PRELIMS REVIEWER Flashcards
All living organisms grow and develop over time. Growth involves an increase
in size and often a change in structure
Growth
The ability to produce offspring that are similar to the parents. This can be sexual or asexual.
Reproduction
The sum of all chemical reactions in an organism that provide energy and materials for growth and repair.
Metabolism
The maintenance of a stable internal environment despite changes in external conditions (e.g., temperature regulation).
Homeostasis
The transmission of genetic information from parents to offspring
Heredity
The ability to respond to environmental changes or stimuli (e.g., moving towards light).
Response to Stimuli
The idea that life was created by a divine being or supernatural force. This theory is often associated with religious beliefs
Special Creation
The principle that life arises from pre-existing life. This is supported by experiments like those conducted by Louis Pasteur
Biogenesis
: The hypothesis that life originated from non-living matter through natural processes, such as chemical evolution. This theory supports the idea that life began on Earth spontaneously
Abiogenesis
The concept that the Earth’s features and life forms were shaped by a series of catastrophic events (e.g., natural disasters). This theory contrasts with
uniformitarianism, which suggests gradual changes over time
Catastrophism
The notion that life has always existed in some form and has not undergone significant change. This idea is less supported by current scientific evidence.
Eternity of Life
The view that life has evolved through both gradual changes and sudden catastrophic events. This integrates elements of gradualism and catastrophism.
Cosmozoic Theory
Common in unicellular organisms (e.g., bacteria), where the cell divides into two identical daughter cells.
Binary Fission
A new organism grows from a bud on the parent organism and eventually separates (e.g., yeast, hydras)
Budding
: The parent organism breaks into fragments, each capable of growing into a new organism (e.g., starfish).
Fragmentation