General Science, module 9 Flashcards
Define “molecule”.
2 or more atoms linked together to make a substance with unique properties.
Define “photosynthesis”.
The process by which green plants and some other organisms use the energy of sunlight and simple chemicals to produce their own food.
Define “metabolism”.
The sum total of all processes in an organism that convert energy and matter from outside sources and use that energy and matter to sustain the organism’s life functions.
Define “receptors”.
Special structures that allow living organisms to sense the conditions of their internal or external environment
Define “precocial”.
A term used to describe offspring that are born able to hear, see, move about, regulate body temperature, and eliminate waste without a parent’s help.
Define “altricial”.
A term used to describe offspring that are born without at least one of the following abilities: hear, see, move about, regulate body temperature, or eliminate waste.
Define “cell”.
The smallest unit of life in creation.
What are the four criteria for life?
All life forms:
- contain DNA
- have a method by which they extract energy from their surroundings and convert it into energy that sustains them
- can sense changes in their surroundings and respond to those changes
- reproduce.
What does DNA provide to a living organism?
DNA provides the information necessary to organize the chemicals that make up living organisms and turn them into a living system.
Name the four nucleotide bases.
Thymine, Adenine, Cytosine, and Guanine.
What is the chemical that plants make for food?
Glucose.
What is the chemical that plants often store their food as?
Starch.
Animal A lives a much less dangerous life than animal B. Which one most likely has more offspring?
Animal B (the one with the more dangerous life) will have more offspring.
What is the outside coating that holds a cell together called?
The membrane.
What is the organelle that holds a cell’s DNA called?
The nucleus.
