Exam #1 Short Answers Flashcards
Population
All individuals of a spp. living in
same are at same time
Community
All living organisms in a
particular ecosystem
Biosphere
All life & ecosystems on
Earth
Ecosystem
Consists of living & non- living parts of env.
Organs
Body part made of multiple tissues with a specific bodily function
Cell
Life’s fundamental unit of structure & function
Tissues
Group of cells working together to perform a specialized function
Evolution
heritable change in populations across generations (Framework for biology)
Give an example of any recent microorganism which has evolved through natural selection from the broad real-world scenario? Why understanding the mutations and
selective pressure that drive that mutation is important?
Covid and becasue understanding the mutations help us find a cure
Atom
smallest unit of an element that retains its chemical properties (Composed of subatomic particles)
Atomic Number
number of protons in an atom (Written as subscript (number on bottom) in front of chemical symbol)
Atomic Mass
the mass of protons & neutrons in
an atom (Written as superscript (number written on top) in front of chemical symbol)
Ion
an electrically charged atom that is the result of a gain or loss of electrons
Cation
ion that is formed when an atom loses electrons (positive charge)
Anion
ion that is formed when an atom gains electrons (negative charge)
Isotopes
atoms of the same element with different numbers of neutrons
Molecules
stable particle composed of 2 or more atoms joined by a covalent bond (Ex. Hydrogen gas (H2), Ozone
(O3), Water (H2O))
Compounds
particle composed of 2 or more different elements combined in a fixed ratio (Ex. carbon dioxide (CO2), Water
(H2O), Glucose (C6H12O6))
Valance Electrons
electron(s) in the outermost e- shell
What do Valance electrons do?
- Involved in forming bonds w/ other atoms
- Determine chemical properties of atoms
- Atoms lose, gain, or share e- to fill
valence shell
Electronegativity
A measure of an atom’s ability to attract shared electrons to itself. On the periodic table, electronegativity generally increases as you move from left to right across a period and decreases as you move down a group.
Ionic Bond
formed due to an attraction between
opposite charges of an anion and cation (Electrons are completed transferred between atoms and weak in presence of water)
H-Bond
a weak bond between a H with a
partial (+) charge & an electronegative atom (weakest type of bond)
Acid vs. Base
Acids: increases H+ conc. of a solution Bases: reduces H+ conc. of a solution
(increases OH- conc.)