OC MIDTERMS CH VOCAB Flashcards
(130 cards)
1
Q
observation
A
process of noticing and describing events or processes in a careful, orderly way
2
Q
inference
A
a logical interpretation based on prior knowledge and experience
3
Q
hypothesis
A
possible explanation for a set of observations or possible answer to a scientific question
4
Q
controlled experiment
A
experiment in which only one variable is changed
5
Q
independent variable
A
factor in a controlled experiment that is deliberately changed; also called manipulated variable
6
Q
dependent variable
A
variable that is observed and that changes in response to the independent variable; also called the responding variable
7
Q
control group
A
group in an experiment that is exposed to the same conditions as the experimental group except for one independent variable
8
Q
data
A
evidence; information gathered from observations
9
Q
theory
A
well-tested explanation that unifies a broad range of observations and hypotheses, and enables scientists to make accurate predictions about new situations
10
Q
biology
A
scientific study of life
11
Q
sexual reproduction
A
type of reproduction in which cells from two parents unite to form the first cell of a new organism
12
Q
asexual reproduction
A
process of reproduction involving a single parent that results in offspring that are genetically identical to the parent
13
Q
DNA
A
deoxyribonucleic acid; genetic material that organisms inherit from their parents
14
Q
metabolism
A
the combination of chemical reactions through which an organism builds up or breaks down materials
15
Q
stimulus
A
signal to which an organism responds
16
Q
homeostasis
A
relatively constant internal, physical, and chemical conditions that organisms maintain
17
Q
evolve
A
change over time
18
Q
what are the goals of science?
A
observing and asking questions, forming hypotheses, conducting controlled experiments, collecting and analyzing data, and drawing conclusions
19
Q
Protons and neutrons
A
form the center of the atom, called the nucleus
20
Q
electrons
A
electrons are negatively charged and surround the nucleus
21
Q
Isotopes
A
have different masses but the same chemical properties
22
Q
Radioactive isotopes
A
isotopes that are unstable and break down at a constant rate over time
23
Q
chemical compounds
A
substance formed by the chemical combination of two or more elements in definite proportions
24
Q
Ionic bonds
A
formed when one or more electrons are transferred from one atom to another
25
Covalent bonds
when the atoms share one electron from each atom, a single covalent bond is formed
26
Weak interactions
occurs when molecules are close together
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atom
the basic unit of matter
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nucleus
the center of an atom, which contains the protons and neutrons
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electron
negatively charged particle; constantly moving around the nucleus
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element
pure substance that consists entirely of one type of atom
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isotope
one of several forms of a single element, which contains the same number of protons but different numbers of neutrons
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compound
substance formed by the chemical combination of two or more elements in definite proportions
33
order the following components of matter from smallest to largest:
compounds, electrons, elements, protons, and neutrons
electrons, protons, neutrons, elements, compounds
34
ionic bond
chemical bond formed when one or more electrons are transferred from one atom to another
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ion
atom that has a positive or negative charge
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covalent bond
type of bond between atoms in which the electrons are shared
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molecule
smallest unit of most compounds that displays all the properties of that compound
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van der waals forces
weak attraction that develops between oppositely charged regions of nearby molecules
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hydrogen bond
weak attraction between a slightly positive hydrogen atom and another atom that is slightly negative
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cohesion
attraction between molecules of the same substance
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adhesion
force of attraction between different kinds of molecules
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mixture
material composed of two or more elements or compounds that are physically mixed together but not chemically combined
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solution
type of mixture in which all the components are evenly distributed
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solute
substance that is dissolved in a solution
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solvent
dissolving substance in a solution
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suspension
mixture of water and nondissolve material
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pH scale
scale with values from 0 to 14, used to measure the concentration of H+ ions in a solution
48
what type of molecules will create a solution when mixed with water?
Polar molecules
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acid
a compound that forms hydrogen ions in solution; a solution with a pH of less than 7
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base
a compound that produces hydroxide ions in solution; a solution with a pH of more than 7
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buffer
a compound that prevents sharp, sudden changes in pH
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monomer
small chemical unit that makes up a polymer
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polymer
molecules composed of many monomers; makes up macromolecules
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carbohydrate
compound made up of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen atoms; type of nutrient that is the major source of energy for the body
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what are the functions of each of the four groups of macromolecules?
Organisms use carbohydrates to store and release energy as well as for structural support and protection.
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Lipid
macromolecule made mostly from carbon and hydrogen atoms; includes fats, oils, and waxes
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nucleotide
subunit of which nucleic acids are composed; made up of a 5-carbon sugar, a phosphate group, and a nitrogenous base
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nucleic acid
macromolecules containing hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, carbon, and phosphorus
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protein
macromolecule that contains carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen; needed by the body for growth and repair
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amino acid
compound with an amino group on one end and a carboxyl group on the other end
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How many levels of structure are there in a protein with only one polypeptide chain?
3
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_____ such as the biological ones called _____ which bind to a _____.
Catalysts, enzymes, active sight
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______ can be sped up by _________, which work by lowering ______, which is needed to start the ______, which begins with elements or compounds called _______, which combine to form _____
Chemical reactions, Catalysts, Activation energy, Chemical reaction, reactants, products
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chemical reaction
process that changes, or transforms, one set of chemicals into another set of chemicals
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reactant
elements or compounds that enter into a chemical reaction
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product
elements or compounds produced by a chemical reaction
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activation energy
energy that is needed to get a reaction started
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catalyst
substance that speeds up the rate of a chemical reaction
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enzyme
protein catalyst that speeds up the rate of specific biological reactions
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substrate
reactant of an enzyme-catalyzed reaction
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How does an enzyme speed up a chemical reaction?
by lowering the activation energy of the reaction
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biosphere
part of Earth in which life exists including land, water, and air or atmosphere
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ecology
scientific study of interactions among organisms and between organisms and their environment
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species
a group of similar organisms that can breed and produce fertile offspring
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population
group of individuals of the same species that live in the same area
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community
assemblage of different populations that live together in a defined area
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ecosystem
all the organisms that live in a place, together with their nonliving environment.
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biotic factor
any living part of the environment with which an organism might interact
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abiotic factor
physical, or nonliving, factor that shapes an ecosystem
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atmosphere
relatively thin layer of gases that form Earth's outermost layer
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hydrosphere
portion of earth that consists of water in any of its forms, including oceans, glaciers, rivers, lakes, groundwater, and water vapor
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geosphere
the densest parts of Earth, which includes the crust, mantle, and core
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climate
average year-to-year conditions of temperature and precipitation in an area over a long period of time
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weather
day-to-day conditions of the atmosphere, including temperature, precipitation, and other factors
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greenhouse effect
the process in which certain gases (carbon dioxide, methane, and water vapor) trap sunlight energy in Earth's atmosphere as heat
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biome
a group of ecosystems that share similar climates and typical organisms
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canopy
dense covering formed by the leafy tops of tall rain forest trees
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understory
layer in a rain forest found underneath the canopy formed by shorter trees and vines
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humus
the material formed from decaying leaves and other organic matter
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taiga
biome with long cold winters and a few months of warm weather; dominated by coniferous evergreens; also called boreal forest
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permafrost
layer of permanently frozen subsoil found in the tundra
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photic zone
sunlit region near the surface of water
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aphotic zone
dark layer of the oceans below the photic zone where sunlight does not penetrate
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plankton
microscopic organisms that live in aquatic environments; includes both phytoplankton and zookplankton
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wetland
ecosystem in which water either covers the soil or is present at or near the surface for at least part of the year
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estuary
kind of wetland formed where a river meets the sea
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autotroph
organism that is able to capture energy from sunlight or chemicals and use it to produce its own food from inorganic compounds; also called a producer
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primary producer
first producer of energy-rich compounds that are later used by other organisms
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photosynthesis
process used by plants and other autotrophs to capture light energy and use it to power chemical reactions that convert carbon dioxide and water into oxygen and energy-rich carbohydrates such as sugars and starches
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chemosynthesis
process in which chemical energy is used to produce carbohydrates
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reactants of light energy
carbon dioxide + water
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products of light energy
carbohydrates + oxygen
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reactants of chemical energy
carbon dioxide + oxygen + hydrogen sulfide
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products of chemical energy
carbohydrates + sulfur compounds
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heterotroph
organism that obtains food by consuming other living things; also called a consumer
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consumer
organism that relies on other organisms for its energy and food supply; also called a heterotroph
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detritis
small pieces of dead or decaying plant or animal remains
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food chain
a series of in an ecosystem steps in which organisms transfer energy by eating and being eaten
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phytoplankton
photosynthetic algae found near the surface of the ocean
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food web
network of complex interactions formed by the feeding relationships among the various organisms in an ecosystem
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trophic level
each step in a food chain or food web
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ecological pyramid
illustration of the relative amounts of energy or matter contained within each trophic level in a food chain or food web
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biomass
the total mass of living tissue within a trophic level
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biogeochemical cycle
process in which elements, chemical compounds, and other forms of matter are passed from one organism to another and from one part of the biosphere to another
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nutrient
chemical substance that an organism needs to sustain life
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nitrogen fixation
process of converting nitrogen gas into nitrogen compounds that plants can absorb and use
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denitrification
process by which soil bacteria convert nitrates into nitrogen gas
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limiting nutrient
single essential nutrient that limits productivity in an ecosystem
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population density
number of individuals per unit area
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population distribution
how individuals are spaced out across their range
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age structure
the number of males and females of each age in a population
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immigration
movement of individuals into an area occupied by an existing population
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emigration
movement of individuals out of an area
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exponential growth
growth pattern in which the individual in a population reproduce at an increasing rate
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logistic growth
growth pattern in which a population's growth slows and then stops following a period of exponential growth
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carrying capacity
largest number of individuals of a particular species that a particular environment can support
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limiting factor
factor that causes population growth to decrease
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density-dependent limiting factor
limiting factor that depends on population density
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density-independent limiting factor
limiting factor that affects all populations in similar ways, regardless of the population density
130
demography
scientific study of human populations
