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Chapter 1
An Introduction to Biology
82
Biology
Undergraduate 1
07/15/2011

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Term
Biology
Definition
the study of life
Term
acetylsalicylic
Definition
commonly known aspirin
Term
angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors
Definition

are commonly used to treat high blood pressure

derivative of a chemical found in the venom of the brazilian arrowhead viper

Term
Aequorea victoria
Definition

the crystal jelly which produces a green flourescent protein (GFP)

used by reseachers to study gene expression and to determine the locations of proteins in cells 

Term
streptomyces griseus
Definition

the soil bacterim which naturally produes streptomycin that kills competing bateria in the soil

doctors adminster to treat baterial infections

Term
Taxol
Definition
a toxin found in the pacific yew tree is effective in the teatment of certain cancers
Term
living organisms have seven characteristics
Definition

cells and organization

energy use and metabolism

response to environmental changes

regulation and homeostasis

growth and development

reproduction

biological evolution

Term
cell
Definition
simplest unit of life
Term
cell theory
Definition

all organisms are made of cells

cells are the smallest units of life

cells come from pre-existing cells called cell division 

Term
cell division
Definition
cells come from pre-existing cells
Term
unicellular organisms
Definition
are composed of one cells
Term
multicellular organisms
Definition
such as plants and animals cantain many cells
Term
all living organisms acquire
Definition
energy from the environment and use that energy to maintain their internal order
Term
respiration
Definition
release of energy in a process where cells carry out a variety of chemical reactions that are responsible for the breakdown of nutrients
Term
metabolism
Definition
chemical reactions involved with the breakdown and synthesis of cellular molecules are collectively known as
Term
photosynthesis
Definition
is a process where plants, algae, and certain bateria can directly harness light energy to produce their own nutrients
Term
short-term response
Definition
plants respond to changes in the angle of the sun
Term
homeostasis
Definition
living cells and organisms regulate their cells and bodies to maintain relatively stable internal conditions
Term
growth
Definition
produces more and larger cells
Term
development
Definition
is a series of changes in the state of a cell, tissue,organ, or organism
Term
DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid)
Definition
all living organisms contain genetic material composed of DNA

provides a blueprint for the organization, development, and function of living things

Term
genes
Definition
  • segments of DNA
  • govern the characteristics or traits of organisms
Term
RNA (ribonucleic acid)
Definition
most genes as transcribed into a type of RNA molecule called messenger (mRNA) that is translated into a polypeptide with a specific amino acid sequence
Term
protein
Definition
is composed of one or more polpeptides structues and functions of proteins are resposible for the trais of living organisms
Term
biological evolution
Definition
refers to the phenomenon that populations or organisms change from generations to generations
Term
atoms
Definition
  • smallest unhit of an element that has the chemical properties of the element
  • all mater is composed of
Term
molecules
Definition
atoms bond with each other to form them
Term
macromolecule
Definition
  • many molecules bonded togethe to form a polymer suc as a polypeptide
  • carbphydrates, proteins and nucleis acids (DNA,RNA) found in living organisms
Term
cells
Definition
  • molecules and macromolecules associate with each other to form larger structures such as membranes
Term
tissues
Definition
many cells of the same type associate with each other to form 
Term
organ
Definition
is composed of several types of tissues
Term
organisms
Definition
all living things can be called
Term
species
Definition
  • biolgists classify organisms
  • related group of organisms that share a distinctive form and set of attributes in nature
Term
population
Definition
a group or organisms of the same species that occupy the same environment
Term

Biological Community

 

Definition

assemblage of populations of different species

 

 

types of species found in a community are determined by the environmen and by the interactions of species with each other.

 

Term

ECOSYSTEM

 

Definition

formed by interactions of a community of organisms with their physical environmen

t

 

Term
Biosphere
Definition

 

all of the places on the Earth where living organisms exist. Life is found in the air in bodies of water, on the land, and in the soil

.

 

Term

Evolutionary change occurs by two mechanisms

 

Definition
  • vertical descent with mutation and horizontal gene transfer.
Term
lineage
Definition
traditional way to view evolution is in a vertical manner, which involves a progression of changes in a series of ancestors
Term
natural selection
Definition
When a mutation causes such a ben­eficial change, the frequency of the mutation may increase in a population from one generation to the next, a process called
Term
horizontal gene transfer
Definition
  • occur between members of different species.
  • genes that confer antibiotic resistance are some ­transferred between different bacterial species
Term
rationale for categoriza­tion is usually based on
Definition
vertical descent
Term
taxonomy
Definition
grouping of species
Term
Bacteria, Archaea, and Eukarya
Definition
All forms of life can be placed into three large cat­egories, or domains
Term
prokaryotic
Definition

Bacteria and Archaea are microorganisms that are also because their cell structure is simple

Term
eukaryotic cells
Definition
have a cell nucleus which the genetic material is surrounded by a membrane.
Term
organisms in domain Eukarya are eukaryotic
Definition
larger cells with internal compartments serve various functions
Term
genome
Definition
  • refers to the complete genetic composition of an organism
Term
genome is criti­cal to life because it performs these functions
Definition
  • Stores information in a stable form
  • Provides continuity from generation to generation
  • Acts as an instrument of evolutionary change
Term
genom­ics
Definition
ability to analyze the DNA sequence of genomes, a technology called
Term
study of proteomes
Definition
which refers to all of the proteins that a cell or organism can make
Term
function of most genes
Definition
is to encode polypeptides that become units in proteins
Term
proteomics
Definition
technical approach callee ________involves the analysis of the proteome of a single species and the comparison of the proteomes of different spe cies
Term
bioluminescence
Definition
term refers to the ability of some living organisms, such as jellyfish, to produce and emit light due to reactions in which chemical energy is converted to light energy.
Term
green fluorescent protein (GFP
Definition
The spots occasionally give off flashes of green light, which is due to a protein the jellyfish makes
Term
DNA
Definition
is the entire genetic composition of an organism.
Term
Proteins
Definition

are largely responsible for the structure and function of cells and complete organisms.

 

Term

Enzymes:

Definition

Proteins function as enzymes to synthesize and break down cellular molecules and macromolecules.

Term

Cell signaling:

Definition

Proteins are .needed

for cell signaling with , other cells and with

the environment.

Term
Extracellular proteins
Definition
Proteins hold cells ­together in tissues
Term
ecology
Definition
The study of organisms in their natural envi­ronments is a branch of biology
Term
reductionist approach to understanding biology.
Definition
  • involves reducing complex systems to simpler components as a way to understand how the system works
  • In bilology it is the study the parts of a cell or organism as individual units.
Term
genomic techniques
Definition
  • tools that allow us to study groups of genes
Term
proteornic techniques
Definition
  • tools that allow us to study groups of genes
Term
sys­tems biology
Definition
  • research aimed at understanding how the properties of life arise by complex interactions.
  •  This term is often applied to the study of cells.
Term
In biology, a hypoth­esis
Definition
  • is a proposed explanation for a natural phenomenon.
  • It is a proposition based on previous observations or experimen­tal studies.
Term
 biologists may conclude that their hypoth­esis is
Definition

consistent with known data, but they should never say the hypothesis is proven.

Term
Ecologists study
Definition
species in their native environments.
Term
Anatomists and physiologists
Definition

study how the structures of organisms are related to their functions.

Term
two key attributes of a scientific theory are
Definition
  1. consincy with a vast amount of known data and
  2. (2) the ability to make many correct predictions.
Term
in biology, a theory
Definition
  1. theory is an established set of ideas that explains a vast amount of data and
  2. offers valid predictions that can be tested.
  3. Like a hypothesis, a theory can never be proven

 

. to be true.

Term
Genetic researchers
Definition

search through the genomes of humans and other species, trying to discover new genes. Such discoveries may. help us understarid molecular biology and provide insight

into the causes of inherited diseases in people.

Term
discovery-based science, or simply discovery science.
Definition
Discovery-Based Science The collection and analysis of - 'data without the need for a preconceived hypothesis is called
Term
In biological science, the scientific method, also known as hypothesis testing
Definition

is usually followed to test the validity of a hypothesis. This strategy may be described as a five-stage process:

Term
a hypothesis. This strategy may be described as a five-stage process:
Definition

1.    Observations are made regarding natural phenomena.

2.     These observations lead to a hypothesis that tries to explain the phenomena. A useful hypothesis is one that is testable because it makes specific predictions.

3.    Experimentation is conducted to determine if the predictions are correct.

4.    The data from the experiment are analyzed.

5.   The hypothesis is considered to be consistent with the data, or it is rejected.

Term
scientific method is intended to be
Definition
an objective way to gather knowledge.
Term
hypothesis testing may follow many paths, certain experimental features are common to this approach.
Definition
  1. . First, data are often collected in two parallel manners. One set of experiments is done on the control group, while another set is conducted on the experi- I mental group
  1. Another key feature of hypothesis testing is data analysis.
Term
discovery­ based science
Definition
  • which biologists collect and analyze data in an attempt to make discoveries that are not hypothesis driven.
Term
hypothesis testing
Definition
  • hypothesis is stated and the experiment and resulting data are presented.
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