Semester 1 Study Set Flashcards
1
Q
Observation
A
The act of noticing and describing processes in a careful, orderly way
2
Q
Hypothesis
A
A tentative and testable scientific explanation for observations
3
Q
Controlled experiments
A
Experiments scientists perform to test if their hypothesis is true
4
Q
Independent variable
A
The variable that is changed
5
Q
Dependent variable
A
The variable that is measured
6
Q
Control group
A
The group in an experiment where the independent variable has not changed
7
Q
Experimental group
A
The group in an experiment where the independent variable is changed
8
Q
Scientific theory
A
A well-tested scientific explanation of events in the natural world that has been shown to exist in multiple circumstances
9
Q
Cells
A
Unit that all living things are made of
10
Q
Metabolism
A
The combination of the chemical reactions that are carried out in an organism’s life process
11
Q
Homeostasis
A
The process by which all living organisms maintain internal balance
12
Q
Evolution
A
Change that occurs within organisms over generations
13
Q
Atom
A
The basic unit of matter
14
Q
Protons
A
Positively-charged particles
15
Q
Neutrons
A
Neutrally-charged particles
16
Q
Electrons
A
Negatively-charged particles
17
Q
Isotopes
A
Elements that have the same number of protons but different numbers of neutrons
18
Q
Ionic bond
A
When electrons are transferred from one atom to another and the oppositely charged atoms then interact
19
Q
Covalent bond
A
Electrons are shared between models
20
Q
Hydrogen bonds
A
Bonds between water molecules that are weak
21
Q
Basic substances
A
pH above 7
22
Q
Neutral substances
A
pH equal or around 7
23
Q
Acidic substances
A
pH below 7
24
Q
Polymers
A
Made up of many monomer units
25
Carbohydrates
Made up of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen in the ratio of 1-2-1
26
Monosaccharides
Simple carbohydrates
27
Lipids
- Used to store energy
- Make up parts of biological membranes and waterproof coverings
- Contain mostly carbon and hydrogen
- Not soluble in water
28
Nucleotide
- Make up nucleic acids
- Contain a 5-carbon sugar, a nitrogen-containing base, and a phosphate group
29
Nucleic acids
- Store and transmit genetic information
30
Proteins
- Made up of amino acids
- Controls the enzymes of chemical reactions
- Holds cellular structure
- Fights diseases
- Transports substances in and out of the cell
31
Amino acids
- Contains an Amino group, a Carboxyl group and an R-group
- Joined together by a special bond called a peptide bond
32
Enzymes
- Proteins
- Act as biological catalysts
- Reduce the activation energy of a reaction
33
The levels of ecological organization
1. Individual
2. Population
3. Community
4. Ecosystem
5. Biome
6. Biosphere
34
Biotic factor
Any living thing in an environment
35
Abiotic factor
Any non-living thing in an environment
36
Biomes
Similar ecosystems around the world with similar climates
37
Estuary
A wetland area where freshwater and saltwater biomes meet and serving as spawning grounds for many fish and shellfish
38
Primary producers/autotrophs
Where energy in ecosystems begin, as they take energy from other sources and convert it into forms that living organisms can use
39
Photosynthesis
Process by which solar energy is converted into food energy
40
Chemosynthesis
Process by which chemicals and oxygen are used to produce carbohydrates. Occurs mostly in deep ocean ecosystems
41
Consumers/heterotrophs
Organisms that must eat other organisms to obtain energy
42
Herbivore
Consumer that only eats plants
43
Carnivore
Animals that hunt, kill, and eat other organisms
44
Scavengers
Organisms that eat dead organisms
45
Decomposers
Organisms that chemically break down organic matter into smaller matter
46
Detritivore
Organisms that further break down detritus into smaller particles
47
Food chain
A linear model describing the flow of energy from one organism to another
48
Food web
A complex model of all the feeding relationships within an ecosystem
49
Trophic level
Each step in a food chain or web
50
Biological processes in the carbon cycle
- Photosynthesis
- Cellular respiration
51
Cellular respiration
The break down of carbohydrates and other biological macromolecules to produce carbon dioxide gas
52
Nitrogen fixation
The process by which bacteria or lightning create nitrogen containing compounds in the soil from nitrogen gas
53
Range
The area where a population lives
54
Population density
The number of organisms within a unit area
55
Population distribution
How organisms are distributed within their range
56
Population growth rate
A measure of how fast a population is growing
57
Immigration
The process of organisms moving into a range
58
Emigration
The process of organisms leaving a range
59
Exponential growth
Under ideal conditions with unlimited resources a population will grow exponentially (graph curve "J")
60
Logistic growth
When populations are limited by resources in their environment (graph curve "S")
61
Carrying capacity
The maximum population an ecosystem can support
62
Density-dependent factors
Factors that act strongly on a population because of their population density (ex. disease, competition)
63
Density-independent factors
Factors that act strongly on a population regardless of their population density (ex. weather)
64
Stage 1 of demographic transition
- Birth rates are high
- Death rates are high
65
Stage 2 of demographic transition
- Birth rates are high
- Death rates are low
66
Stage 3 of demographic transition
- Birth rates are low
- Death rates are low
67
Niche
The environmental and physical conditions where an organism lives and the way it obtains the resources it needs to live
68
Competitive exclusion principle
No 2 organisms share the same niche in the same habitat
69
Commensalism
One organism benefits and the other is neither hurt or benefits
70
Parasitism
One organism benefits and the other is harmed
71
Mutualism
Both organisms benefit
72
Primary succession
Starts on bare rock and describes how populations change within an ecosystem over time
73
Secondary succession
Occurs on pre-existing soil
74
Prokaryotic cells
- Smaller than eukaryotic cells
- Do not have membrane-bound organelles
- Do not have a nucleus
- Have ribosomes
75
Eukaryotic cells
- Bigger than prokaryotic cells
- Have membrane-bound organelles
- Have a nucleus
- Have ribosomes
- Make up plant and animal cells
76
Cytoplasm
The inside of the cell outside of the nucleus
77
Nucleus
- Stores DNA
- Has information to make proteins
78
Endoplasmic reticulum
- Rough ER: Has ribosomes on it; makes proteins that are bound to membranes or sent to specific parts of the cell or for export
- Smooth ER: Synthesizes lipids and detoxifies toxins in the cell
79
Golgi apparatus
- Accepts vesicles from the ER
- Modifies, sorts, and packages proteins
80
Vacuole
- Helps store food and water within a cell
81
Lysosomes
- Filled with enzymes that help break down biological molecules and organelles
82
Cytoskeleton
- Helps cells maintain their shape
- Involved in cell motion
83
Chloroplasts
- Found only in plant cells
- Perform photosynthesis
84
Mitochondria
- Location of cellular respiration
85
Cell walls
- In prokaryotic cells and plant cells
- Provides rigidity and structure to cells
86
Cell membrane
- Double layer of phospholipids
- Control what goes in and out of the cell
87
Diffusion
The process by which a substance flows from an area of high concentration to low concentration
88
Passive transport
Diffusion that does not require energy
89
Active transport
Requires ATP energy to transport molecules across a membrane and include exocytosis, endocytosis, and protein pumps
90
Osmosis
The diffusion of water across a selectively permeable membrane
91
Isotonic
When the concentration of solute is the same inside and outside the cell. Water flows at an equal rate in both directions
92
Hypotonic
Higher solute concentration in the cell and water flows into the cell
93
Hypertonic
Higher solute concentration outside the cell and water flows out of the cell
94
Level of organization in multicellular organisms
1. Cell
2. Tissue
3. Organ
4. Organ system
