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Chapter 1
Important Stuff
26
Biology
Undergraduate 1
05/05/2013

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Term
Cell
Definition
Smallest unit with the capacity to live and reproduce, independently or as a part of a multicellular organism
Term
Multicellular Organism
Definition
Individual consisting of interdependent cells
Term
Population
Definition
Group of individuals of the same kind that occupy the same area
Term
Community
Definition
Populations of all species that occupy the same area
Term
Ecosystem
Definition
Group of communities interactiong with their shared physical environment
Term
Biosphere
Definition
All regions of Earth's crust, waters, and atmosphere that sustain life
Term
Emergent Properties
Definition
Characteristics that depend on the level of organization of matter, but do not exist at lower levels of organization
Term
Unicellular Organisms
Definition
Bacteria and Protozoans
Term
Multicellular Organisms
Definition
Plants and Animals
Term
Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA)
Definition
Large, double-stranded, helical molecule that contains instructions for assembling a living organism from simplier molecules.
Term
Ribonucleic Acid (RNA)
Definition
Directs the synthesis of different protein molecules
Term
Proteins
Definition
Carry out most activities of life including synthesis of all other biological molecules
Term
Metabolism
Definition
The ability of a cell or organism to extract energy from its surroundings and use that energy to maintain itself, grow, and reproduce.
Term
Photosynthesis
Definition
Electromagnetic energy in sunlight is absorbed and converted into chemical energy.
Term
Cellular Respiration
Definition
complex biological molecules are broken down with oxygen, releasing some of their energy content for cellular activity
Term
Primary Producers
Definition
Other organisms rely on them to produce food
Term
Consumers
Definition
Animals. Directly or indirectly feed on the complex molecules manufactured by plants
Term
Decomposers
Definition
Feed on the remains of dead organisms, breaking down complex biological molecules into simpler raw materials, which may be recycled by producers
Term
Homeostasis
Definition
A steady internal condition maintained by responses that compensate for changes in the external environment
Term
Reproduction
Definition
The process by which parents produce offspring
Term
Inheritance
Definition
The transmission of DNA from one generation to the next
Term
Development
Definition
A series of programmed changes encoded in DNA, through which a fertilized egg divides into many cells that ultimately are transformed into an adult, which is itself capable of reproduction.
Term
Life Cycle
Definition
The sequential stages through which individuals develop, grow, maintain themselves, and reproduce.
Term
Genes
Definition
Functional units of DNA
Term
Mutations
Definition
Random changes in the structure, number, or arrangement of DNA molecules
Term
Adaptations
Definition
Characteristics that help an organism survive longer or reproduce more under a particular set of environmental conditions.
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