Chapter 1: Themes in the Study of Life
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Created by:
caffeineoverload Plus on September 20, 2010
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Biology Campbell Reese
Classes:
Principles of Biology 1 - PBSC Hartman Online
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65 terms
Terms | Definitions |
|---|---|
 evolution | descent with modification; idea that living species are descendants of ancestors that were different from present-day organisms; change in genetic composition of a population from generation to generation |
| biology | scientific study of life |
| emergent properties | new properties that arise with each step upward in the hierarchy of life, owing to the arrangement and interactions of parts as complexity increases |
| reductionism | reduction of complex systems to simpler components that are more manageable to study |
| systems biology | an approach to studying biology that aims to model the dynamic behavior of whole biological systems; allows for predictions when one variable of a component changes |
| eukaryotic | a type of cell with a membrane-enclosed nucleus and membrane-enclosed organelles; organisms with these cells include protists, plants, fungi, and animals |
| prokaryotic | a type of cell lacking both a membrane-enclosed nucleus and membrane-enclosed organelles; bacteria and archaea |
| DNA | double-stranded, helical nucleic acid molecule, consisting of nucleotide monomers with a deoxyribose sugar and the nitrogenous bases adenine, cytosine, guanine, and thymine |
| genome | entire "library" of genetic instructions that an organism inherits |
| bioinformatics | the use of computational tools to store, organize, and analyze the huge volume of data that result from high-throughput methods |
| negative feedback | the most common form of regulation; accumulation of an end product slows its own processing |
| positive feedback | process in which an end product speeds up its own production |
| animalia, fungi, plantae, protista, monera | five kingdoms |
| archaea, bacteria, eukarya | three domains |
| Charles Darwin | person who believed in 1) descent with modification--captures unity and diversity, and 2) natural selection--causes evolution as the unequal reproductive successes of individuals adapts the population to its environment |
| data | recorded observations; can be quantitative or qualitative |
| inductive reasoning | a type of logic in which generalizations are based on a large number of specific observations (specific >>> general) |
| deductive reasoning | a type of logic in which specific results are predicted from a general premise (general >>> specific) |
| controlled experiment | an experiment that is designed to compare an experimental group with a control group; ideally, the only difference between the groups is part of what is being tested |
| model | a representation of a theory or process; may take form of a graph, diagram, 3D object, computer program, or mathematical equation |
| adaptation | any structure, behavior, or internal process that helps an individual to better survive and/or reproduce |
| altruism | the assistance given to one organism by another, even if the act of giving puts the survival of the assisting organism at risk |
| Sir Richard Dawkins | the person who believed in altruism as the illustration of "the selfish gene" |
| atoms, biomolecules, organelles, cells, tissues, organs, organ systems, organisms, population, community, ecosystem, biosphere | levels of biological organization (from simple to complex) |
| energy processing, evolutionary adaptation, growth and development, order, regulation, reproduction, response to environment | characteristics of life (7, in alphabetical order) |
| order | a characteristic of life; highly detailed and organized structure |
| regulation | a characteristic of life; maintenance of homeostasis |
| energy processing | a characteristic of life; consuming matter, storing energy, using energy |
| evolutionary adaptation | a characteristic of life; natural selection/descent with modification |
| growth and development | a characteristic of life; genes control life patterns |
| response to environment | a characteristic of life; an organism's interaction with its surroundings |
| reproduction | a characteristic of life; the creation of new life from pre-existing life |
| atom | the smallest unit of matter on Earth |
| biomolecules | combinations of atoms; examples include lipids, proteins, carbohydrates, ATP |
| organelles | combinations of biomolecules; nucleus, cytoplasm, membrane |
| cells | combinations of organelles; the first unit of life |
| tissues | combinations of cells; types include nervous, muscular, fat, blood |
| organs | combinations of more than one type of tissue |
| organ systems | group of organs that work together |
| organism | the simultaneous and interdependent functioning of various organ systems |
| population | group of organisms of a single specie in a localized area |
| community | all populations of all species in a localized area |
| ecosystem | the community plus abiotic factors; also includes interactions between biotic and abiotic components |
| biosphere | wherever on Earth that there is life |
| abiotic factors | components that affect an ecosystem; examples include temperature, rainfall, sunlight, wind, and soil |
| symbiosis | when two organisms live in close/tight relationships with each other |
| parasitism | a type of symbiosis in which one organism acts as a parasite and the other as a host |
| mutualism | a type of symbiosis in which both organisms benefit from the relationship |
| commensualism | a type of symbiosis in which one organism benefits from the relationship while the other is neither helped nor harmed |
| cell theory | proponents include 1) all living things are made of cells; 2) cells are the basic unit of life; 3) cells only come from other cells; established by Schleiden and Schwann |
| energy | the ability to do work; all life needs a constant supply of this |
| sunlight, producers, consumers | pattern of energy flow |
| autotrophs | organisms that create their own food |
| heterotrophs | organisms that eat other organisms for energy |
| kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus, specie | traditional taxonomy |
| animalia | characteristics of this kingdom: heterotrophic, eukaryotic, multicellular, no cell walls |
| fungi | characteristics of this kingdom: heterotroph, eukaryotic, multicellular, cell walls (chitin) |
| plantae | characteristics of this kingdom: autotroph, eukaryotic, multicellular, cell walls (cellulose) |
| protista | characteristics of this kingdom: both autotrophic and heterotrophic, eukaryotic, unicellular but with some multicellular, some have cell walls while some do not |
| monera | characteristics of this kingdom: both autotrophic and heterotrophic, prokaryotic, unicellular, cell walls (peptidoglycam or murein) |
| extreme thermophiles | type of archaea; can survive boiling water, thrive near geysers |
| extreme halophiles | type of archaea; loves high salt concentrations |
| methanogens | type of archaea; poisoned by oxygen, live in waterlogged soils, swamps, produce methane gas |
| prokaryotic | 1) contains ribosomes >> proteins; 2) no endoplasmic reticulum; 3) no membrane-bound organelles; 4) one circular chromosome; 5) bacteria; 6) about 10 times smaller; 7) no nucleus (DNA floats around) |
| eukaryotic | 1) contains ribosomes >> proteins; 2) contains endoplasmic reticulum; 3) all organelles are membrane-bound; 4) multiple, linear chromosomes; 5) everything besides bacteria; 6) about 10 times larger; 7) membrane-enclosed nucleus |
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