General Biology Quiz 1 Terms

The scientific method involves making observations, forming hypotheses, conducting experiments, and drawing conclusions.

Inductive reasoning uses specific observations to make broader generalizations.

Deductive reasoning uses general principles to predict specific outcomes.

A hypothesis is a testable explanation for a set of observations.

A theory is a well-supported, broad explanation for a wide range of observations and experimental results.

Matter is anything that has mass and takes up space.

An element is a substance that cannot be broken down into simpler substances by chemical means.

An atom is the smallest unit of an element that retains its chemical properties.

The nucleus is the dense central core of an atom containing protons and neutrons.

Atoms are made of electrons (negative charge), protons (positive charge), and neutrons (neutral).

Atomic number is the number of protons in an atom's nucleus.

Atomic mass is the total number of protons and neutrons in an atom's nucleus.

Isotopes are atoms of the same element with different numbers of neutrons.

A compound is a substance formed by the chemical combination of two or more elements in fixed ratios.

A molecule is two or more atoms held together by covalent bonds.

Valence electrons are the electrons in the outermost shell of an atom that participate in chemical bonding.

A covalent bond is a chemical bond formed by sharing one or more pairs of electrons between atoms.

Electronegativity is the tendency of an atom to attract electrons in a chemical bond.

An ion is an atom or molecule with a net electric charge due to loss or gain of electrons; cation is positive, anion is negative.

An ionic bond is a chemical bond formed by the attraction between oppositely charged ions.

A hydrogen bond is a weak attraction between a hydrogen atom and an electronegative atom in another molecule.

A chemical reaction involves the breaking and forming of bonds; reactants are starting substances, products are the results.

Chemical equilibrium is reached when the forward and reverse reaction rates are equal, and concentrations remain constant.

Cohesion is the attraction between molecules of the same substance, such as water molecules sticking together.

Adhesion is the attraction between molecules of different substances.

Kinetic energy is the energy of motion.

Temperature measures the intensity of heat due to the average kinetic energy of molecules.

Specific heat is the amount of heat needed to raise the temperature of 1 gram of a substance by 1°C.

A solution is a homogeneous mixture; the solvent dissolves the solute. An aqueous solution uses water as the solvent.

An acid increases the hydrogen ion concentration (\(\mathrm{H^+}\)) in a solution.

A base reduces the hydrogen ion concentration or increases hydroxide ions (\(\mathrm{OH^-}\)).

The pH scale measures acidity from 0 (acidic) to 14 (basic), with 7 as neutral.

A buffer minimizes changes in pH by accepting or donating hydrogen ions.

Ocean acidification is the decrease in ocean pH caused by increased CO₂ dissolving in seawater.

Organic chemistry is the study of carbon-containing compounds.

Vitalism was the belief that organic compounds could only be produced by living organisms.

Mechanism is the idea that natural processes are governed by physical and chemical laws.

The Stanley Miller experiment demonstrated that organic molecules could be synthesized from inorganic precursors under early Earth conditions.

Isomers are molecules with the same molecular formula but different structures: structural, cis-trans, and enantiomers.

Functional groups are specific groups of atoms that confer distinct properties: hydroxyl, carbonyl, carboxyl, amino, sulfhydryl, phosphate, methyl.