Lecture Series 1 Vocabulary

Question 1

metabolism

Answer 1

All the chemical reactions that occur inside living cells, including those that release and store energy.

Question 2

evolution

Answer 2

A change in the overall inherited characteristics of a group of organisms over multiple generations.

Question 3

biodiversity

Answer 3

the number of species found in a given ecosystem.

Question 4

homeostasis

Answer 4

organisms must continually use energy to maintain an “internal steady state” Examples – body temperature, blood pH.

Question 5

autotroph

Answer 5

make their own food and include photosynthetic & chemosynthetic organisms. They provide the basis for all food chains in all ecosystems

Question 6

heterotroph

Answer 6

consume other organisms for food.

Question 7

DNA

Answer 7

Deoxyribonucleic acid is a molecule that carries the genetic instructions

Question 8

gene

Answer 8

portion of DNA molecules that code for the proteins and hence traits of organisms.

Question 9

allele

Answer 9

one of two or more alternative forms of a gene that arise by mutation and are found at the same place on a chromosome

Question 10

chromosome

Answer 10

a threadlike structure of nucleic acids and protein found in the nucleus of most living cells, carrying genetic information in the form of genes.

Question 11

natural selection

Answer 11

also called survival of the fittest; the process whereby organisms better adapted to their environment tend to survive and produce more offspring. The theory of its action was first fully expounded by Charles Darwin and is now believed to be the main process that brings about evolution.

Question 12

gene pool

Answer 12

the stock of different genes in an interbreeding population.

Question 13

species

Answer 13

one of a kind organisms and the smallest category of the classification system

Question 14

population

Answer 14

group of interbreeding species

Question 15

community

Answer 15

all the various interacting species of a given locale

Question 16

ecosystem

Answer 16

interacting communities along with their non-living surroundings

Question 17

domain

Answer 17

the highest taxonomic rank of organisms in the three-domain system: archaea, bacteria, eukarya

Question 18

bacteria

Answer 18

one of the three domains, comprised of Prokaryotes – unicellular organisms lacking a membrane-bound nucleus

Question 19

archaea

Answer 19

one of the three domains, comprised of Prokaryotes – unicellular organisms lacking a membrane-bound nucleus. May be representative of the first cells on Earth

Question 20

eukarya

Answer 20

one of the three domains, comprised of Eukaryotes (organisms whose cells contain a true nucleus). They are unicellular or multicellular organisms with a membrane-bound nucleus and belonging to one of four kingdoms: Plant, Animal, Fungi and Protist

Question 21

Four Kingdoms of Eukarya

Answer 21

Protista, Fungi, Plantae, and Animalia (Protista are any eukaryote that isn’t a plant, animal or fungi)

Question 22

macromolecule

Answer 22

a molecule containing a very large number of atoms (thousands+), such as a protein, nucleic acid, or synthetic polymer.

Question 23

biological molecule

Answer 23

is molecule that is present in living organisms, including large macromolecules such as proteins, carbohydrates, lipids, and nucleic acids, as well as small molecules such as primary metabolites, secondary metabolites, and natural products.

Question 24

organic molecule

Answer 24

A molecule of the kind normally found in living systems. Organic molecules are usually composed of carbon atoms in rings or long chains, to which are attached other atoms of such elements as hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen.

Question 25

polymer

Answer 25

a substance that has a molecular structure consisting chiefly or entirely of a large number of similar units bonded together, e.g., many synthetic organic materials used as plastics and resins.

Question 26

prokaryote

Answer 26

unicellular, lacks membrane-bound nucleus; may be representative of first cells on Earth

Question 27

eukaryote

Answer 27

Unicellular or multicellular organisms with a membrane-bound nucleus; protists are eukaryotes that are NOT a plant, animal or fungi

Question 28

cell

Answer 28

the smallest structural and functional unit of an organism, typically microscopic and consisting of cytoplasm and a nucleus enclosed in a membrane; all cells are either prokaryotic or eukaryotic

Question 29

organ

Answer 29

collections of tissues that work together; a part of an organism that is typically self-contained and has a specific vital function, such as the heart or liver in humans.

Question 30

tissue

Answer 30

group of similar cells working together to perform a function; specialized cells and their products

Question 31

organ system

Answer 31

There are ten major organ systems in the body, each of which plays a different role in helping the body work; groups of organs that work together to accomplish various important functions

Question 32

carbohydrate

Answer 32

a biological molecule consisting of carbon (C), hydrogen (H) and oxygen (O) atoms, usually with a hydrogen–oxygen atom ratio of 2:1 (as in water)

Question 33

protein

Answer 33

where the traits of organisms can be found for which DNA molecules code; large, complex molecules that play many critical roles in the body. They do most of the work in cells and are required for the structure, function, and regulation of the body’s tissues and organs.

Question 34

enzyme

Answer 34

macromolecular biological catalysts that accelerate chemical reactions

Question 35

lipids

Answer 35

a group of naturally occurring molecules containing hydrocarbons that make up the building blocks of the structure and function of living cells that include fats, waxes, sterols, fat-soluble vitamins (such as vitamins A, D, E, and K), monoglycerides, diglycerides, triglycerides, phospholipids, and others.

Question 36

nucleic acids

Answer 36

a complex organic substance of biopolymers (large biomolecules) present in living cells, especially DNA or RNA, whose molecules consist of many nucleotides linked in a long chain.

Question 37

observation (scientific method)

Answer 37

the active acquisition of information from a primary source, such as nature, prior to formulating a question

Question 38

hypothesis

Answer 38

the initial building block in the scientific method, described as an “educated guess,” it is based on prior knowledge and observation.

Question 39

scientific research

Answer 39

the systematic investigation of scientific theories and hypotheses

Question 40

survey

Answer 40

the sampling of individual units from a population and the associated survey data collection techniques, such as questionnaire construction

Question 41

controlled experiment

Answer 41

one in which everything is held constant except for one variable

Question 42

variable

Answer 42

any factor, trait, or condition that can exist in differing amounts or types. An experiment usually has three kinds of variables: independent, dependent, and controlled. The independent variable is the one that is changed by the scientist.

Question 43

data

Answer 43

the information gained from observing and testing an experiment

Question 44

statistics

Answer 44

the science of data

Question 45

scientific theory

Answer 45

a well-substantiated explanation of some aspect of the natural world, based on a body of facts that have been repeatedly confirmed through observation and experiment

Question 46

scientific law

Answer 46

a statement based on repeated experimental observations that describes some aspect of the universe.