Introduction to Biology
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Created by:
mcthorne on September 2, 2012
Subjects:
Classes:
Biological Survey - DMann, MThorneBio BlockG, MThorneBio BlockE, MThorneBio BlockC, MThorneBio Block B, MThorneBio Block A
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21 terms
Terms | Definitions |
|---|---|
 Biology | the science that studies living organisms |
| hypothesis | statement that can be tested |
| observation | Use of one or more of the senses—sight, hearing, touch, smell, and sometimes taste—to gather information |
| inference | logical interpretation based on prior knowledge and experience |
| controlled experiment | a test of the effect of a single variable by changing it while keeping all other variables the same |
| independent variable | the experimental factor that is manipulated; the variable whose effect is being studied |
| dependent variable | in an experiment, the factor that is being measured and that may change in response to manipulations of the independent variable |
| control group | in an experiment, the group that is not exposed to the treatment; contrasts with the experimental group and serves as a comparison for evaluating the effect of the treatment. |
| data | evidence; information gathered from observations |
| bias | opinion formed before there are grounds for it; prejudice; predilection; partiality |
| theory | a unifying explanation for a broad range of hypotheses and observations that have been supported by testing |
| DNA | Deoxyribonucleic acid; the genetic material that carries information about an organism and is passed from parent to offspring. |
| stimulus | a signal to which an organism responds |
| sexual reproduction | process by which cells from two different parents unite to produce the first cell of a new organism |
| asexual reproduction | a reproductive process that involves only one parent and produces offspring that are identical to the parent |
| homeostasis | process by which organisms maintain a relatively stable internal environment |
| metabolism | set of chemical reactions through which an organism builds up or breaks down materials as it carries out its life processes |
| Evolution | the gradual change in a species over time |
| metric system | A decimal system of measurement whose units are based on certain physical standards and are scaled on multiples of 10 |
| growth | increase in the amount of living material and formation of new structures in an organism; a characteristic of all living things |
| differentiation | The structural and functional divergence of cells as they become specialized during a multicellular organism's development; dependent on the control of gene expression. |
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