AP Biology: Ch 1 A View of Life – Mader – Flashcards
Unlock all answers in this set
Unlock answersquestion
adaptation
answer
Species's modification in structure, function, or behavior that makes a species more suitable to its environment.
question
animal
answer
Multicelluar, heterotrophic eukaryote that undergoes development to achieve its final form. In general, mobile organisms, characterized by the presence of muscular and nervous tissue.
question
binomial nomenclature
answer
scientific name of an organism, the first part of which designates the genus and the second part of which designates the specific epithet
question
biodiversity
answer
total number of species, the variability of their genes, and the communities in which they live
question
biology
answer
the branch of science that is concerned with the study of life and living organsms
question
biosphere
answer
zone of air, land, and water at the surface of the Earth in which living organisms are found
question
cell
answer
the smallest unit of life that displays all the properties of life; composed of cytoplasm surrounded by a plasma membrane
question
class
answer
one of the categories, or taxa, used by taxonomists to group species; the taxon above the order level
question
community
answer
assemblage of species interacting with one another within the same environment
question
conclusion
answer
sample that goes through all the steps of an experiment but does not contain the variable being tested; a standard against which the results of an experiment are checked
question
control
answer
sample that goes through all the steps of an experiment but does not contain the variable being tested; a standard against which the results of an experiment are checked
question
data
answer
facts or information collected through observation and/or experimentation
question
deductive reasoning
answer
the use of general principles to predict specific outcomes; often uses "if ... then" statements
question
domain
answer
largest of the categories, or taxa, used by taxonomists to group species; the three domains are Archaea, Bacteria, and Eukarya
question
domain Archaea
answer
one of the three domains of life; contains prokaryotic cells that often live in extreme habitats and have unique genetic, biochemical, and physiological characteristics; its members are sometimes referred to as archaea
question
domain Bacteria
answer
one of the three domains of life; contains prokaryotic cells that differ from archaea because they have their own unique genetic, biochemical, and physiological characteristics
question
domain Euakrya
answer
one of the three domains of life, consisting of organisms with eukaryotic cells; includes protists, fungi, plants, and animals
question
ecosystem
answer
biological community together with the associated abiotic environment; characterized by a flow of energy and a cycling of inorganic nutrients
question
emergent property
answer
a function or trait that appears as biological complexity increases
question
energy
answer
capacity to do work and bring about change; occurs in a variety of forms
question
eukaryote
answer
type of cell that has a membrane-bounded nucleus and membranous organelles; found in organisms within the domain Eukarya
question
evolution
answer
genetic change in a species over time resulting in the development of genetic and phenotypic differences that are the basis of natural selection; descent of organisms from a common ancestor
question
experiment
answer
a test of a hypothesis that examines the influence of a single variable; often involves both control and test groups
question
experimental design
answer
methodology by which an experiment will seek to support the hypothesis
question
experimental variable
answer
a variable in an experiment that is changed by the experimenter
question
extinction
answer
disappearance of a species from all parts of its geographical range
question
family
answer
(biology) a taxonomic group containing one or more genera
question
fungi
answer
Kingdom composed of heterotrophs; many obtain energy and nutrients from dead organic matter
question
gene
answer
sequence of DNA that codes for a protein and thus determines a trait
question
genus
answer
(biology) taxonomic group containing one or more species
question
homeostasis
answer
process by which organisms maintain a relatively stable internal environment
question
hypothesis
answer
A testable prediction, often implied by a theory
question
inductive reasoning
answer
A type of logic in which generalizations are based on a large number of specific observations.
question
kingdom
answer
taxonomic category, the second broadest after domain, made up of many phyla
question
law
answer
a descriptive statement or equation that reliably predicts events under certain conditions
question
metabolism
answer
the combination of chemical reactions through which an organism builds up or breaks down materials
question
model
answer
a representation of an object or event (usually on a smaller scale)
question
multicellular
answer
organisms composed of many cells
question
natural selection
answer
organisms better adapted to their environment tend to survive and produce more offspring
question
observation
answer
the action or process of observing something or someone carefully or in order to gain information.
question
order
answer
taxonomic group containing one or more families
question
organism
answer
An individual living thing
question
phenomenon
answer
a fact or event which can be observed and/or documented
question
photosynthesis
answer
process by which plants use the sun's energy to convert water and carbon dioxide into sugars
question
phylum
answer
taxonomic group of related classes
question
plant
answer
multicellular eukaryote that produces its own food through photosynthesis
question
population
answer
group of individuals of the same species that live in the same area
question
prediction
answer
a statement of what a scientist expects to observe if a hypothesis is true
question
principle
answer
a fundamental truth or proposition that serves as the foundation for a system of belief or behavior
question
prokaryote
answer
a unicellular organism having cells lacking membrane-bound nuclei
question
protist
answer
free-living or colonial organisms with diverse nutritional and reproductive modes
question
reproduce
answer
the production of offspring that are similar to the parents
question
responding variable
answer
the variable that changes in response to the manipulated variable
question
scientific method
answer
a series of steps that scientists use to answer questions and solve problems
question
scientific theory
answer
explanation for a large number of findings in the natural world
question
species
answer
taxonomic group whose members can interbreed
question
standard deviation
answer
a measure of variability that describes an average distance of every score from the mean
question
systematics
answer
study of the diversity of life and the evolutionary relationships between organisms
question
taxonomy
answer
the science of describing, naming, and classifying organisms
question
unicellular
answer
having or consisting of a single cell
