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BIOL 107 > Chapter 1: The Study of Life > Flashcards

Chapter 1: The Study of Life Flashcards

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1
Q

define science

A

systematic study of the structure and behavior of the natural and physical world

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2
Q

define biology

A

the science that studies life

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3
Q

define life

A

having all of the defining characteristic of life

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4
Q

define inductive reasoning

A
  • discovery or descriptive science
  • observing to discovery
  • deriving generalizations from specific observations
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5
Q

define deductive reasoning

A
  • hypothesis based science
  • begins with a specific question that can be tested
  • using general principles to predict specific results
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6
Q

define hypothesis

A
  • a suggested explanation that can be tested
  • testable, falsifiable, never proven
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7
Q

define null hypothesis

A

states that there will be no difference, no effect, or no relationship between variables being tested

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8
Q

define independent variable

A

part of experiment that is changing

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9
Q

define dependent variable

A
  • what you are measuring in the experiment
  • what the independent variable has an effect on
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10
Q

define control variable

A

part of the experiment that does not change

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11
Q

define scientific theory

A
  • foundation of scientific knowledge
  • hypothesis that has been repeatedly tested and has strong evidence supporting it
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12
Q

define scientific law

A
  • describes how elements of nature will behave under certain conditions
  • mathematical formulas
  • not generally in biology
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13
Q

where does the word science come from

A

the latin word meaning knowledge

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14
Q

what does the study of biology include (3 things)

A
  • living organisms
  • their interactions with each other
  • their interactions with the environment
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15
Q

where does the word biology come from

A

the greek words meaning life and study

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16
Q

what are the two sections of natural sciences

A
  • physical sciences
  • life sciences
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17
Q

examples of physical sciences

A
  • physics
  • chemistry
  • geology
  • astronomy
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18
Q

is biology a physical or life science

A

life science

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19
Q

are biochemistry or biophysics physical or life sciences

A

combination of both

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20
Q

what are the three fundamental questions of biology

A
  1. what are the shared properties/characteristics that make something alive?
  2. If something is alive, how do we find meaningful organization of its structure?
  3. Given the remarkable diversity of life, how do we organize all of the organisms?
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21
Q

what is the simplest/smallest form of life

A

cells

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22
Q

define unicellular

A

organisms with a single cell

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23
Q

define multicellular

A

organisms with many cells (more than one)

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24
Q

what are the 8 characteristics that define life

A
  1. order
  2. sensitivity or response to stimuli
  3. reproduction (on its own)
  4. growth and development
  5. regulation
  6. homeostasis
  7. energy processing
  8. evolution/adaptation
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25
what makes a virus not alive
viruses cannot reproduce on their own
26
explain this characteristic defining life: order
- organisms are organized and coordinated structures with one or more cells - even single-celled organisms are complex
27
explain this characteristic defining life: sensitivity to stimuli
- organisms respond to different stimuli - positive and negative responses
28
what is a positive response to stimuli
movement towards a stimulus
29
what is a negative response to stimuli
movement away from a stimulus
30
explain this characteristic defining life: reproduction
- DNA with genes are passed down to offspring which ensures that the offspring will be the same species and have similar characteristics - asexual and sexual reproduction
31
how do single-celled organisms reproduce
duplicating DNA and dividing equally to form two identical cells
32
how do multicellular organisms reproduce
specialized germline cells combine during fertilization
33
explain this characteristic defining life: growth and development
- organisms grow and develop according to genes - offspring have similar characteristics as parents
34
explain this characteristic defining life: regulation
organisms have regulatory functions to coordinate internal functions, respond to stimuli, and adapt to environmental stress
35
explain this characteristic defining life: homeostasis
- cells requiring appropriate conditions (temp, pH, chemical concentrations) - maintain internal conditions despite environmental changes
36
explain this characteristic defining life: energy processing
- organisms use energy sources to fuel metabolic activity - cellular respiration, photosynthesis
37
explain this characteristic defining life: evolution and adaptation
- adaptation is a consequence of evolution by natural selection - organisms fit into environment and have a higher chance or reproduction and survival
38
13 levels of organization of living things (atom to biosphere)
- atom - molecule - macromolecule - organelle - cell - tissue - organ - organ system - organism - population - community - ecosystem - biosphere
39
define atom
smallest and most fundamental unit of matter
40
define molecule
chemical structure consisting of at least two atoms held together by a chemical bond
41
define macromolecule
large molecules formed by combining smaller subunits
42
define organelle
aggregates of macromolecules surrounded by membranes; small structures within cells that perform specialized functions
43
define cell
smallest fundamental unit of structure and function in living organisms
44
define tissue
groups of similar cells carrying out the same function
45
define organ
collections of tissues grouped together based on a common function
46
define organ system
higher level of organization that consists of functionally related organs
47
define organism
individual living entity
48
define population
all of the individual species living within a specific area
49
define community
the set of populations inhabiting a particular area
50
define ecosystem
all the living things in a particular area together with the abiotic, or non-living, part of the environment
51
define biosphere
the collection of all ecosystems on Earth (includes land, water, and portions of the atmosphere)
52
what is meant by "emergent properties of life"
- new properties emerge as organization levels go up due to interactions between components - organs have more abilities than the tissues they're made of
53
approximately how many named and unnamed species are there on earth
- 2 million named - 10-100 million unnamed
54
define taxonomy
branch of biology that names and classifies species
55
what is the highest level of taxonomy
domain
56
what are the 3 domains
- eukarya - archaea - bacteria
57
what is the order of taxonomy levels from broad to specific
- domain - kingdom - phylum - class - order - family - genus - species
58
what is a mnemonic to use for remembering the order of taxonomy levels from broad to specific
king philip came over for good soup
59
explain the binomial naming system
- genus name first, capitalized - species name second, lowercase - both italicized
60
what is required for animals to be the same species
they can reproduce fertile offspring together
61
are dogs and wolves the same species and why
yes; they can reproduce and create fertile offspring
62
are horses and donkeys the same species and why
no; they can reproduce and create mules, but mules are sterile and they can't reproduce
63
define phylogeny
summarizes the evolutionary relationships of life forms based on similarities and differences in genetic and/or physical traits
64
what questions does phylogeny set out to answer (2)
- evolution: what species did an organisms evolve from - relation: what species is an organism most closely related to
65
what does a phylogenic tree show
- relationship between organisms; common ancestors - does not show timeframes
66
what five things do all life share
- genetic material (DNA, mRNA, tRNA) - genetic code (A, C, G, T) - process of gene expression (transcription and translation) - molecular building blocks (proteins made of 20 amino acids) - ribosomes
67
define bioethics
guidelines for scientific practice ensuring we don't cause damage to humans, animals, or the environment
68
what two experiments didn't follow bioethics
- Tuskegee syphilis study: men diagnosed with syphilis and not informed; withheld life-saving medications just to see how the infection affected them - Henrietta Lacks cells: scientists found that her cells divided continuously making them "immortal"; researchers took samples without her knowing and never credited her
69
define basic or "pure" science
- knowledge for the sake of knowledge - no product or service
70
define applied science
- "technology" - finding a solution to a real world problem
71
how are basic science and applied science related
- applied sciences relies on basic science - must gain knowledge before finding solutions
72
what are the two main processes of scientific inquiry
- deduction - induction
73
what is the flow/process of inductive reasoning
- specific to general - observation; pattern; theory
74
what is an example of inductive reasoning
- Gregor Mendel's pea plants - observed pea plant genetics; accumulated data; generalized rules for inherited patterns
75
what is the flow/process of deductive reasoning
- general to specific - idea based on theory; hypothesis; collect and analyze data; support or reject hypothesis
76
how are inductive and deductive reasoning related
we rely on inductive reasoning to do deductive reasoning
77
what are the steps in the scientific method
- observation - question - hypothesis answering question - prediction based on hypothesis - experiment - analyze data - support/reject hypothesis - report results
78
what is one important requirement for experiments to be consistent with the scientific method
- all experiments must be reproducible - report should include steps of experiment so other scientists can recreate the experiment
79
is the null hypothesis the opposite of the hypothesis
no; hypothesis of no relationship
80
can you prove your hypothesis
- no - supported or rejected
81
define variable
any part of an experiment that can vary or change during the experiment
82
what axis is the independent variable usually on
x-axis
83
what axis is the dependent variable usually on
y-axis
84
why are control variables important
- needed for accurate conclusion - ensure the independent variable is the only things that can account for the dependent variable
85
what are the independent, dependent, and control variables related to this question: does red light affect plant growth
- independent: light color - dependent: plant growth - control: soil, water, temp, type of plant, etc
86
how many variables are experiments deigned to test
- one - independent variable
87
who reviews scientific papers and why
- other scientists - ensure it is accurate information
88
what are the five components on a scientific paper
- abstract: concise summary - introduction: background information - materials and methods: allows duplication of experimental results - results/discussion: what they found - conclusion: summary of findings
89
define serendipity
fortunate accidents or lucky surprises
90
how does the word serendipity relate to science
- many major breakthroughs in science are found on accident - discovery of penicillin antibiotic
91
is there an evolution of hypothesis to theory to law
- no - hypothesis can progress to theory but not law - laws have hard data to support them
92
what are four examples of scientific theory
- cell theory - gene theory - theory of heredity - theory of evolution
93
what are the four principles of cell theory
- all living things are made of one or more cells - chemical reactions necessary for life take place within cells - all cells arise from pre-existing cells - cells contain hereditary information in the form of DNA
94
define gene theory
- genes are the basic units of inheritance and are comprised of DNA - foundation for the field of genetics
95
who is known as the father of genetics
Gregor Mendel
96
explain the theory of heredity
- genes on chromosomes are passed down from parent to offspring - different version of the same gene (alleles) exist and cause variation - mutations occur during reproduction causing variation in populations - individuals can pass traits they don't express (recessive and dominant genes)
97
define the theory of evolution
- change over time - new species arise - all species evolved from a different species

BIOL 107 (18 decks)

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