Unit 0, Chapter 1 Flashcards
biology
the scientific study of life
emergent properties
new properties that arise with each step upward in the hierarchy of life, owing to the arrangement and interactions of parts as complexity increases
systems biology
an approach to studying biology that aims to model the dynamic behavior of whole biological systems based on a study of the interactions among the system’s parts
eukaryotic cell
a type of cell with a membrane-enclosed nucleus and membrane-enclosed organelles. organisms with eukaryotic cells (protists, plants, fungi, and animals) are called eukaryotes
prokaryotic cell
a type of cell lacking a membrane-enclosed nucleus and membrane-enclosed organelles. organisms with prokaryotic cells (bacteria and archaea) are called prokaryotes
DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid)
a nucleic acid molecule, usually a double-stranded helix, in which each polynucleotide strand consists of nucleotide monomers with a deoxyribose sugar and the nitrogenous bases adenine (A), cytosine (C), guanine (G), and thymine (T); capable of being replicated and determining the inherited structure of a cell’s proteins
gene
a discrete unit of hereditary information consisting of a specific nucleotide sequence in DNA (or RNA, in some viruses)
gene expression
the process by which information encoded in DNA directs the synthesis of proteins or, in some cases, RNAs that are not translated into proteins and instead functions as RNAs
genome
the genetic material of an organism or virus; the complete complement of an organism’s or virus’s genes along with its noncoding nucleic acid sequences
genomics
the systematic study of whole sets of genes (or other DNA) and their interactions within a species, as well as genome comparisons between species
proteomics
the systematic study of sets of proteins and their properties, including their abundance, chemical modifications, and interactions
proteome
the entire set of proteins expressed by a given tissue, cell, or organism
bioinformatics
the use of computers, software, and mathematical models to process and integrate biological information from large data sets
producers
an organism that produces organic compounds from CO2 by harnessing light energy (in photosynthesis) or by oxidizing inorganic chemicals (in chemosynthetic reactions carried out by some prokaryotes)
consumer
an organism that feeds on producers, other consumers, or nonliving organic material
feedback regulation
the regulation of a process by its output or end product
climate change
a directional change in temperature, precipitation, or other aspect of the global climate that lasts for three decades or more
evolution
descent with modification; the idea that living species are descendants of ancestral species that were different from the present-day ones; also defined more narrowly as the change in the genetic composition of a population from generation to generation
Bacteria
one of two prokaryotic domains, the other being Archaea
Archaea
one of two prokaryotic domains, the other being Bacteria
Eukarya
the domain that includes all eukaryotic organisms
natural selection
a process in which individuals that have certain inherited traits tend to survive and reproduce at higher rates than other individuals because of those traits
science
an approach to understanding the natural world
inquiry
the search for information and explanation, often focusing on specific questions
data
recorded observations
inductive reasoning
a type of logic in which generalizations are based on a large number of specific observations
hypothesis
a testable explanation for a set of observations based on the available data and guided by inductive reasoning. a hypothesis is narrower in scope than a theory
experiment
a scientific test often carried out under controlled conditions that involve manipulating one factor in a system in order to see the effects of changing that factor
deductive reasoning
a type of logic in which specific results are predicted from a general premise
controlled experiment
an experiment designed to compare an experimental group with a control group; ideally, the two groups differ only in the factor being tested
variable
a factor that varies in an experiment
independent variable
a factor whose value is manipulated or changed during an experiment to reveal possible effects on another factor (the dependent variable)
dependent variable
a factor whose value is measured during an experiment or other test to see whether it is influenced by changes in another factor (the independent variable)
theory
an explanation that is broader in scope than a hypothesis, generates new hypotheses, and is supposed by a large body of evidence
model organism
a particular species chosen for research into broad biological principles because it is representative of a larger group and usually easy to grow in a lab
technology
the application of scientific knowledge for a specific purpose, often involving industry or commerce but also including uses in basic research
