
  • one or more communities and the physical environment around them
47
Q

community

A
  • all the organisms that inhabit a particular area
  • an assemblage of populations of different species living close enough together for potential interaction
48
Q

species

A

a group whose members can only reproduce with other members of the group

49
Q

population

A

a group of individuals of the same species that live in the same area and interbreed, producing fertile offspring

50
Q

organisms

A

individual living things (plants, animals, fungi, bacteria, etc.) consisting of one or more cells

51
Q

organs

A

a body part that is made up of multiple tissues and has specific functions in the body (leaves, stem, roots are major organs of plants)

52
Q

tissue

A

an integrated group of cells with a common structure, function, or both

53
Q

cells

A
  • life’s fundamental unit of structure and function
  • the smallest unit of organization that can perform all activities required for life
54
Q

organelle

A

any of the several membrane-enclosed structures with specialized functions, suspended in the cytosol of eukaryotic cells

55
Q

molecule

A

two or more atoms held together by covalent bonds