Chapter 1 Flashcards
(21 cards)
What are the characteristics of life?
1 or more cells, displays organization, grows and develops, reproduces, responds to stimuli, requires energy, maintains homeostasis, adapts and evolves.
What is Biology?
The study of living organisms and life processes. We study biology to better understand the world around us.
What is stimuli?
Anything that causes some sort of reaction by the organism.
What is a response. Give Examples.
The reaction to a stimulus. Putting on a coat is a short-term reaction to a stimulus.
Homeostasis
An organisms natural state needed to maintain life. (like keeping blood sugar levels constant).
Adaptation
An inherited characteristic that results in change over time. It results from genetic passing of beneficial traits to offspring through reproduction.
Theory
An explanation of a natural phenomenon supported by many experiments and observations over time.
Peer review
Process by which the procedures and the results of an experiment are evaluated by other scientists.
SI
International system of units (base units are m, L, g)
What are the steps of the scientific method?
Observations, hypothesis, design experiment collect data, data analysis, conclusion, peer review.
Independent variable
The variable that is manipulated. There is 1 independent variable in the experiment.
dependent variable
The variable that responds to the test.
control group
The group that is compared to the experimental group (no changes are made). It is the basis for comparison.
experimental group
The group on which the test is being performed
150 m = ? km
.15 km
constants in the experiment
the variables that remain the same throughout the entire experiment (they are constant in both the experimental and control groups).
8.567cm = ? micrometers
856,700 micrometers
What do Biologists do or study?
They make discoveries and seek explanations by studying life (or the history of life) at all levels of organization.
Why is it important for scientists to use the metric system (SI)?
It makes communication easier between scientists.
Does the scientific method happen only one way?
No
Inferences
Conclusions drawn from the process of combining what you know with what you have learned to form logical conclusions.
