This set of flashcards is a review of the key vocabulary on the Biology 1 semester exam.
Cell
The smallest unit in living things that can still be considered alive. The basic unit of organization in living things.
Tissue
A group of similar cells that perform a specific function.
Organ
A group of similar tissues that perform a particulat function.
Organ System
Groups of organs that work together to perform specific functions.
Homeostasis
Process by which organisms maintain an internal balance.
Stimulus-Response
Process that helps living things respond to outside stimuli.
Metabolism
Chemical reactions that living things use to process materials.
Inference
Interpretation pased on prior knowledge and observation.
Monomer
Smaller units that join together to make polymers.
Polymer
Larger compound formed by joining monomers together.
Protein
Organic compound that serves as a building block for living things, speeds up reactions as a catalyst.
Lipid
Organic compound that stores energy, helps form the cell membrane, provides insulation and protection.
Carbohydrate
Organic compound that is the main source of energy for living things.
Nucleic Acid
Organic compound that stores and transmits your genetic information (heredity)
Amino Acids
Building blocks or monomers for proteins.
Nucleotides
Building blocks or monomers for nucleic acids.
Monosaccharides
Example of a monomer for carbohydrates. (it's a building block for polysaccharides)
Enzymes
Proteins that speed up the rate of chemical reactions.
Dehydration synthesis
This process assembles (makes) monomers into polymers.
Hydrolysis
The process that disassembles (breaks) polymers into monomers.
Nucleus
This organelle controls most of the cell's functions, stores DNA, and contains the instructions for making proteins.
Ribosome
This cell organelle makes proteins.
Mitochondria
This organelle converts food energy into ATP, carbon dioxide and water.
Vacuole
This organelle stores water and other nutrients and is much larger in a plant cell than in an animal cell.
Chloroplast
This organelle converts the energy from the sun into oxygen and sugars. It is also only found in plant cells.
Cell Membrane
The flexible boundary of plant and animal cells that allows materials in and out of the cell.
Cell Wall
The rigid outer boundary of plant cells.
Active Transport
The movement of materials across a membrane that requires extra energy.
Diffusion
Movement of materials through the cell membrane from a region of high concentration to a region of low concentration.
Osmosis
Diffusion of water across the cell membrane.
Cell Differentiation
Different cells in an organisms have different functions or jobs.
Hypothesis
An educated guess that can be tested and is based on prior knowledge.
ATP
Biomolecule that stores energy for living things. Adenosine Triphosphate.
Photosynthesis
The process that uses sunlight to convert water and carbon dioxide into oxygen and glucose.
Cellular Respiration
The process that converts Oxygen and Glucose into Carbon Dioxide, Water and ATP.
Chlorophyll
The pigment that absorbs the sun's energy in plants.
Aerobic Respiration
Uses oxygen as a part of cellular respiration. Releases the greatest amount of energy.
Eukaryotic
Cells which have a nucleus, are larger, more complex and contain membrane bound organelles.
Prokaryotic
Cells which have no nucleus, are smaller, less complex and have no membrane bound organelles.
Mitosis
Cellular Division which produces two identical daughter cells.
Meiosis
Cellular division which produces four different daughter cells.
Diploid
Two sets of matching homologous chromosomes.
Haploid
Only one copy of each chromosome.
Gametes
Sex Cells. Example: Sperm and Egg Cells.
Crossing Over
Process during Meiosis which helps to increase the genetic variability of daughter cells.
Karyotype
A picture which represents all of the chromosomes present inside nucleus of a cell.
XX
Sex chromosomes of a female.
XY
Sex chromosomes of a male.
Homologous Chromosomes
Matching chromosomes that contain information for the same traits. One comes from the mother and one from the father.