Chapter 1- The Science of Biology Vocabulary Flashcards
Observation
The process of gathering information about events or processes in a careful, orderly way.
Science
- An organized way of using evidence to learn about the natural world.
- The body of knowledge that scientists have built up after years of using this process
Data
Information gathered from observations
Inference
A logical interpretation based on prior knowledge or experience
Hypothesis
A proposed scientific explanation for a set of observations.
Scientists generate hypotheses using ______ ________, or what they already know; ________ _________; and ________, __________ imagination
prior knowledge; logical inference; informed, creative
Spontaneous Generation
The idea that life can arise from nonliving matter
Controlled Experiment
An experiment in which only one variable is changed at a time. All other variables should be kept unchanged, or controlled.
Manipulated Variable
The variable that is deliberately changed
Responding Variable
The variable that changes in response to the manipulated variable
Theory
A particular hypothesis may become so well supported that scientists consider it a ______
Biology
The science that seeks to understand he living world
Cell
A collection of living matter enclosed by a barrier that separates the cell from it’s surroundings
Unicellular
One cell– many living things consist of a single cell
Multicellular
Many celled– contain hundreds, thousands, or even trillions of cells. Often, cells are remarkably diverse.
Sexual Reproduction
Two cells from different parents unite to produce the first cell of the new organism
Asexual Reproduction
The new organism has a single parent
Metabolism
The combination of chemical reactions through which an organism builds up and breaks down materials as it carries out life processes
Homeostasis
The process by which organisms keep internal conditions constant.
Metric System
A decimal system of measurement whose units are based on certain physical standards and are scaled on multiples of 10
Microscopes
Devices that produce magnified images of structures that are too small to see with the unaided eye
Compound Light Microscope
Allow light to pass through the specimen and use two lenses to form an image
Electron Microscope
Use beams of electrons to produce images
Cell Culture
Cell is able to reproduce so that a group of cells develops from the single original cell