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Biology 100 > Bio Unit 1 Vocab > Flashcards

Bio Unit 1 Vocab Flashcards

know all vocab from Unit 1 (94 cards)

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1
Q

Science

A

A body of knowledge based on observation, description, experimentation, and explanation of natural phenomena

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2
Q

Biology

A

Study of living things

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3
Q

Scientific Literacy

A

A general, fact-based understanding of the basics of biology and other sciences, the scientific method, and the social, political, and legal implications of scientific information.

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4
Q

biological literacy

A

the ability to (1) use the process of scientific inquiry to think creatively about real-world issues that have a biological component, (2) communicate these thoughts to others, and (3) integrate these ideas into your decision making.

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5
Q

Emperical

A

Describes knowledge that is based on experience and observations that are rational, testable, and repeatable.

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6
Q

Scientific Thinking

A

A highly flexible process for exploring natural phenomena that involves making observations, constructing hypotheses, testing predictions, experimenting, and drawing conclusions and revising them as necessary.

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7
Q

Scientific Method

A

A process of examination and discovery of natural phenomena that involves making observations, constructing hypotheses, testing predictions, experimenting, and drawing conclusions and revising them as necessary.

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8
Q

Biological Literacy

A

the ability to (1) use the process of scientific inquiry to think creatively about real-world issues that have a biological component, (2) communicate these thoughts to others, and (3) integrate these ideas into your decision making.

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9
Q

Hypothesis

A

A proposed explanation for an observed phenomenon

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10
Q

Null hypothesis

A

A hypothesis that states a lack of relationship between two factors

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11
Q

Critical Experiment

A

an experiment that makes it possible to decisively determine whether a particular hypothesis is better than alternative hypotheses

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12
Q

Placebo

A

An inactive substance used in controlled experiments to test the effectiveness of another substance.

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13
Q

Scientific Theory

A

is an explanatory hypothesis for natural phenomena that is exceptionally well-supported by empirical data.

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14
Q

Variables

A

the characteristics of an experimental system that are subject to change. In an experiment, the variables can be described as independent or dependent.

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15
Q

Control group

A

a group of subjects who are treated identically to the experimental group, with one exception—they are not exposed to the treatment. An example would be the individuals given placebo rather than echinacea.

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16
Q

Experimental group

A

a group of subjects who are exposed to a particular treatment—for example, the individuals given echinacea rather than placebo in the experiment described above. It is sometimes referred to as the “treatment group.”

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17
Q

Treatment

A

any experimental condition applied to the research subjects. It might be the pattern used to show “suspects” (all at once or one at a time) to the witness of a staged crime, or a dosage of echinacea given to an individual.

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18
Q

Placebo Effect

A

A frequently observed and poorly understood phenomenon in which there is a positive response to treatment with an inactive substance.

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19
Q

double-blind experimental design

A

neither the experimental subjects nor the experimenter know which treatment a subject is receiving.

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20
Q

blind

A

the experimental subjects do not know which treatment (if any) they are receiving

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21
Q

Technology

A

The application of research findings to various fields such as manufacturing and medicine to solve problems.

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22
Q

Element

A

A pure substance that cannot be broken down chemically into any other substances; all atoms of an element have the same atomic number.

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23
Q

Atom

A

A particle of matter than cannot be further subdivided without losing its essential properties

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24
Q

Matter

A

Anything that has mass and takes up space

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25
Nucleus
The central and most massive part of an atom, usually made up of two types of particles, protons and neutrons, which move about the nucleus.
26
Proton
A positively charged particle in the atomic nucleus; it is identical to the nucleus of the hydrogen atom, which lacks a neutron and has atomic number 1
27
Neutron
An electrically neutral particle in the atomic nucleus.
28
Electron
A negatively charged particle that moves around the atomic nucleus.
29
Atomic Mass
The mass of an atom; the combined mass of the protons,
30
Atomic Number
The number of protons in the nucleus of an atom of a given element.
31
Isotope
Variants of atoms that differ in the number of neutrons they possess. Isotopes do not differ in charge, because neutrons have no electrical charge, but the atom’s mass changes with the loss or addition of a particle in the nucleus.
32
Atomic Weight
An average of the atomic mass of an element’s isotopes, taking into account their different abundances.
33
Radioactive
The property of some elements or isotopes of having a nucleus that breaks down spontaneously, releasing tiny, high-speed particles that carry energy.
34
Periodic Table
A tabular display in which all the known chemical elements are arranged in the order of their atomic number and on the basis of other aspects of their atomic structure.
35
Molecule
Group of Atoms held together by bonds
36
Bond Energy
The strength of a bond between two atoms, defined as the energy required to break the bond.
37
Chemical Reactions
A process, involving the forming and breaking of chemical bonds, in which molecules (called reactants) are transformed into different molecules
38
Covalent Bond
A strong bond formed when two atoms share electrons; the simplest example is the H2 molecule, in which each of the two atoms in the molecule shares its lone electron with the other atom.
39
Double bond
the sharing of two electrons between two atoms; for example, the most common form of oxygen is the O2 molecule, in which two electrons from each of the two atoms of oxygen are shared.
40
Ionic Bond
A bond created by the transfer of one or more electrons from one atom to another; the resulting atoms, now called ions, are charged oppositely and so attract each other to form a compound.
41
Ionic Compound
A chemical compound in which ions of two or more elements are held together by ionic bonds.
42
Hydrogen Bonds
A type of weak chemical bond formed between the slightly positively charged hydrogen atoms of one molecule and the slightly negatively charged atoms (often oxygen or nitrogen) of another. Hydrogen bonds are important in building complex molecules, such as large proteins and DNA, and are responsible for many of the unique and important features of water.
43
pH
A logarithmic scale that measures the concentration of hydrogen ions (H+) in a solution, with decreasing values indicating increasing acidity. Water, in which the concentration of hydrogen ions (H+) equals the concentration of hydroxyl ions (OH−), has a pH of 7, the midpoint of the scale
44
acid
Any fluid with a pH below 7.0, indicating the presence of more H+ ions than OH− ions in solution.
45
base
Any fluid with a pH above 7.0—that is, with more OH− ions than H+ ions in solution.
46
buffers
A chemical that can quickly absorb excess H+ ions in a solution (preventing it from becoming too acidic) or quickly release H+ ions
47
Organic Molecule
Chemical compounds that contain carbon and usually hydrogen.
48
Macromolecule
A large molecule, made up of smaller building blocks or subunits. The four main types of biological macromolecules are carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids
49
Carbohydrates
containing mostly carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen. Carbohydrates are the primary fuel for cellular activity and form much of the cell structure in all life forms
50
Monosaccharide
The simplest carbohydrates and the building blocks of more complex carbohydrates, which cannot be broken down into other monosaccharides; examples are glucose, fructose, and galactose. Also known as simple sugars
51
Simple Sugars
Monosaccharide carbohydrates, generally containing three to seven carbon atoms, which store energy in their chemical bonds and can be broken down by cells; they cannot be broken down into other simple sugars. Examples are glucose, fructose, and galactose.
52
Glycogen
A complex carbohydrate consisting of stored glucose molecules linked to form a large web, which breaks down to release glucose when it is needed for energy
53
Disaccharide
Carbohydrates formed by the union of two simple sugars; examples are sucrose (table sugar) and lactose
54
Polysaccharide
Complex carbohydrates formed by the union of many simple sugars
55
Complex Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates that contain multiple simple carbohydrates linked together; examples are starch, which is the primary form of energy storage in plants, and glycogen, which is the primary form of short-term energy storage in animals.
56
Starch
A complex polysaccharide carbohydrate consisting of a large number of monosaccharides linked in line; in plants, the primary form of energy storage.
57
Chitin
A complex carbohydrate, indigestible by humans, that forms the rigid outer skeleton of most insects and crustaceans.
58
Cellulose
A complex carbohydrate, indigestible by humans, that serves as the structural material for a huge variety of plant structures. It is the single most prevalent organic compound on earth
59
Lipids
One of the four types of biological macromolecules, insoluble in water and greasy to the touch. Lipids are important in energy storage and insulation (fats), in membrane formation (phospholipids), and in regulating growth and development (sterols)
60
Hydrophobic
Repelled by water, as, for example, nonpolar molecules that tend to minimize contact with water.
61
Hydrophilic
Attracted to water, as, for example, polar molecules that readily form hydrogen bonds with water.
62
Glycerol
A small molecule that forms the head region of a triglyceride fat molecule
63
Fatty Acids
A long hydrocarbon (a chain of carbon-hydrogen molecules); fatty acids form the tail region of triglyceride fat molecules.
64
Triglycerides
Fats having three fatty acids linked to the glycerol molecule
65
Saturated Fat
Fats in which each carbon in the hydrocarbon chain forming the tail region of the molecule is bound to two hydrogen atoms; solid at room temperature.
66
Unsaturated fat
Fats in which at least one carbon in the hydrocarbon chain forming the tail region of the molecule is bound to only one hydrogen atom; liquid at room temperature.
67
Trans Fats
Unsaturated fats that have been partially hydrogenated (meaning that hydrogen atoms have been added to make the fat more saturated and to improve a food’s taste, texture, and shelf-life). The added hydrogen atoms are in a trans orientation, which differs from the cis (“near”) orientation of hydrogen atoms in the unsaturated fat.
68
Sterols
Lipids important in regulating growth and development; include cholesterol and the steroid hormones testosterone and estrogen. All sterols are modifications of a basic structure of four interlinked rings of carbon atoms
69
Cholesterol
One of the sterols, a group of lipids important in regulating growth and development; an important component of most cell membranes, helping the membrane maintain its flexibility.
70
Phospholipids
A group of lipids that are the major components of the plasma membrane. Phospholipids are structurally similar to fats, but contain a phosphorus atom and have two, not three, fatty acid chains.
71
waxes
Lipids similar in structure to fats but with only one long-chain fatty acid linked to the glycerol head of the molecule. Because the fatty acid chain is highly nonpolar, waxes are strongly hydrophobic.
72
Proteins
One of the four types of biological macromolecules, constructed of unique combinations of 20 amino acids that result in unique structures and chemical behavior. Proteins are the chief building blocks of tissues in most organisms
73
enzymes
A protein that initiates and accelerates a chemical reaction in a living organism. Enzymes are found throughout the cell; they also take part in chemical reactions on the inside and outside surfaces of the plasma membrane.
74
Amino acids
One of 20 molecules built of an amino group, a carboxyl group, and a unique side chain. Proteins are constructed of combinations of amino acids linked together.
75
Carboxyl Group
A functional group characterized by a carbon atom double-bonded to one oxygen atom and single-bonded to another oxygen atom. Amino acids are made up of an amino group, a carboxyl group, and a side chain.
76
amino group
a nitrogen atom attached by single bonds to hydrogen atoms.
77
Peptide Bond
A bond in which the amino group of one amino acid is bonded to the carboxyl group of another. Two amino acids so joined form a dipeptide; several amino acids so joined form a polypeptide
78
Primary structure
The sequence of amino acids in a polypeptide chain.
79
secondary structure
The corkscrew-like twists or folds of a protein that are held in place by hydrogen bonds between amino acids in the polypeptide chain.
80
Tertiary Structure
The unique and complex three-dimensional shape of a protein formed by multiple twists of its secondary structure as amino acids come together to form hydrogen bonds or covalent sulfur-sulfur bonds.
81
Quaternary Structure
Two or more polypeptide chains bonded together in a single protein; an example is hemoglobin.
82
denaturation
The disruption of protein folding in which secondary and tertiary structures are lost, caused by exposure to extreme conditions in the environment such as heat or extreme pH.
83
Active Site
The part of an enzyme to which reactants (or substrates) bind and undergo a chemical reaction. active site
84
Substrate
The molecule on which an enzyme acts. The active site on the enzyme binds to the substrate, initiating a chemical reaction; for example, the active site on the enzyme lactase binds to the substrate lactose, breaking it down into the two simple sugars glucose and galactose.
85
Activation Energy
The minimum energy needed to initiate a chemical reaction (regardless of whether the reaction releases or consumes energy).
86
Inhibitors
A chemical that binds to an enzyme or substrate molecule and in doing so reduces the enzyme’s ability to catalyze a reaction.
87
Competitive Inhibitors
A chemical that binds to the active site of an enzyme, blocking substrate molecules from the site and thereby reducing the enzyme’s ability to catalyze a reaction.
88
Noncompetitive Inhibitors
A chemical that binds to the active site of an enzyme, blocking substrate molecules from the site and thereby reducing the enzyme’s ability to catalyze a reaction.
89
Activators
A chemical within a cell that binds to an enzyme, altering the enzyme’s shape or structure in a way that causes the enzyme to catalyze a reaction.
90
Nucleic Acids
One of the four types of biological macromolecules, involved in information storage and transfer. The nucleic acids DNA and RNA store genetic information in unique sequences of nucleotides.
91
deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA)
A nucleic acid that carries information, in the sequences of its nucleotide bases, about the production of particular proteins.
92
Ribonucleic Acid (RNA)
A nucleic acid that serves as a intermediary in the process of converting genetic information in DNA into protein, as well as other functions. Messenger RNA (mRNA) takes instructions for production of a given protein from DNA to another part of the cell; transfer RNA (tRNA) interprets the mRNA code and directs the construction of the protein from its constituent amino acids.
93
Nucleotides
A molecule containing a phosphate group, a sugar molecule, and a nitrogen-containing molecule called a base. Nucleotides are the individual units that together, in a unique sequence, constitute a nucleic acid.
94
Double Helix
The spiraling ladder-like structure of DNA composed of two strands of nucleotides. The bases protruding from each strand like “half-rungs” meet in the center and bind to each other (via hydrogen bonds), holding the sides of the ladder together

Biology 100 (1 decks)

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