BackGeneral Biology: Unifying Themes and Scientific Inquiry
02:09
Terms in this set (25)
Biology is the scientific study of life and living organisms.
Organization, Information, Energy and Matter, Interactions, and Evolution.
Life is studied at different levels from molecules to the entire biosphere, including cells, tissues, organs, populations, and ecosystems.
New properties that arise at each level of biological organization due to the arrangement and interaction of parts.
An approach that studies complex systems by breaking them down into simpler components.
The study of interactions among parts of a biological system to understand the whole system.
At each level of biological organization, structure correlates with function; understanding one helps understand the other.
All living organisms are made of cells, which are the basic units of structure and function in life.
Prokaryotic cells lack a nucleus and membrane-enclosed organelles; eukaryotic cells have these structures.
DNA contains genetic material that stores information for building molecules and directs development.
The process of converting information from a gene into a cellular product, usually a protein.
DNA is transcribed into RNA, which is then translated into protein.
The study of whole sets of genes in one or more species.
The study of whole sets of proteins and their properties.
Energy enters as sunlight, flows through producers and consumers, and exits as heat; chemicals recycle within the ecosystem.
A process where the output of a system regulates that very system, often through negative or positive feedback.
The process by which living organisms are modified descendants of common ancestors, explaining unity and diversity of life.
Bacteria and Archaea (prokaryotes), and Eukarya (eukaryotes).
The mechanism of evolution where individuals with advantageous traits are more likely to survive and reproduce.
Variation among individuals, heritable variation, and differential reproductive success.
A process involving observation, hypothesis formation, prediction, experimentation, and conclusion to test hypotheses.
Discovery science describes nature; hypothesis-driven science explains nature through testing hypotheses.
An experiment comparing an experimental group with a control group differing in only one variable.
It ensures research is vetted by other experts before publication, maintaining scientific integrity.
Diversity in backgrounds and perspectives leads to more robust, valuable, and productive scientific inquiry.