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General Biology Key Concepts

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이 집합의 용어 (55)

  • What is the smallest unit of life?
    The cell is the smallest unit of organization that can perform all activities required for life.
  • Sequence of biological organization levels
    The correct sequence in order of increasing complexity is cell → tissue → organ → population → community.
  • Definition of a population in biology
    A population is an interacting group of individuals of a single species occupying a defined area.
  • What does the concept of emergence mean in biology?
    Emergence means the whole is greater than the sum of its parts; new properties appear as lower-level biological parts combine.
  • What is reductionism in biological study?
    Reductionism is an approach to study complex biological systems by breaking them into simpler components.
  • What is DNA and its role?
    DNA is the genetic material organized into chromosomes, accounting for both unity and diversity of life.
  • How do all living organisms show unity in genetics?
    All living organisms use the exact same chemical language, DNA, to store their genetic code.
  • What causes diversity among living organisms genetically?
    Diversity arises from the specific order of nucleotides in DNA varying from species to species.
  • What are genes?
    Genes are the fundamental units of inheritance passed from parents to offspring.
  • What is gene expression?
    Gene expression is the process directing the manufacture of a cellular product from the information stored in a gene.
  • Sequence of protein synthesis from gene to functional protein
    The sequence is transcription → translation → protein folding.
  • What is evolution in biology?
    Evolution is the core theme and fundamental organizing principle of biology, involving adaptation and change over time.
  • Explain 'descent with modification'
    It means shared traits among organisms indicate common ancestry, while differing traits show adaptation via natural selection.
  • At what level does natural selection act?
    Natural selection acts on the population level, not on individual organisms.
  • Name the three major domains of life
    The three domains are Bacteria, Archaea, and Eukarya.
  • What is the ultimate energy source for most organisms?
    The sun is the ultimate energy source used by most organisms for metabolism and growth.
  • What is feedback regulation in organisms?
    Feedback regulation is an organism's ability to self-regulate using negative feedback to shut down pathways and positive feedback to speed them up.
  • What are the requirements for a scientific hypothesis?
    A hypothesis must be testable and falsifiable.
  • What is the core activity of the scientific method?
    The core activity is forming and testing hypotheses.
  • What is the role of a control group in experiments?
    A control group acts as an unchanged baseline to compare against experimental changes.
  • What is inductive reasoning?
    Inductive reasoning moves from specific observations to a broader general conclusion.
  • What is a scientific theory?
    A scientific theory is a well-supported, widely accepted concept with broad explanatory power backed by large evidence.
  • What are isotopes?
    Isotopes are atoms of the same element with the same number of protons but different numbers of neutrons, causing different atomic masses.
  • What defines an unstable (radioactive) isotope?
    An unstable isotope has a nucleus that decays spontaneously, releasing radiation and transforming into a different element.
  • What determines an element's chemical reactivity?
    Chemical reactivity depends mostly on the number of unpaired electrons in the outermost (valence) shell.
  • What is a covalent bond?
    A covalent bond forms when neutral atoms share a pair of valence electrons.
  • Difference between nonpolar and polar covalent bonds
    Nonpolar bonds share electrons equally; polar bonds share electrons unequally due to differences in electronegativity.
  • What is an ion?
    An ion is an atom with unequal numbers of protons and electrons due to gaining or losing electrons.
  • What are hydrogen bonds?
    Hydrogen bonds are weak bonds where a hydrogen atom covalently bonded to an electronegative atom is attracted to another electronegative atom.
  • Why is water a polar molecule?
    Water is polar because oxygen and hydrogen share electrons unequally, creating partial positive and negative charges.
  • What causes water's high specific heat?
    Water's high specific heat is due to hydrogen bonds absorbing heat when breaking and releasing heat when forming.
  • What is the pH scale?
    The pH scale is logarithmic; each unit represents a 10-fold change in hydrogen ion concentration.
  • What are buffers?
    Buffers are substances that minimize changes in hydrogen and hydroxide ion concentrations to maintain pH stability.
  • What is organic chemistry defined by?
    Organic chemistry is the study of carbon-containing compounds, where carbon is usually bonded to hydrogen.
  • What is the tetravalence of carbon?
    Carbon has 4 valence electrons and can form 4 covalent bonds to complete its valence shell.
  • What are hydrocarbons?
    Hydrocarbons are organic molecules consisting only of carbon and hydrogen; they are hydrophobic and energy-rich.
  • What are isomers?
    Isomers are compounds with the same molecular formula but different structural arrangements.
  • What are the six essential elements of life (CHONPS)?
    Carbon, Hydrogen, Oxygen, Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Sulfur.
  • What is the role of the carboxyl group?
    The carboxyl group (−COOH) acts as an acid by donating a proton (H+).
  • What is the role of the amino group?
    The amino group (−NH2) acts as a base by accepting a proton (H+).
  • What is the function of sulfhydryl groups?
    Sulfhydryl groups (−SH) help stabilize protein structure through disulfide bridges.
  • What is the function of phosphate groups?
    Phosphate groups (−PO4) store energy in molecules like ATP by releasing energy when a phosphate is removed.
  • What are macromolecules of life?
    Macromolecules include carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids.
  • What is dehydration synthesis?
    Dehydration synthesis joins monomers into polymers by removing water.
  • What is hydrolysis?
    Hydrolysis breaks down polymers into monomers by adding water.
  • What is the general formula of sugars?
    Sugars have a 1:2:1 ratio of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen (C:H:O).
  • Examples of disaccharides
    Sucrose, lactose, and maltose are common disaccharides.
  • Examples of polysaccharides and their functions
    Glycogen stores energy in animals; cellulose provides plant cell wall structure; chitin forms insect exoskeletons.
  • Difference between saturated and unsaturated fats
    Saturated fats have no double bonds and are solid at room temperature; unsaturated fats have cis double bonds and are liquid.
  • What are steroids?
    Steroids are lipids with four fused rings, e.g., cholesterol and sex hormones.
  • Levels of protein structure
    Primary: amino acid sequence; Secondary: α-helix and β-pleated sheets; Tertiary: 3D shape from side-chain interactions.
  • What are chaperonins?
    Chaperonins are proteins that assist in proper folding of other proteins.
  • Components of nucleotides
    A nucleotide consists of a nitrogenous base, a pentose sugar, and a phosphate group.
  • Purines vs. pyrimidines
    Purines: adenine (A) and guanine (G); pyrimidines: cytosine (C), thymine (T), and uracil (U).
  • DNA structure
    DNA is a double helix with two antiparallel strands.