Unit 1: The Nature Of Life Flashcards
Acid
Is between 0 and 7 on the pH scale
Adaptation
A characteristic that helps a living thing survive and reproduce in a given environment
Adhesion
Attraction to water to other molecules
Anion
A negatively charged ion
Atom
The smallest unit of a chemical element
Atomic mass
Number of proteins plus neurons
Base
Between 7 and 14 on the pH scale
Biodiversity
Diversity of living things
Biology
The study of living things
Biome
A group of similar ecosystems with the same general type of physical environment
Biosphere
Part of earth where all life exists including land, air, and water
Buffer
Weak acids and weak bases which work to neutralize substances inside cells that are too acidic to too basic
Cation
A positively charged ion
Cell
The basic unit of the structure and function of living things
Cell theory
All living things are made up of cells; cells are the structural unit of living organisms; living cells come from other living cells
Chemistry
The study of matter, it’s composition, and properties
Chromosome
Location of genes, made up of DNA
Cohesion
Attraction of water to other water molecules (surface tension allowing insects to walk on water)
Covalent bond
The force of attraction that holds together two non metal atoms that share a pair of electrons
Crystal
A rigid framework of many ions locked together in a repeating pattern
DNA
Large molecules encoded with instructions that tell cells what to do
Density
Frozen water is less dense than liquid which allows it to float on water (insulates bodies of water allowing living things to survive during cold temperatures)
Dependent variable
The affected variable depends on the independent variable and scientists cannot control the dependent variable
Ecosystem
Consists of all living things in a given area, together with the non living things
Electron
Negatively charged particles in an atom, they participate in bonding
Element
A pure substance
Gene
A segment of DNA that has the instructions to encode a protein; located in larger structures called chromosomes
Gene theory
The idea that all characteristics of living organisms are controlled by genes
Homogeneous
The same chemical composition found uniformly throughout the substance
Homeostasis
The process of maintaining a constant internal environment
Hydrogen bond
The positive hydrogen end of one water molecule is attracted to the negative oxygen end of the nearby water molecule. Because of this attraction, weak bonds form between the adjacent molecules
Hydrogen ion
H + ion created from the breakdown of water
Hydroxide ion
OH - ion created from the breakdown of water
Independent variable
The variable that is changed in an experiment
Ion
When an atom gains or loses electrons
Ionic bond
The force of attraction that hold together oppositely charged ions
Isotope
Atoms of an element with differing numbers of neutrons
Molecule
Atoms held together by covalent bonds
Matter
Anything that has mass and takes up space
Organ
Structure composed of one or more types of tissue
Organ system
A group of organs that work together to do a certain job
Outlier
When data falls outside the pattern observed
pH scale
A scale to measure the concentration of hydrogen ions and hydroxide ions that exist in solutions. The scale ranges from 0 to 14
Polar covalent bond
Bond in a polar molecule in which electrons are shared between the molecules
Polar molecule
A molecule in which part of the molecule is positively charged and part of the molecule is negatively charged
Polarity
The property of a molecule to have a positive and negative end
Proton
Positively charged particles in an atom, located in the nucleus
Qualitative data
Observations recorded as descriptions
Quantitative data
Information about quantities
Tissue
A group of cells of the same kind
Trend
Show scientists a pattern in the data
Valence electron
Electrons found in the outer energy level of an atom
