Biology Vocabulary

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Science

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Organized way of gathering and analyzing evidence about the natural world

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Observation

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A process of noticing and describing events or processes in a careful orderly way

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Hypothesis

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A possible explanation for a set of observations or a possible answer to a scientific question

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Controlled Expirement

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An experiment in which only one variable is changed

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Control Group

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The group in an experiment that is exposed to the same conditions as the experimental group except for one independent variabl

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data

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evidence; information gathered from observations

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Theory

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A well-tested explanation that unifies a broad range of observations and hypotheses and enables scientsist to make accurate predictions about new situations

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Bias

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A particular preference or point of view that is personal rather than scientific

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Biology

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The scientific study of life

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DNA

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the genetic material that organisms inherit from their parents

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stimulus

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a signal to which an organism responds

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Homeostasis

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The relatively constant internal physical and chemical conditions that organisms maintain

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metabolism

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the combination of a chemical reactions through which an organism builds up or breaks down materials

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biosphere

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The part of earth in which life exist including land water and air or atmosphere

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atom

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the basic unit of matter

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Nucleus

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the center of an atom, which contains the protons and neutrons

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electron

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a negatively charged partical located in the space surrounding the nucleus

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element

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a pure substance that consists entirely of one type of atom

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isotope

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one of several forms of a single element each of which contains the same number of protons but different numbers of neutrons

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Compound

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A substance formed by the chemical combination of two or more elements in definite proportions

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Ionic Bond

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a chemical bond formed when one or more electrons are transferred from one atom to another

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covalent bond

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a type of bond between atoms in which the electrons are shared

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molecule

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the smallest unit of most compounds that displays all the properties of that compound

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Cohesion

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the attraction between molecules of the same substance

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adhesion

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the force of attraction between different kinds of molecules

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solution

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a type of mixture in which all the components are evenly distributed

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suspension

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a mixture of water and non dissolved material

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acid

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a compound that releases hydrogen ions (h+) in a solution; a solution with a pH of less than 7

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base

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a compound that releases hydroxide ions (oh-) in a solution; a solution with a pH of more than 7

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buffer

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a compound that prevents sharp sudden changes in pH

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carbohydrate

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a compound made up of carbon, Hydrogen, and oxygen atoms; a type of nutrient that is the main source of energy for the body

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lipid

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a macromolecule made mostly from carbon and hydrogen atoms; includes fats, oils, and waxes

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lipid

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a macromolecule made mostly from carbon and hydrogen atoms; includes fats, oils, and waxes

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nucleic acid

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a macromolecule containing hydrogen oxygen nitrogen carbon and phosphours

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protein

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a macromolecule that contains carbon hydrogen oxygen and nitrogen needed by the body for growth and repair

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amino acid

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a compound with an amino group on one end and a carboxyl group on the end

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Chemical Reaction

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the process that changes or transforms one set of chemicals into another set of chemicals

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activation energy

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The energy that is needed to get a reaction started.

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Catalyst

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substance that speeds up the rate of a chemical reaction

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Enzyme

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a protein catalyst that speeds up the rate of specific biological reactions

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Cell

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the basic unit of all forms of life

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cell theory

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a funamental concept of biology that states that all living things are composed of cells, that cells are the basic units of structure and function in living things and that new cells are produced from existing cells

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Nucleus

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A structure that contains the cells genetic material in the form of DNA

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eukaryote

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an organism whose cells contain a nucleus

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prokaryote

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a unicellular organism that lacks a nucleus

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cytoplasm

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the fluid portion of the cell outside the nucleus

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organelle

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a specialized structure that performs importnat cellular functions within a eukaryotic cell

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vacuole

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the cell organelle that stores materials such as water, salts, proteins, and carbohydrates

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lysosome

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the cell organelle that breaks down lipids carbohydrates and proteins into small molecules that can be used by the rest of the cell

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Cytoskeleton

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the network of protein filaments in a eukaryotic cell that gives the cell its shape and internal organization and is involved in movement

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ribosome

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a cell organelle consisting of RNA and protein found throughout the cytoplasm in a cell; the site of protein synthase

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Endoplasmic reticulum

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an organelle in cells that modifies sorts and packages proteins and other materials from the endoplasmic reticulum for storage in the cell or release outside the cell

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Golgi apparatus

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an organelle in cells that modifies sorts and packages proteins and other materials from the endoplasmic reticulum for storage in the cell or release outside the cell

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Chloroplact

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an organelle found in cells of plants and some other organisms that captures the energy from sunlight and converts it into chemical energy

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Mitochondrion

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a cell organelle that converts the chemical energy stored in food into compounds that are more convenient for the cell to use

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lipid bilayer

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a flexible double layered sheet that makes up the cell membrane and forms a barrir between the cell and its surroundings

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Diffusion

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The process by which particals tend to move from an area wehre they are more concentrated to an area where they are less concentrated

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facilitated diffusion

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the process of diffusion in which molecules pass across the membrane throguh cell membrane channels

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osmosis

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the diffusion of water through a selectively permeable membrane

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osmotic pressure

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the pressure that must be applied to prevent osmotic movement across a selectively permeable membrane

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homeostasis

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the relatively constant internal physical and chemical conditions that organisms maintain

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tissue

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a group of similar cells that perform a particular funtion

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organ

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a group of tissues that work together to perform closely related function

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organ system

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a group of organs that work together to perform a specific function

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Adenosine triphosphate ATP

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one of the principal chemical compounds that living things use to store and release energy

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heterotroph

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a living thing that gets food by consuming, or eating, other living things

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autotroph

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a living thing that can capture energy from sunlight or chemicals to make its own food

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photosynthesis

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the process by which plants and other autotrophs use light energy to convert water and carbon dioxide into oxygen and high energy carbohydrates such as sugars and starches