Life Science Flashcards
These plants lack true roots, stems, and leaves.
- range from single cell to seaweed
- mostly inhabit lakes and oceans
- fungi; molds, yeasts, mushrooms
Algae and fungi
Two different organisms (fungi and algae), living together symbiotically
Lichens
These plants lack chlorophyll and thus cannot manufacture food; they are either parasites or saprophytes
Fungi
These plants lack seeds and reproduce by means of spores. They do have stems, roots, and leaves. Spores develop into a new plant without fertilization
Ferns
Cone-bearing plants (including pines) with seeds exposed on cone scales
Gymnosperms
Flowering plants that bear their seeds within fruits
Angiosperms
Develops into a seed after plant reproduction. In seed plants, it is the structure that gives rise to and contains the female reproductive cells.
-in flowering plants, it is located in the actual flower, the part of the carpel known as the ovary (which becomes the fruit)
Ovule (plant)
The plant equivalent of the umbilical cord
Funinculus
A metabolic pathway that converts light energy into chemical energy. Plants use the energy from the sunlight to convert carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, plus water, to simple sugars.
Photosynthesis
A green colored magnesium containing pigment, essential to photosynthesis
Chlorophyll
The smallest amount of living matter; the unit of structure and function for all organisms
The cell
Semi permeable part of the cell that allows some substances to pass while excluding others
Cell membrane
Main material within a cell, varies in consistency from a fluid to a semi solid. Consists of functional bodies such as centrosome, ribosomes, mitochondria, Golgi bodies, and vacuoles. (Also plastids in plants)
Cytoplasm
The organelle that contains the cells DNA and is the control center of the cell
Nucleus
The organelle in which amino acids are hooked together to make proteins
Ribosomes
The organelle that breaks down food molecules to make Adenosine triphosphate (ATP). “The powerhouse of the cell”. Involved in signaling, cellular division, differentiation, and cell death
Mitochondrion
The organelle that processes and transports proteins and other materials out of the cell
Golgi complex (Golgi Bodies)
Bodies with chlorophyll that carry out photosynthesis in plant cells
Plastids
The breaking down of chemicals in the body into a form that can be absorbed; also the process by which the body breaks down chemicals into smaller components that can be digested by the blood stream.
Digestion
Converted into various sugars by the action of several enzymes (including saliva and ptyalin)
Carbohydrates
Transformed into glycerol and fatty acids by the combined action of bile from the liver and the enzyme lipase from the pancreas
Fats
Are broken apart to their constituent amino acids
Proteins
Millions of projections lining the small intestine that absorb the final products of digestion (sugars, glycerol, fatty acids, amino acids)
Villi
Here digestion occurs where food is broken down mechanically and chemically by churning and mixing the food with enzymes
Stomach
Area where the majority of digestion and absorption occur
Small intestine
Where absorption occurs in digestion
The stomach and gastro-intestinal tract
An organ system that moves nutrients, gases, and wastes to and from cells, helps fight diseases, and stabilizes body temperature and pH to maintain homeostasis. Composed of the cardiovascular system and the lymphatic system.
Circulatory system
Humans have a _________ cardiovascular system, that is, the blood never leaves the network of arteries, veins, and capillaries.
Closed cardiovascular system
The main components of the human circulatory system
Heart, blood, and blood vessels
The circulatory system includes ___________ circulation, a loop through the rest of the body to provide oxygenated blood
Pulmonary circulation
The average adult contains ________ quarts of blood
5 to 6 quarts of blood (4.7-5.7 liters)
What are the four components of blood
Plasma, red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets
How does the digestive system work with the circulatory system?
The digestive system works with the circulatory system to provide the nutrients the system needs to keep the heart pumping
In blood, these transport oxygen in combination with the iron pigment hemoglobin
Red blood cells
In blood, these cells fight infection
White blood cells
In blood, these initiate the clotting necessary to stop bleeding after a wound
Platelets
In blood, this dissolves nutrients, wastes, hormones, antibodies, and enzymes
Plasma
Components of the lymphatic system
The lymph, lymph nodes, and lymph vessels
What two systems collectively make the circulatory system?
The cardiovascular system and the lymphatic system
The heart pumps _________ blood to the body and __________ blood to the lungs
Oxygenated blood; deoxygenated blood
The four chambers of the heart
Left atrium, right atrium, left ventricle, right ventricle
The upper chamber of the right side of the heart, receives blood from the upper body through the superior vena cava and from the lower body through the inferior vena cava.
The right atrium
The function of this system is to allow for gas exchange
The respiratory system
The anatomical features of the respiratory system in humans and mammals
Airways, lungs, and the respiratory muscles
Molecules of oxygen and carbon dioxide are passively exchanged, by __________, between the gaseous external environment and the blood.
- this exchange occurs in the ________ region of the lungs
Diffusion; aveolar region (respiratory system)
This system that includes those specialized structures that initiate a nerve impulse after being affected by the environment
The sensory system
The most universal process of life, explaining its survival and variety.
Reproduction
How does sight work?
Light rays are refracted as they pass through the cornea, lens, and vitreous body to focus on the retina, where an image is formed. The optic nerve then carries impulses from the light sensitive cells of the retina to the brain
This system is composed of the brain, spinal cord, and peripheral nerves that extend throughout the body.
The nervous system
The functional unit of the nervous system. A nerve cell with short dendrites that carry electrical impulses to the cell body and a large axon that further transmits the impulse
Neuron
In a neuron, the outgoing fiver along which an impulse is further transmitted
Axon
These conduct signals from the sense organs to the central nervous system, the spinal cord, and the brain
Sensory neurons
These transmit signals from the central nervous system to muscles
Motor neurons
Made up of the cerebellum and medulla oblongata, it operates unconsciously and automatically to regulate vital functions like circulation, respiration, excretion, and muscle tension
The hindbrain
The largest part of the brain. It receives information from the senses and makes conscious decisions.
The cerebrum
Complex chemical systems organized in ways that promote reproduction and some measure of sustainability and survival
Organisms
They produce usable energy (in the form of organic compounds), using light from the sun or inorganic compounds
Autotrophs
They take in organic compounds from the environment
Heterotrophs
The physical properties of this element are such that it has a great affinity for bonding with other small atoms, including other atoms of itself. Its small size makes it capable of forming multiple bonds and makes it ideal as the basis of organic life.
Carbon
Usually considered as a branch of biology, it is a multidisciplinary science because of its focus on the higher levels of the organization of life on earth and the relationship between organisms and their environment
Ecology
A central principle of ecology is that each living organism has an ongoing continual __________ with every other element that makes up its environment.
Relationship
The sum total of interacting living organisms and their non living environment (the biotope)
Ecosystem
Studies of ecosystems usually focus on the movement of _______ and _________ through the system
Energy and matter
Almost all ecosystems run on energy captured by the _____ by primary producers through _________.
Sun; photosynthesis
Herbivores who eat plants
Primary consumers
Carnivores and omnivores in an ecosystem
Secondary and tertiary consumers
Photosynthetic plants fix carbon from carbon dioxide, and nitrogen from atmospheric nitrogen or nitrates in the soil to produce ____________.
Amino acids
The process by which nutrients are returned to the ecosystem
Decomposition
The entire movement of chemicals in an ecosystem (includes the carbon and nitrogen cycle)
Biogeochemical cycle
All the members of a given species that live in a defined geographic area
Population
A characteristic of an organism that has been favored by natural selection and increases the fitness of its possessor.
-can be structural, behavioral, or physiological
Adaptation
Special body parts of an organism that help it survive its habitat (skin color, shape, body covering)
Structural adaptations
Special ways an organism behaves to survive (I.e. Phototropism)
Behavioral adaptations
Systems present in an organism that allow it to perform certain biochemical reactions (e.g. Making venom, secreting slime, and homeostasis)
Physiological adaptations
If the number of species in an ecosystem is higher, then the number of stimuli is _________.
Higher
Through _____________, the planets species have continuously adapted to change through variation in their biological composition and distribution
Natural selection
Describe the eating relationships between species within an ecosystem. They also show how the energy from the producer is given to the consumer.
Food chains
Refers to a network where the connections are given weights representing the quantity of nutrients or energy being transferred
Food network or ecosystem network
Organisms in a food chain are grouped into _______, based on how many links they are removed from primary producers
Trophic levels (may contain either a single species or a group of species that are presumed to share both predators and prey; usually start with a plant and end with a carnivore)
Organisms in a biomass from inorganic compounds (autotrophs). These are the green plants in an ecosystem that can manufacture their own food through the process of photosynthesis
Producers
Plant eaters (herbivores). They can range in size from insects to elephants
Primary consumers
Carnivores. They feed on smaller primary and secondary consumers
Secondary consumers
Organisms that consume dead organisms.
Decomposers such as bacteria and fungi.
Decomposers are ___________; they use organic substrates to get their energy , carbon, and nutrients for growth and development.
Heterotrophic
Interconnected energy systems that demonstrate the energy links available to an organism.
-help explain predator/prey relationships in an ecosystem and include networks of food chains.
Food webs
Illustrate energy flow in an ecosystem. The base of which (producers) supports all other levels, each succeeding level there is a decrease in energy.
Food pyramids
A distinct change in physical appearance an organism can go through between birth and adulthood.
Metamorphosis
Explain the life cycle of a frog.
- ) female frog lays thousands of eggs (highly vulnerable to predators)
- ) eggs hatch and life continues as tadpoles (no lungs, eyelids, or front and hind legs. Typically herbivorous, feeding on mostly algae)
- ) undergo metamorphosis and transition into adult form. (Develop hind legs, then front legs, lose their gills, develop lungs)
- ) final stage– froglet develops into adult frog
Explain the stages of the butterfly life cycle
- ) egg or embryonic stage
- ) larva (caterpillar/feeding stage)
- ) pupa (chrysalis) or cocoon stage
- ) adult butterfly (imago) stage
Butterfly lifecycle: the eggs are usually laid on plants; this stage lasts a few weeks for most butterflies.
Egg or embryonic stage
Life cycle of a butterfly: Caterpillars emerge from the eggs and consume plant leaves and spend practically all of their time in search for food. Most caterpillars are herbivorous (few are insect eating). When the caterpillars are fully grown, hormones are produced.
Larva or feeding stage
Lifecycle of a butterfly: the larva transforms in a cocoon by anchoring itself to a substrate and molting for the last time.
Pupa (chrysalis) or cocoon stage
Lifecycle of a butterfly: after it emerges from the pupa stage, a butterfly cannot fly until the wings are unfolded
Adult butterfly (imago) stage
________ plants are the dominant plant form on land
Flowering plants
What is the most distinguishing feature of a flowering plant?
Their reproductive organs, commonly called flowers
Pollen bearing structure in the stamen (male organ) of the flower, usually located on top of the filament of the stamen.
Anther
The sticky part of a flowers carpel, which traps pollen grains
Stigma
A long, thin structure that supports an anther
Filament
Tiny grains that contain male gametes, released from the anthers of flowers
Pollen
The male part of the flower, made up of an anther and a filament.
Stamen
The transfer of pollen grains from the anther to the sigma in flowering plants
Pollination
A modified leaf of a flowering plant. Heat are often colorful parts of a flower that advertise it to insects and other pollinators.
Petal
The female reproductive organ of a flower, consisting of the stigma, style, and ovary
Carpel
Outermost circle of flower parts that encloses a bud before it opens and protects the flower as its developing
Sepal
The female ovule-bearing part of a flower composed of ovary and style and stigma
Pistil
A type of reproduction that does not involve fertilization. Primary form of reproduction in single cell organisms, many plants, and fungi.
Asexual reproduction
A process of reductional division in which the number of chromosomes per cell is cut in half.
-does not occur in asexual organisms
Meiosis
In animals, meiosis always results in the formation of ______, while in other organisms it can give rise to _______.
Gametes; spores
During meiosis, the genome of a diploid germ cell, undergoes DNA reproduction resulting in ______________.
Four haploid cells; each of these cells contains one complete set of chromosomes, or half the genetic content of the original cell.
Together, _________ and ____________ generate distinct individuals in populations.
Meiosis; fertilization
The division of the parent cells genome into two daughter cells.
- the genome is composed of a number of chromosomes that contain genetic information vital for proper cell function.
- before this process, the parent cell must make a copy of each chromosome (occurs during the interphase period)
Mitosis
Mitosis: growth phase. Chromosomes double, DNA is replicated, centrioles double, centrioles move toward poles, micro tubules produce spindle fibers
Interphase
Mitosis: chromosomes thicken and become visible, visible spindle fibers, nuclear membrane and nucleons begins to break down
Prophase
Mitosis: chromosomes line up at the equator
Metaphase
Mitosis: chromosomes are separating, chromosomes move toward poles, spindle fibers begin to shorten
Anaphase
Mitosis: spindle fibers are disappearing, chromosomes begin to unwind, membrane is present, membrane is reappearing, there are two daughter cells
Telophase
Division of cytoplasm
Cytokinesis
The process by which favorable heritable traits become more common in successive generations of a population of reproducing organisms, and unfavorable heritable traits become less common
Natural selection
The work in which Darwin formulated his theory of evolution including:
- survival of the fittest
- natural selection
- evolution of species over time
- genetic variation through geographic isolation
The origin of species
The study of _______ can best pinpoint when and in what organism branching occurred in the tree of life
Fossils
