unit 1 Flashcards
what is biology?
the study of living organisms
describe the characteristic : made up of one or more cells
a cell is the basic unit of structure and function in living things, they can be unicellular or multicellular
describe the characteristic : reproduction
production of offspring, organisms that can do this are called species
describe the characteristic : growth and development
addition of mass to an organism is called growth, process of natural changes over the lifetime is development, ex: kid getting taller and caterpillar to butterfly
describe the characteristic : requires energy
most plants use light energy to make food, organisms cannot make their own so they consume other organisms, ex: plant photosynthesis or rabbit eating grass
what are autotrophs?
first in the food chain, do not depend on others, ex: algae
what are heterotrophs?
depend on autotrophs and other heterotrophs, ex: tiger
describe the characteristic : responds to a stimuli
anything part of an environment causes a reaction which is a stimuli, the reaction to this is a response, ex: rabbit gets scared and runs away in response
describe the characteristic : maintains homeostasis
regulation of an organisms internal conditions to maintain life, if anything affects its normal state it will have a process to restore the normal state, ex: sweating to cool down
describe the characteristic : adaptations evolve over time
inherited characteristics that help species to survive and reproduce ex: white arctic fox hiding in snow
describe the characteristic : displays organization
living things are arranged in an orderly way, ex: cell, tissue, organ, organ system, organism
describe the scientific method step : ask a question
collect information on something, ask questions, use prior knowledge
describe the scientific method step : form a hypothesis
use gathered and observed information to form a testable explanation, ex: if i take my vitamins every day, then i will not feel tired
describe the scientific method step : collect experimental data
design experiment to test the hypothesis
what is an experimental group?
exposed to the factor being tested
what is a control group?
used for comparison
what is an independent variable (IV)?
the variable you change in an experiment to see the effects (DV)
what is a dependent variable (DV)?
what is being tested in the experiment, the result
what is a constant?
remains unchanged throughout the experiment
what is data?
information gained from observations
what is quantative data?
form of numbers (quantitity)
what is qualitative data?
form of senses (quality)
describe the scientific method step : analyze the data
interpret the collected data and look for patterns by making a table or graph
what is a stimulus?
a change in the external environment
what are receptors?
structures that monitor changes in the external environment
what is a control center?
processes information from the receptor
what is an effector?
responds to the change, ex: muscle or gland
what is a response?
end of homeostatic feedback loop
what are homeostatic mechanisms?
control system that the body uses to maintain homeostasis, ex: functioning thermostat in a home
what does your digestive system do?
brings nutrients intro body
what does your respiratory system do?
bring in oxygen and gets rid of carbon dioxide
what does your cardiovascular system do?
distributes oxygen and nutrients to the body cells, transports wastes away from them
what do your urinary and respiratory systems do?
remove wastes from the body
what is a negative feedback loop?
corrects deviations from normal, ex: bring back down heat if cold, bring back up cold if hot
what is a positive feedback loop?
exaggerates deviation to go even higher, ex: population in city increasing which leads to more kids (increases the population even more)
why do we graph?
to visually see data trends or patterns, interpret easily
what is a line graph?
used for continuous data, data points are usually connected (dot to dot)
what is a bar graph?
used for comparing groups, x axis is usually categories or non-numerical data
what is a scatter plot?
used for continuous data, between interdependent variables
what is a histogram?
like bar graphs except no gaps between columns and no categories, number ranges instead
what is a pie chart?
parts of whole, represents data in a circular graph
what does TAILS stand for?
title, axis, interval, labels, scale
what is the difference between an observation and an inference?
observation is five senses, inference is the conclusion after you have observed
what is a bacteria?
unicellular, living, and needs a host cell to reproduce
what is a virus?
non-living, has dna, and needs a host cell to reproduce
what is a scientific journal?
the best place to locate current findings on the newest technologies
what is an encyclopedia?
good place to find information on extinct species or historical theories
what are state/local agencies?
can help with local policies or local research
describe the scientific method step : draw a conclusion
compare the results with what you expected, include improvements for future experiments or trials
describe the scientific method step : communicate results
spread your knowledge so others can build on the experiment
what is a balance used for?
measuring mass
what is a light microscope used for?
examining extremely small specimens
what is an electron microscope used for
used for examining small specimens, was used to discover cells
what is a beaker used for?
measuring volume, although it is a less accurate tool
what is a graduated cylinder used for?
measuring precise volumes of liquids
what is an objective lens of a microscope?
lens closer to the sample or specimen under observation
what is an ocular lens of a microscope?
lens farther to the sample and closer to the observer
what is a diaphragm of a microscope?
controls how much light hits the specimen
what is fine focus of a microscope?
sharpens the focus quality of the image
what is coarse focus of a microscope?
used to bring the specimen into approximate or near focus
what is the stage of a microscope?
where the specimen is placed for observation, usually mounted onto a glass slide as well
what is the barrel of a microscope?
connects the eyepiece to the objective lenses, draws light into the eyepiece for viewing
what is the base of a microscope?
the bottom of the microscope, used for support
what are the stage clips of a microscope?
they hold the slides in place
what is a lamp of a microscope?
adjusts the amount of light on the slide
what is the arm of a microscope?
it supports the body tube and connects it to the base
what is the revolving nosepiece of a microscope?
holds two or more objective lenses and can be rotated to change power
how do you put on a coverslip with avoiding air bubbles?
using a pipette place a drop of water on the specimen, carefully lower the cover slip into place
what is a metabolism?
get and use energy in order to carry out life functions
what is heredity?
passing on traits to offspring
what is interdependence?
organisms rely on each other to survive
