Chapter 1: Evolution, Themes of Biology, and Scientific Inquiry Flashcards
(33 cards)
Properties of Life
Order
Energy Processing
Evolutionary adaptation
Growth and development
Response to the environment
Regulation
Reproduction
Levels of Biological Organization
(From most to least complex)
Biosphere
Ecosystems
Communities
Populations
Organisms
Organs
Tissues
Cells
Organelles
Molecules
Define evolution
Process of biological change in which species accumulate differences from their ancestors
What are the three domains of life?
Bacteria
Archaea
Eukarya
What is a hypothesis?
an explanation based on observations and assumptions that lead to a testable prediction
What is an experiment?
a scientific test under controlled conditions
What is an independent variable?
manipulated factor
What is a dependent variable?
factor being measured, affected by the independent variable
What is binomial nomenclature?
how we name, identify, and classify things. Means “two names”.
What is the Biosphere?
Level of organization that consists of all life on Earth and all the places where life exists.
What is an ecosystem?
Level of organization that consists of all the living things in a particular area.
What is a community?
Level of organization that has an array of organisms inhabiting a particular ecosystem.
What is a population?
Level of organization that consists of all the individuals of a species living within the bounds of a specified area.
What is an organism?
Individual living things. Level of organization after population.
What are organs?
A body part that is made up of multiple tissues. Level of organization after organisms.
What are tissues?
A group of cells that work together to perform a specialized function. Level of organization after organs.
What are cells?
Life’s fundamental unit of structure and function. Level of organization after tissues.
What are organelles?
Various functional components that are present in cells. Level of organization after cells.
What are molecules?
A chemical structure consisting of two or more units (atoms). Last level of organization.
What is an emergent property?
New properties, or characteristics, that arise with each step up the hierarchy of life.
What kingdoms does Domain Eukarya contain?
Kingdom Plantae
Kingdom Fungi
Kingdom Animalia
Protists
What were Darwin’s two main points about evolution?
1.) As species adapt, they accumulate differences from their ancestors
2.) That natural selection is a primary cause of descent with modification
What were Darwin’s three observations from nature?
1.) Individuals in a population vary in their traits.
2.) Population produce more offspring that can survive
3.) Species are generally suited to their environments
What is natural selection?
A process in which individuals with certain inherited traits tend to survive and reproduce because of them.
