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Chapter 1 Review

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  • What is biology?

    Biology is the scientific study of life.

  • What are the main steps in the scientific process?

    Observation, Question, Hypothesis, Prediction, Experiment, and then Revise and Repeat.

  • What distinguishes a controlled experiment?

    It tests two or more groups differing in one variable; the control group does not receive the change, while the experimental group does.

  • What is a blind experiment?

    An experiment where information about the tests is withheld from participants and/or experimenters to prevent bias.

  • Define a scientific theory.

    A broad, comprehensive statement supported by a large amount of verifiable evidence.

  • What is a scientific fact?

    A piece of information that can be verified by any independent observer.

  • List the common properties of all life.

    Order, regulation, growth and development, energy processing, response to environment, reproduction, evolution, and cells.

  • What is the relationship between structure and function in biology?

    At all levels, structure and function are related; changes in structure often alter function.

  • How is information flow important in living systems?

    Genes store, transmit, and use information to build proteins that perform life’s tasks.

  • Explain energy flow and nutrient cycling in ecosystems.

    Energy flows through ecosystems while nutrients are recycled within them.

  • What are biological interactions within systems?

    Life is studied at many levels, from molecules to the biosphere, where complexity leads to new properties.

  • What is evolution according to Darwin?

    Descent with modification through natural selection, where unequal reproductive success leads to adaptations.

  • What is natural selection?

    The process of unequal reproductive success that causes populations to adapt to their environment over time.

  • What is the smallest level of biological organization that displays all characteristics of life?

    The cell.

  • How do hypotheses differ from theories?

    Hypotheses are narrow, testable ideas; theories have broad explanatory power and are supported by extensive evidence.

  • What is the core theme that unifies all areas of biology?

    Evolution.

  • What distinguishes a fact from an opinion?

    A fact can be independently verified; an opinion cannot.

  • Match the terms: Hypothesis, Evolution, Natural Selection, Biosphere.

    Hypothesis: testable idea; Evolution: descent with modification; Natural Selection: unequal reproductive success; Biosphere: all life-supporting environments on Earth.

  • Why is discovering genes controlling cell division important?

    It helps improve fruit and vegetable production, understand human development and disease, and advances basic biology knowledge.

  • What does the graph of Kemp’s ridley sea turtle nests show?

    The number of nests increased significantly from 1985 to around 2010, indicating population recovery efforts.