Chapters 1-3 Flashcards
(121 cards)
Biology
the scientific study of life
Properties of life
- order
- reproduction
- growth and development
- energy processing
- regulation
- response to the environment
- evolutionary adaptation.
Cell
structural and functional unit of life
Taxonomists
name species and classify them into broader groups.
Domain groups
Bacteria, Archaea, and Eukarya
Bacteria and Archaea domains
Contain organisms with simple cells
Domain Eukarya
various protists and the kingdoms Fungi, Plantae, and Animalia
Emergent properties
result from the specific arrangement and interactions among component parts.
Structural levels of biology
Biosphere -> ecosystem -> community -> population -> organism -> organs and organ system -> tissue -> cell -> organelle -> molecule
Science
is a way of knowing—an approach to understanding the natural world.
Scientific approach
involves observations, hypotheses, predictions, tests of hypotheses via experiments or additional observations, and analysis of data.
Scientific theory
is broad in scope and supported by a large body of evidence.
Independent variable
The factor that is manipulated in experiment
Dependent variable
The measure used to judge the outcome of the experiment
Controlled experiment
compares an experimental group with a control group.
Endeavor of science
influenced by three spheres:
- exploration and discovery
- analysis and feedback from the scientific community
- societal benefits and outcomes.
Goal of technology
apply scientific knowledge for some specific purpose.
Goal of science
understand natural phenomena.
Natural selection
Unequal reproductive success leads to evolution of adaptations in populations
Artificial selection
Selective breeding of plants and animals.
DNA functions
responsible for heredity and for programming the activities of a cell by providing the blueprint for proteins.
Energy flows…
through an ecosystem in one direction
- entering as sunlight
- converted to chemical energy by producers
- passed on to consumers
- exiting as heat.
What are ecosystems characterized by?
the cycling of matter
- from the atmosphere and soil,
- through producers, consumers, and decomposers,
- then back to the environment.
Systems biology
Where scientists attempt to model the behavior of biological systems by analyzing the interactions among their parts