Lesson 1.1: What is Biology Flashcards

1
Q

organisms

A

an individual living entity that grows and reproduces as an independent unit

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

nucleic acids

A

a polymer made up of nucleotides, specialized for the storage, transmission, and expression of genetic information
ex: DNA and RNA

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

cell

A

the simplest structural unit of a living organism
- in multicellular organisms, many individual cells serve as the building blocks of tissue and organs

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

prokaryotes

A

unicellular organisms that do NOT have nuclei
(contrast with eukaryotes)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

photosynthesis

A

metabolic processes carried out by green plants and cyanobacteria, by which visible light is trapped and the energy used to convert CO2 into organic compounds

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

aerobic metabolism

A

in the presence of O2; requiring or using oxygen
- a set of chemical reactions that releases energy from life’s molecules by using O2

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

anaerobic metabolism

A

occurring without the use of molecular O2
- a set of reactions that extract energy without using O2

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

organelles

A

any of the membrane-enclosed structures within a eukaryotic cell
ex: nucleus, endoplasmic reticulum, mitochondria

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

nucleus

A

centrally located compartment of eukaryotic cells that is enclosed by a double membrane and contains the chromosomes (cell’s genetic information)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

eukaryotes

A

organisms made up of one or more complex cells in which the genetic material is contained in nuclei

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

endosymbiosis

A

the engulfing of one cell by another
- “living inside another”

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

mitochondria

A

organelle in eukaryotic cells that contains the enzymes of the citric acid cycle, respiratory chain, and oxidative phosphorylation
- release energy for use

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

chloroplasts

A

organelle bound by a double membrane containing the enzymes and pigments that perform photosynthesis
- occur only in eukaryotes

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

cellular specialization

A

in multicellular organisms, the division of labor such that different cell types become responsible for different functions

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

genome

A

complete DNA (sometimes RNA) sequence for a particular organism or individual
- sum total of an organism’s genetic material

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

mutations

A

a change in the genetic material that is not caused by recombination

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

binomial

A

a taxonomic naming system in which each species is given two names (genus species)
- italicized

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

phylogenetic trees

A

a graphic representation of the lines of descent among organisms or their genes

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

tree of life

A

term that encompasses the evolutionary history of all life, or a graphic representation of that history

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

bacteria

A

unicellular organisms lacking a nucleus
- one of the two primary divisions of life

21
Q

archaea

A

unicellular organisms that lack a nucleus and lack a peptidoglycan in the cell wall
- one of the two primary branches of life

22
Q

domains

A

the tree monophyletic branches of life:
1) bacteria
2) archaea
3) eukarya

23
Q

model systems

A

small group of species that are the subject of extensive research
- adapt well to lab situations

24
Q

tissues

A

a group of similar cells organized into a functional unit

25
Q

organ

A

a body part, composed of two or more tissues integrated to perform a distinct function

26
Q

organ systems

A

an interrelated and integrated group of tissues and organs that work together in a physiological function

27
Q

ecological systems

A

one or more organisms and the environment they interact with
- ecosystems

28
Q

populations

A

group of individuals of the same species that live, interact, and reproduce together in a particular geographic area

29
Q

communities

A

the assemblage of interacting individuals of different species within a particular geographic area

30
Q

landscapes

A

ecological system consisting of multiple ecological communities within a geographic area larger than the area occupied by a single community
- biosphere is landscape of entire earth and all its life

31
Q

system

A

set of interacting parts in which neither the parts nor the whole can be understood without taking into account their interaction with each other

32
Q

components

A

interacting parts of a biological system

33
Q

processes

A

ways in which biological components interact

34
Q

feedback

A

in regulatory systems, information about the relationship between the set point of the system and its current state
- positive: when a product of the system speeds up an earlier process
- negative: when a product of a system slows down an earlier process

35
Q

regulatory systems

A

system that uses feedback information to maintain a physiological function or parameter at an optimal level

36
Q

systems analysis

A

process in which parts/components of a biological system are identified and the process by which they interact are specified

37
Q

equilibrium

A

state of a system in which there is no net change throughout time
- state of stable balance

38
Q

nucelotide

A

building blocks of nucleic acids and important coenzymes

39
Q

DNA

A

deoxyribonucleic acid; fundamental hereditary material of all living organisms

40
Q

proteins

A

compound consisting of one, or more polypeptides
- molecules that govern chemical reactions within cells and form much of organism’s structure

41
Q

gene

A

unit of heredity; unit of genetic function which carries the information for a polypeptide

42
Q

evolution

A

change in the genetic makeup of biological populations through time

43
Q

natural selection

A

the differential contribution of offspring to the next generation by various genetic types belonging to the same population
- mechanism of evolution proposed by Charles Darwin

44
Q

adaptations

A

structural, physiological, or behavioral traits that increase an organism’s chances of surviving and reproducing in its specific environment

45
Q

proximate explanations

A

immediate genetic, physiological, neurological, and developmental explanations for the advantages of an adaptation

46
Q

ultimate explanation

A

historical explanations of the processes that led to the evolution of an adaptation

47
Q

genetic drift

A

random changes in gene frequencies in a population because of chance events

48
Q

theory

A

a body of scientific work in which rigorously tested and well-established facts and principles are used to make predictions about the natural world