Biology 1610
Chapter 1 terms
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Adaptations: inherited characteristics to survive
Animalia: Kingdom made up of multi-cellular organism that eat other organisms for nutrition
Archaea: One of the domains for prokaryotes
Asexual Reproduction: organisms reproduce by doubling in size& in DNA then split into two
Atom: smallest unit of a chemical element that retains the properties of that element
Autotroph: plants, algae, and bacteria that produce their own food
Bacteria: prokaryotic organisms, most are decomposers
Binomial: more than one
Biosphere: all of Earth’s ecosystems together
Cell: Basic units in organisms
Cellular Respiration: process that releases some energy stored in the nutrient molecules
Cell Signaling: helps regulate growth, development, and metabolic processing
Cilia: tiny hair like structures used for movement
Class classification category (#5)
Community: different species living in the same place
Consumer: organisms that depend on producers for food, energy and oxygen
Control Group: the subject you are experimenting on can’t be changed
Decomposer: heterotrophs that obtain nutrients by breaking down nonliving organic material
Deductive Reasoning: draw conclusions by supplied information (premises)
DNA: Molecules that contain genetic instructions and transmit genetic information
Domain: classification category (#8)
Eubacteria:
Ecology: study of how organisms relate to each other and to their environment
Ecosystem: community together with its nonliving environment
Emergent Property: characteristics not found at lower levels (brain neurons, can’t see thinking)
Eukarya: Domain of the eukaryotes
Eukaryotic Cell: complex cells in plants, animals, humans, etc. Enclosed by Nucleus Membrane
Evolution: populations of organisms change over time
Experimental Group: the subject you are experimenting on can be changed
Family: classification category (#3)
Flagella: longer hair like structures used for movement
Fungi: Kingdom composed of yeast, mildew, molds and mushrooms
Gene: the units of hereditary material
Gene Pool: all the genes present in the population
Genome: all the genetic material in a cell or individual organism
Genomics: emerging field of biology that studies the entire DNA sequence of an organism genes
Genus: classification category (#2)
Hypothesis: a tentative explanation for observations or phenomena
Biology 1610
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Homeostasis: balanced internal environment, steady state, needs to be carefully regulated
Hormone: chemical compounds that signal other cells
Heterotroph: organisms that depend on producers for food, energy and oxygen
Inductive Reasoning: drawing conclusions by observations
Kingdom: classification category (#7)
Metabolism: sum of all chemical activities of the organism
Molecule: combination of atoms
Mutation: chemical or physical changes in DNA that can be inherited
Natural selection: mechanisms of Evolution proposed by Darwin,
Neurotransmitter: information transmitted by electrical and chemical impulses
Nucleus: houses DNA, enclosed in the Membrane
Order: classification category (#4)
Organ: made up of organized tissues formed into functional structures
Organelle: Internal structures that perform specific functions
Organism: any living system consisting of one or more cells
Plantae: Kingdom that consists of moss, ferns, nonvascular plants
Photosynthesis: process where produces synthesize complex molecules from H20 & CO2
Phylum: classification category (#6)
Plasma Membrane: separates the cell from the external environment
Population: same species living in the same places at the same time
Producer: plants, algae, and bacteria that produce their own food
Prokaryotic Cell: simple cells, found in Bacteria, no Nucleus
Protein: large molecules in determining the structure and function of cells and tissues
Protista: a Kingdom that consists of algae, protozoa, water molds and slime molds
Reductionism: learning about a structure by studying its parts
Sexual reproduction: egg is fertilized by sperm (animals and humans)
Species: group of organisms with similar structure, function and behavior (#1 narrowest)
Species Epithet: designates a particular species belonging to that genus (follows genus)
Systematics: field of biology that studies diversity of organisms and their relationships
Taxon: a formal taxonomic group at any level
Taxonomy: science of naming and classifying organisms (subspecialty of systematics)
Theory: a widely accepted explanation supported by experiments and observations
Tissue: formed by cells associating
Biology 1610
Chapter 1 Questions
1. Be able to distinguish between living and nonliving things by listing and describing the key
characteristics of living things:
a. Cellular Organization
b. Growth and Development
c. Self Regulated Metabolism
d. Ability to respond to Stimuli
e. Able to Reproduce
f. Show adaptation to environmental change
2. Be able to list and describe the various levels in the Hierarchy of Biological Organization:
a. Chemical Level (atoms & molecules)
b. Cellular (cells come together and form tissue)
c. Tissue (formed by cells associating)
d. Organ (made up of organized tissues into functional structures)
e. Organ system
f. Organism (any living system consisting of one or more cells)
g. Population (same species living in the same places at the same time)
h. Community (different species living in the same place)
i. Ecosystem (community together with its nonliving environment)
j. Biosphere (all of Earth’s ecosystems together)
3. How is information transferred within an organism?
-it is transferred through DNA from 1 generation to the next.
4. How are species named using the binomial system of nomenclature (Linnaean system)? How
are organisms classified using a hierarchical classification scheme (taxonomical hierarchy)? Be
able to list the major ranks (categories) in the taxonomical hierarchy.
a. They are named by using the Genus and Specific Epithet
b. They are classified by: Species, genus, family, order, class phylum, kingdom, domain
5. List and describe the three domains of living things. Be able to list and briefly describe the
kingdom(s) found in each of these domains:
a. Bacteria & Archaea
b. Protista, Plantae, Fungi, Animalia
6. Be able to briefly describe how evolution occurs by natural selection.
a. Organisms show some variation
b. Organisms produce more offspring than that will survive
Biology 1610
c. Organisms compete for limited resources (food, water)
d. Survivors will pass adaptations for survival to their offspring
7. How does energy cycle within an ecosystem?
- The energy comes from the sun, and then goes to the plants/producers, then the animals/consumers
eat the plants and gain energy, then it goes to the bacteria/decomposers. AKA: photosynthesis.
8. How is the scientific method used by scientists to increase our understanding of the world? How
does a hypothesis differ from a theory?
- They make observations, ask critical questions, develop hypotheses, make predictions and
create experiments, collect data & analyze, then draw conclusions.
-A hypothesis is a testable statement. It is consistent with facts and has +/- results. A theory is
supported by the hypothesis. It is an integrated explanation of the actual world based on hypotheses. It
also relates data that wasn’t related before.