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Archaea Domain of prokaryotic organisms that are biochemically and genetically distinct from bacteria Bacteria Domain of prokaryotic organisms that are biochemically and genetically distinct from archaea Biosphere all the parts of the planet that are inhabited by living things; sum of all Earth's ecosystems Cell Basic unit of living matter; separated from its environment by a plasma membrane Class Group of related orders Classification The process of grouping things based on their similarities. Consumer Organism that obtains food by eating producers (autotrophs) or other consumers Diversity Difference, variety; a condition of having many different types or forms DNA A long linear polymer found in the nucleus of a cell and formed from nucleotides and shaped like a double helix Domain Broadest category used to classify Ecosystem Community of living things plus the nonliving features of the environment that support them Energy The ability to do work or cause change Environment All of the surrounding things, conditions, and influences affecting the growth or development of living things. Eukarya Domain of all organisms whose cells have nuclei, including protists, plants, fungi, and animals Eukaryotic Cell with a nucleus (surrounded by its own membrane) and other internal organelles Family A taxonomic group containing one or more genera Gene Unit of inherited information in DNA Genus Taxonomic group containing one or more species Homeostasis Internal stability of "steady state" maintained by the body Kingdom A basic group of natural objects Multicellular Consisting of many cells Order Taxonomic group containing one or more families Organism Living things Photosynthesis Process by which plants use the sun's energy to convert water and carbon dioxide into sugars Phylum The major taxonomic group of animals and plants Producer Organism that makes its own food (autotroph) and produces organic molecules that serve as food for the other organisms in its ecosystem Prokaryotic Cell lacking a nucleus and most other organelles Regulation The ability of organisms to regulate their internal conditions Reproduction The ability of organisms to reproduce their own kind Species Distinct form of life System Complex organization formed a simples combination of parts Unicellular Consisting of a single cell Bias Influence in an unfair way Cause Give rise to Control Group The group of test subjects left untreated or unexposed to some produce. The group that remains unchanged from what would be considered "normal" Control Variable A value or values that are held constant in order to assess or clarify the relationship between the Independent and Dependent variables. Must be kept the same for both the Control Group and the Experimental Group Data Recorded observations or items of information Dependent Variable A value that is dependent on the independent variable. The variable that is influences or controlled by the independent variable. The EFFECT of "Cause and effect". Often on the y-axis Effect Produce Experiment The testing of an idea Experimental Group The group of the test subjects that are treated or exposed to some procedure. The group that is changed from what would be considered normal. Usually the treatment that is of interest scientifically Evidence Your basis for belief or disbelief Group Any number of items considered as a unit. Different types in scientific experiments Hypothesis Suggested, testable answer to a well-defined scientific question Independent Variable A value that is independent of changes in the values of other variables. The variable that is manipulated or controlled by the researcher. The CAUSE of "Cause and Effect". Often on the x-axis graph Inquiry A search for knowledge Observation Use of the senses to gather and record information about structures or processes in nature Qualitative Involving distinctions based on qualities Quantitative Relating to the measurement of quantity Science A particular branch of scientific knowledge Technology Application of scientific understanding for a scientific purpose Theory Well-tested explanation that makes sense of a great variety of scientific observations Variable Any factor in an experiment that is not constant (any factor that can change) Acid Compound that donates positively charged hydrogen ions to an aqueous solution and measures less than 7 on the pH scale Activation Energy Minimun amount of energy required to trigger a chemical reaction Active Site Region of an enzyme into which a particular substrate fits Adhesion Attraction between unlike molecules Amino Acid Monomer that makes up proteins; contains carboxyl and amino functional groups Aqueous Solution Solution in which water is the solvent Base Compound that removes positively charged hydrogen ions from an aqueous solution and that measures more than 7 in the pH scale Buffer Substance that maintains a fairly constant pH in a solution by accepting positively charged hydrogen ions when their levels rise and donating positively charged hydrogen ions when their levels fall Carbohydrate Organic compound made of sugar molecules Catalyst Agent that speeds up chemical reactions Cellulose Polysaccharide consisting of glucose monomers that reinforces plant-cell walls Cholesterol Steroid molecule present in the plasma membrane of animal cells Cohesion Tendency of molecules of the same kind to stick to one another Denaturation Loss of normal shape of a protein due to heat or other factor Disaccharide Sugar with two monosaccharides Enzyme Specialized protein that catalyzes the chemical reaction of a cell Fat Organic compound consisting of a three-carbon backbone (glycerol) attached to three fatty acids Fatty Acid An organic acid that is contained in lipids, such as fats or oils Functional Group Group of atoms within a molecule that interacts in predictable ways with other molecules Glycogen Polysaccharide in animal cells that consists of many glucose monomers Hydrocarbon Organic molecule composed of only carbon and hydrogen molecules Hydrogen Bond Bond created by the weak attraction of a slightly positive hydrogen atom to a slightly negative portion of another molecule Hydrophilic Attracts water molecules Hydrophobic Avoids water molecules Inorganic Molecule Non-carbon based molecule Lipid One of a class of water-avoiding compounds Monomer Small molecular unit that is the building block of a larger molecule Monosaccharide Sugar containing one sugar unit Neutral ph of 7 Nucleotide Building block (monomer) of nucleic acid polymers Organic Molecule Carbon-based molecule Peptide Bond formed when two amino acid units are jointed end to end pH scale A range of numbers used to describe how acidic of basic a solution is; ranges from 0 (most acidic) to 14 (most basic) Phospholipid Any of various compounds composed of fatty acids and phosphoric acid and a nitrogenous base Polar Molecule Molecule in which opposite ends have opposite electric charges Polarity Property of a molecule with oppositely charged ends. Polymer Long chain of small molecular units (monomers) Polypeptide Chain of linked amino acids Polysaccharide Long polymer chain made up of simple sugar molecules Protein Polymer constructed from a set of 20 amino acid monomers Saccharide A simple sugar or combination of sugars Saturated Fat in which all three fatty acid chains contain the maximum possible number of hydrogen atoms Solute Substance in a solution that is dissolved and is present in a lesser amount Solution Uniform mixture of two or more substances Solvent Substance in a solution that dissolves the other substance and is present in the greater amount Starch Polysaccharide in plant cells that consists entirely of glucose monomers Steroid Lipid molecule with four fused carbon rings Substrate Specific reactant acted on by an enzyme Unsaturated Fat with less than the maximum number of hydrogens in one or more of its fatty acid chains Active Transport Movement of molecules across a membrane requiring energy to be expended by the cell ATP (adenosine triphosphate) Main energy source that cells use for most of their work Cell Theory Generalization that all living things are composed of cells, and that cells are the basic unit of structure and function in living things. Cell Wall Strong wall outside a plant cell's plasma membrane that protects the cell and maintains its shape Chloroplast Organelle found in some plant cells and certain unicellular organisms where photosynthesis takes place Cilia Short structures projecting from a cell and containing bundles of microtubules that move a cell through its surroundings or move fluid over the cell's surface Concentration The strength of a solution Diffusion Net movement of the particles of a substance from where they are more concentrated to where they are less concentrated Endocytosis Process of taking material into a cell within vesicles that bud inwards from the plasma membrane Endoplasmic Reticulum Network of membranes within a cell's cytoplasm that produce a variety of molecules Equilibrium Point at which the number of diffusing molecules moving in one direction is equal to the number moving in the opposite direction Exocytosis Process of exporting proteins from a cell by a vesicle fusing with the plasma membrane Facilitated Diffusion Pathway provided by transport proteins that helps certain molecules pass through a membrane Flagella Long, thin, whip-like structures, with a core of microtubules, that enable some cells to move Golgi Apparatus Cellular organelle that modifies, stores, and routes cell products Hypertonic Having a higher concentration of solute than another solution Hypotonic Having a lower concentration of solute than another solution Isotonic Having a solute concentration equal to that of another solution Lysosome Membrane-bound sac containing digestive enzymes that can break down proteins, nucleic acids, and polysaccharides Membrane A pliable sheet of tissue that covers or lines or connects organs or cells of animals Microfilament Solid rod of protein, thinner that a microtubule, that enables a cell to move or change shape Microtubule Straight, hollow tube of proteins that gives rigidity, shape, and organization to a cell Mitochondria Cellular organelles where cellular respiration occurs Nuclear Envelope Double membrane that surrounds a cell nucleus Nucleolus Ball-like mass of fibres and granules in a cel nucleus Organelle Part of a cell with a specific function Osmosis Passive transport of water across a selectively permeable membrane Passive Transport Diffusion across a membrane requiring only the random motion of molecules with no energy extended by the cell Permeable Membrane A membrane that allows for diffusion of certain solutes and water Phospholipid Bilayer Two-layer "sandwich" of molecules that surrounds a cell Plasma Membrane Thin outer boundary of a cell that regulates the traffic of chemicals between the cell and its surroundings Ribosome Cluster of proteins and nucleic acids that constructs proteins in a cell Selectively Permeable Membrane Membrane that allows some substances to pass more easily than others and block the passage of some substances altogether Vacuole Membrane-bound sac that buds from the Endoplasmic Reticulum or the Golgi Apparatus Vesicle Small membrane-bound sac that functions in moving products into, out of, and within a cell Adaptation Inherited characteristics that improves an organism's ability to survive and reproduce in a particular environment Antibiotic Medicine that kills or slows the growth of bacteria Artificial Selection Selective breeding of domesticated plants and animals to produce offspring with desired genetic traits Biochemistry The study of substances and processes occurring in living things Characteristics Distinguishing traits, qualities, or properties Clade A taxonomic grouping that includes only a single ancestor and all of its descendants Cladogram Phylogenetic tree constructed from a series of two-way branch points, suggesting ancestral relationships among species Common Ancestor The shared ancestor of new, different species that arose from one population Descent with Modification Process by which descendants of ancestral organisms spread into various habitats and accumulate adaptation to diverse ways of life Embryonic Development The growth and development of the embryo. Extinct No longer existing as a living species on Earth Fossil Preserves remains or marking left by an organism that lived in the past Fossil Record Chronological collection of life's remains in sedimentary rock layers Gene Pool All of the alleles in all the individuals that make up a population Geographic Distribution The natural arrangements of animals and plants in particular regions or districts. Geographic Isolation Separation of populations as a result of geographic change or migration to geographically isolated places Homologous Structure Similar structure found in more than one species that share a common ancestor Inheritance The process by which physical and biological characteristics are transmitted from the parent (or parents) to the offspring Living Fossils An organism that has persisted, essentially unchanged, since its first appearance Microevolution Evolution on the smallest scale a generation-to-generation change in the frequencies of alleles within a population Natural Selection Process by which individuals with inherited characteristics well-suited to the environment leave more offspring that do other individuals Paleontology The earth science that studies fossil organisms and related remains Pesticide A chemical used to kill pests Phylogenetic Tree Branching diagram, suggesting evolutionary relationships, that classifies species into groups within groups Population Group of individuals of the same species living in a particular area at the same time Resistance The ability to fight off or overcome something Resource Any necessity of life Sedimentary Rock Rock that is formed when particles from other rocks or the remains of plants and animals are pressed and cemented together Selective Breeding The process of selecting a few organisms with desired traits to serve as parents of the next generation Shared Derived Character An evolutionary novelty unique to a particular clade Taxonomy Identification, naming, and classification of species Trait Variation of a particular inherited character Variation Difference among members of a species Vestigial Structure Remnant of a structure that may have had an important function in a species' ancestors, but has no clear function in the modern species Aestivation Slowing of activity during the summer Agressive Behavior Symbolic threat display of physical struggle between individuals of the same species Behavior The action or reaction of something under specified circumstances Circadian Rhythm Rhythmic pattern of behavior (in an animal) or biological cycle (in a plant) that follows an approximately 24-hour natural cycle Classical Conditioning When an otherwise meaningless stimulus is associated with a reward or punishment Communication Signals among animals that include sounds, odors, visual displays, and touches Conditioning Type of learning in which a particular stimulus or response is linked to a reward or punishment Cooperation Group of behaviors in which individuals work together in a way that benefits the group Courtship Ritual Elaborate behavior of individuals of the same species before mating Dominance Hierarchy Ranking of individuals in a group based on agressive behavior Ethology Animal behavior Exercise Hypothesis One of two hypothesis of play behavior. States that animals play in order to exercise muscles necessary for survival. Fixed Action Pattern (FAP) Innate behavior that occurs as an unchangeable sequence of actions Habituation Type of learning in which an animal stops responding to a repeated stimulus that conveys little or no important information Hibernation A period of inactivity that some animals experience in winter that allows them to survive on stored body fat Immediate Cause Explanation of an organism's behavior based in its immediate interaction with the environment Imprinting A usually irreversible type of learning limited to specific time period in an animal's life Innate Behavior Behavior performed correctly and in the same way by all individuals of a species, without previous experience Insight Preforming a behavior correctly or appropriately in a new situation, without previous experience Learning A change in behavior resulting from experience Migration The periodic passage of groups of animals from one region to another for feeding or breeding Operant Conditioning When an animal learns to associate one of its own behavior with a positive or negative effect Play Behavior Stimulates predator-prey like behavior; involves a two part hypothesis as to why it occurs Practice Hypothesis One hypothesis of play behavior. States that animals play to practice hunting and fighting skills. Territory Area defended by an individual, usually excluding the other members of the same species Trial and Error Experimenting until a solution is found Ultimate Cause Explanation of an organism's behavior based on its evolutionary adaptation Zoology The branch of biology that studies animals Evolution Generation-to-generation change in the proportion of different inherited genes in a population that account for all of the changes that have transformed life over an immense time