Final Review Flashcards
What is science and what is its goal?
Science is an organized way of gathering and analyzing evidence about the natural world. An investigation of the world around us.
What is the difference between observation and inference?
An observation is the act of noticing and describing events- made by using the five senses- seeing, smelling, hearing, tasting, and touching
An inference is a logical interpretation based on what scientists already know- often based off observations
How do scientists develop a hypothesis?
They use their observations and inferences to form a hypothesis.
What is a controlled experiment?
An experiment in which only one variable is changed.
What steps are used to design a good experiment?
observing and asking questions
inferring and forming a hypothesis
designing controlled experiments
What is a theory?
a well-tested explanation that unifies a broad range of observations and hypotheses, and enables scientists to make accurate predictions about new situations.
List the characteristics of living things
based on a universal code grow and develop respond to their environment reproduce maintain a stable internal environment obtain and use material energy are made up of cells evolve
What is the difference between sexual and asexual reproduction?
Sexual- two parents
Asexual- one parent
What is homeostasis?
relatively constant internal, physical, and chemical conditions that organisms maintain
What measurement system do most scientists use?
The metric system
What are the three subatomic particles of an atom?
Protons, neutrons, electrons
What is an isotope?
an element that has a differing number of neutrons. It has the same number of protons and electrons but has a different mass.
What are the two main types of chemical bonds?
ionic & covalent
What is the difference between adhesion and cohesion.
Cohesion- an attraction of molecules to the same substance
Adhesion- an attraction between molecules of different substances
Why are water molecules polar?
the oxygen takes the hydrogens’ electrons, making an uneven distribution of electrons
Why are water molecules attracted to one another?
They are polar
What does pH measure?
The concentration of H+ ions in a solution
What is polymerization? Which classes of macromolecules are synthesized in this matter?
The process of many monomers attaching to each other to form polymers. Proteins, carbohydrates
What is activation energy?
The energy needed to start a chemical reaction
What is a catalyst and how does it work?
a substance that speeds up the rate of a chemical reaction by lowering the a reaction’s activation energy.
How is the active site of an enzyme and binding of its substrate like a “lock and key”?
The enzyme site is the lock. It needs a specific substrate (the key) to cause it to change shape
What factors influence enzyme activity?
Temperature
pH
Define seven levels of the biosphere and indicate how you fit into each level.
Species- group of similar organisms that can breed and produce fertile offspring
Students
Population- a group of individuals that belong to the same species and life in the same area
Keith
Community- An assemblage of different populations that live together in a defined area
Rockford
Ecosystem- All the organisms that life in a place, together with their physical environment
Illinois
Biome- a group of ecosystems that share similar climates and typical organisms
North America
Biosphere- Our entire planet, with all its organisms and physical environments
Earth
What are biotic and abiotic factors?
Biotic- living or once living things
Abiotic- Non living things
What is a primary producer? What is another name for them?
An organism that uses solar or chemical energy to produce “food”.
What do autotrophs do during photosynthesis?
Uses solar or chemical energy to produce “food” by assembling inorganic compounds into complex organic molecules.
What are consumers? What is another name for them?
Organisms that ingest other organisms as energy.
Heterotrophs
6 different types of heterotrophs? Examples?
Herbivores- plant eaters
Giraffe
Carnivores- meat eaters
Lion
Omnivores- eat both plants and animals
Bear
Detritivores- Feed on detritus particles
Worm
Decomposers- “feed” by chemically breaking down organic matter
Fungi
Scavengers- Consume te caracasses of other animals
Vulture
How does a food chain aim differ from a food web?
A food chain implies that each creature eats only one other organism. A food web is made of many food chains.