Chapter 1

Question 1

Metabolism

Answer 1

The sum total of all processes in an organism which convert energy and matter from outside sources and use that energy and matter to sustain the organism’s life functions

Question 2

Anabolism

Answer 2

The sum total of all processes in an organism which use energy and simple chemical building blocks to produce large chemicals and structures necessary for life

Question 3

Catabolism

Answer 3

The sum total of all processes in an organism which break down chemicals to produce energy and simple chemical building blocks

Question 4

Photosynthesis

Answer 4

The process by which green plants and some other organisms use the energy of sunlight and simple chemicals to produce their own food

Question 5

Herbivores

Answer 5

Organisms that eat only plants

Question 6

Carnivores

Answer 6

Organisms that eat only organisms other than plants

Question 7

Omnivores

Answer 7

Organisms that eat both plants and other organisms

Question 8

Producers

Answer 8

Organisms that produce their own food

Question 9

Consumers

Answer 9

Organisms that eat living producers and/or other consumers for food

Question 10

Decomposers

Answer 10

Organisms that break down the dead remains of other organisms

Question 11

Autotrophs

Answer 11

Organisms that are able to make their own food

Question 12

Heterotrophs

Answer 12

Organisms that depend on other organisms for their food

Question 13

Receptors

Answer 13

Special structures that allow living organisms to sense the conditions of their internal or external environment

Question 14

Asexual reproduction

Answer 14

Reproduction accomplished by a single organism

Question 15

Sexual reproduction

Answer 15

Reproduction that requires two organisms

Question 16

Inheritance

Answer 16

The process by which physical and biological characteristics are transmitted from the parent (or parents) to the offspring

Question 17

Mutation

Answer 17

An abrupt and marked change in the DNA of an organism compared to that of its parents

Question 18

Hypothesis

Answer 18

An educated guess that attempts to explain an observation or answer a question

Question 19

Theory

Answer 19

A hypothesis that has been tested with a significant amount of data

Question 20

Scientific law

Answer 20

A theory that has been tested by and is consistent with generations of data

Question 21

Microorganisms

Answer 21

Living creatures that are too small to see with the naked eye

Question 22

Abiogenesis

Answer 22

The idea that long ago, very simple life forms spontaneously appeared through chemical reactions

Question 23

Prokaryotic cell

Answer 23

A cell that has no distinct, membrane-bounded organelles

Question 24

Eukaryotic cell

Answer 24

A cell with distinct, membrane-bounded organelles

Question 25

Species

Answer 25

A unit of one or more populations of individuals that can reproduce under normal conditions, produce fertile offspring, and are reproductively isolated from other such units

Question 26

Taxonomy

Answer 26

The science of classifying organisms

Question 27

Binomial nomenclature

Answer 27

Naming an organism with its genus and species name