Intro to Biology

Question 1

What is biology?

Answer 1

The study of life

Question 2

Levels of biology (in order)

Answer 2

1) molecules
2) cells
3) groups of cells
4) organism
5) population
6) community
7) ecosystem
8) biosphere

Question 3

Characteristics of living things

Answer 3

(C) made of cells / have organized structure (multicellular / unicellular)

(H) homeostasis
(E) obtain and use materials and energy
(R) reproduce (sexually and asexually)

(G) grow and develop
(R) respond to environment / stimuli
(E) able to evolve (change over time in a population)
(G) have genetic material (DNA or RNA)

Question 4

Sexual reproduction (ex)

Answer 4

• Reproduction where two cells (sperm + egg) unite to produce the first cell of a new organism, creating unique offspring
• Plants, animals, some fungi

Question 5

Asexual reproduction (ex)

Answer 5

• A single organism can reproduce without the aid of another by binary fission or budding, producing genetic clones of their parent
• Bacteria, plants

Question 6

Metabolism

Answer 6

• The sum of all anabolic and catabolic reactions in the body
• Sum of the physical and chemical processes in an organism, by which its material substance is produced, maintained, and destroyed, and by which energy is made available

Question 7

Catabolism (ex)

Answer 7

• Breaking down complex molecules

- Cellular respiration

Question 8

Anabolism (ex)

Answer 8

• Build complex molecules

- Building muscle tissue, photosynthesis

Question 9

Homeostasis (ex)

Answer 9

• The regulation of an organism’s international environment to maintain conditions suitable for life
• Water level, temp, hormone levels, blood pressure, blood sugar levels

Question 10

Growing

Answer 10

Increase in the amount of living material

Question 11

Cellular respiration

Answer 11

• The catabolic process by which most organisms extract energy from the food they eat
• Nutrients like sugar are broken down, energy is released and wastes like CO2 are produced

Question 12

External stimuli (Ex)

Answer 12

• Environmental: air, water, temperature, other organism

- Cause a response from living things

Question 13

Scientific process steps*

Answer 13

1) Observation and define + identify the problem / question
2) Form hypothesis
3) Design a controlled experiment to test hyp.
4) Collect data + analayze
5) Use data to draw conclusion(s)
6) Repeat experiment to verify results
7) Publish / share results

Question 14

What is the independent (manipulated) variable? Why can there only be one?

Answer 14

• What the experimenter is purposefully changing in an experiment
• With more than one, you wouldn’t know which variable is affecting the outcome

Question 15

Why are other factors held constant in an experiment?

Answer 15

-So that the experimenter may be assured that the changes are due only to the changes in the independent variable

Question 16

Dependent (responding) variable

Answer 16

-What is being measured in an experiment, the result that changes due to the independent variable

Question 17

Purpose of control group?

Answer 17

• Provides baseline data in which the independent variable being tested cannot influence the results
• Used in comparison to the experimental group
• Helps to rule out the effect of factors other than the independent variable in the experiment

Question 18

What is a theory? How is it developed?

Answer 18

• An overarching idea or explanation about natural phenomena, which has extensive evidence supporting it, has no evidence to the contrary, and is widely accepted
• Continue to generate new hypotheses
• If enough evidence accumulates to support a hypothesis, then it can be called a theory

Question 19

What are the subatomic particles? (charge, mass, location)

Answer 19

• Proton (positive / 1 dalton / nucleus)
• Electron (negative / close to 0 / orbit nucleus)
• Neutron (neutral / 1 dalton / nucleus)

Question 20

Ion

Answer 20

-An atom or molecule with an electrical charge resulting from a gain or loss of one or more electrons

Question 21

Isotope

Answer 21

-Atoms of an element with varying numbers of neutrons

Question 22

Valence electrons, how do you determine the # of them in a given atom?

Answer 22

-Number of covalent bonds an atom can form = number of additional electrons needed to fill its outer shell

Question 23

Ionic bond*

Answer 23

-Two ions with opposite charges attract each other — when the attraction holds them together, it is called an ionic bond — resulting compound is electrically neutral

Question 24

Covalent bond*

Answer 24

-Two atoms share one or more pairs of outer shell electrons

Question 25

Similarities and differences between ionic and covalent bonds

Answer 25

-

Question 26

Covalent bonding in H / O / N / C

Using bonding rules for these atoms

Answer 26

-

Question 27

How to predict the chemical structure of a molecule given its chemical formula

Answer 27

-

Question 28

Molecule (ex)

Answer 28

• Two or more atoms held together by covalent bonds

- Water (H20, hydrogen + oxygen)

Question 29

Compound (ex)

Answer 29

• Two or more different elements, bonded (ionically or covalently) in a fixed ratio.
• Salt

Question 30

How can you use the # of valence electrons to predict if an atom will bond/react with another atom?

Answer 30

-

Question 31

Unicellular organism

Answer 31

• Grow by increasing in size

- Develop by the formation of new structures internally + on the surface

Question 32

Multicellular organism

Answer 32

• Grow by increasing in cell size and cell number
• Develop by formation of new structures inside cells, on cell surfaces, and by the formation of new arrangements of cells into tissues + organs

Question 33

Heterotroph

Answer 33

-

Question 34

Autotroph

Answer 34

-

Question 35

Why is it necessary for scientists to record and publish their experiments and results?

Answer 35

• So other scientists can recreate their experiment and verify the results, to make sure the results are repeatable
• So they can get credit for their work / discoveries
• To inform others about discoveries, to give others a groundwork to build off of
• So it won’t be forgotten (written record)