BackGeneral Biology Unit 1: Evolution, Themes, and Chemical Basis of Life
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Terms in this set (21)
Evolution is the process of change over time that has resulted in the diversity of life on Earth.
The three domains are Bacteria, Archaea, and Eukarya.
Major themes include evolution, structure and function, information flow, energy transformations, and systems biology.
Scientific inquiry is the process of asking questions, forming hypotheses, conducting experiments, and drawing conclusions based on evidence.
A hypothesis is a testable and falsifiable explanation for a set of observations.
Living matter is mostly composed of carbon (C), hydrogen (H), oxygen (O), and nitrogen (N).
Carbon can form four covalent bonds, allowing it to build diverse and complex molecules essential for life.
Isotopes are atoms of the same element with different numbers of neutrons.
Water's polarity and ability to form hydrogen bonds make it an excellent solvent.
Hydrogen bonds give water unique properties like cohesion, adhesion, and high specific heat.
An acid increases H+ concentration; a base decreases H+ concentration in a solution.
The pH scale ranges from 0 to 14, with 7 being neutral.
Macromolecules are large biological molecules including carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids.
An amino acid has a central carbon bonded to an amino group, a carboxyl group, a hydrogen atom, and a variable R group.
Peptide bonds link amino acids together in proteins.
Enzymes are proteins that act as biological catalysts to speed up chemical reactions.
Saturated fats have no double bonds; unsaturated fats have one or more double bonds in their fatty acid chains.
Nucleic acids store and transmit genetic information.
The four levels are primary, secondary, tertiary, and quaternary structure.
Dehydration synthesis is a chemical reaction that links monomers by removing water.
Hydrolysis is the breakdown of polymers into monomers by adding water.