| Term | Definition |
|---|
| metabolism | all of the chemical reactions that build or break down materials within an organism |
| axon | long fiber that carries electrical impulses away from the nerve cell body |
| evolution | change over time; process by which modern organisms descended from ancient organisms |
| theory | well-tested, well-supported explanation that unifies a broad range of observations |
| species | two organisms that are so similar they can interbreed in nature and produce fertile offspring |
| ecosystem | all the organisms in a particular location, including their non-living environment |
| population | members of a species in a defined area |
| biosphere | part of Earth that living organisms inhabit |
| community | populations of different organisms living in a defined area |
| nutrient | chemical that an organism needs to live |
| DNA | double stranded nucleic acid that stores and transmits genetic information |
| chemical reaction | process that changes one set of chemicals into another set of chemicals |
| glucose | simple sugar that is used to make ATP through cellular respiration |
| insulin | protein hormone that helps to decrease blood sugar |
| circulatory system | body system consisting of the heart and blood vessels that circulate blood through the body |
| kidneys | organs that filter nitrogen wastes from blood to make urine |
| liver | organ that makes bile to break down fats; also filters poisons and drugs out of the blood |
| excretion | elimination of wastes from the body (urine, carbon dioxide, sweat) |
| spinal cord | cord of nerve tissue that conducts messages between the brain and the peripheral nerves |
| sensory neurons | neurons that carry sensory information from receptors to the central nervous system |
| motor neurons | neurons that carry outgoing information from the central nervous system to the muscles and glands |
| neuron | nerve cell; conducts electrical signals |
| endocrine system | collection of glands that secrete hormones into the blood which regulate growth, development, and homeostasis |
| hormone | chemical messengers secreted by glands into the blood |
| gland | an organ that secretes hormones into the bloodstream |
| nervous system | consists of brain, spinal cord, and nerves and regulates the body's responses to internal and external stimuli |
| homeostasis | the process by which organisms keep their internal environment relatively stable |
| negative feedback loop | an opposite action to what is occurring in the body to regain homeostasis, ex. if body temperature rises too high, body tries to lower it |
| dendrites | part of a neuron that carries the electrical impulse to the cell body |
| nerve | bundle of neurons surrounded by connective tissue |
| synapse | where two adjacent neurons meet |
| neurotransmitter | chemical messenger sent across a synapse which allows two neurons to communicate |
| hypothesis | a proposed answer to a scientific problem; an educated guess |
| cell | basic unit of life |
Combine with other sets
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