Wile Biology Module 1 Vocabulary

Front 1

Metabolism

Back 1

The sum total of all processes in an
organism which convert energy and matter from outside
sources and use that energy and matter it to sustain the
organisms life functions.

Front 2

Anabolism

Back 2

The sum total of all processes in an
organism which use energy and simple chemical building
blocks to produce large chemicals and structures
necessary for life.

Front 3

Catabolism

Back 3

The sum total of all processes in an
organism which break down chemicals to produce
energy and simple chemical building blocks.

Front 4

Photosynthesis

Back 4

The process by which green plants and
some other organisms use the energy of sunlight and
simple chemicals to produce its own food.

Front 5

Herbivores

Back 5

Organisms that eat only plants.

Front 6

Carnivores

Back 6

Organisms that eat only organisms other
than plants.

Front 7

Omnivores

Back 7

Organisms that eat both plants and other
organisms.

Front 8

Producers

Back 8

Organisms that produce their own food.

Front 9

Consumers

Back 9

Organisms that eat living producers and/or
other consumers for food.

Front 10

Decomposers

Back 10

Organisms that break down the dead
remains of other organisms.

Front 11

Autotrophs

Back 11

Organisms that are able to make their own
food.

Front 12

Heterotrophs

Back 12

Organisms that depend on other
organisms for their food.

Front 13

Receptors

Back 13

Special structures that allow living organisms to sense the conditions of their internal or
external environment.

Front 14

Asexual reproduction

Back 14

Reproduction accomplished by a
single organism.

Front 15

Sexual reproduction

Back 15

Reproduction that requires two
organisms.

Front 16

Inheritance

Back 16

The process by which physical and biological characteristics are transmitted from the parent
(or parents) to the offspring.

Front 17

Mutation

Back 17

An abrupt and marked difference in the DNA of an organism compared to its parents.

Front 18

Hypothesis

Back 18

An educated guess that attempts to explain an observation or answer a question.

Front 19

Theory

Back 19

A hypothesis that has been tested with a significant amount of data.

Front 20

Scientific law

Back 20

A theory that has been tested by and is consistent with generations of data.

Front 21

Microorganisms

Back 21

Living creatures that are too small to see with the naked eye.

Front 22

Abiogenesis

Back 22

The idea that, long ago, very simple life forms spontaneously appeared through random chemical
reactions.

Front 23

Prokaryotic cell

Back 23

A cell that has no distinct, membrane-bound organelles.

Front 24

Eukaryotic cell

Back 24

A cell with distinct, membrane-bound organelles.

Front 25

Species

Back 25

A unit of one or more populations of
individuals that can reproduce under normal conditions,
produce fertile offspring, and are reproductively isolated
from other such units.

Front 26

Taxonomy

Back 26

The science of classifying organisms.

Front 27

Binomial nomenclature

Back 27

Naming an organism with its
genus and species name.