Biology Key Terms Chap. 1
Terms
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- science of life
- biology
- smallest unit that can perform all the life processes
- cell
- the process by which organisms make more of their own kind
- reproduction
- sum of all chemical processes occurring in an organism
- metabolism
- the maintenance of stable internal conditions in spite of changes in the external environments
- homeostasis
- section of a chromosome that codes for a protein or RNA molecules
- gene
- transmission of genetic traits from parents to offspring
- heredity
- change in the DNA of a gene or chromosome
- mutation
- change in the genetic makeup of a population or species over time
- evolution
- group of organisms that look alike and are capable of producing fertile offspring in nature
- species
- process by which populations change in response to their environment as individuals better adapted to the environment leave more offspring than those individuals not suited to the environment
- natural selection
- the study of the interactions of living organisms with one another and with their environment
- ecology
- human immunodeficiency virus; the infectious virus that causes AIDS
- HIV
- a disease characterized by abnormal cell growth
- cancer
- fatal genetic disorder in which excessive amounts of mucus are secreted, block intestinal and bronchial ducts and causing difficulty in breathing
- cystic fibrosis
- the act of noting or perceiving objects or events using the senses
- observation
- a proposed explanation for an observation that can be tested by additional observations or experimentation
- hypothesis
- the expected outcome if a hypothesis is correct
- prediction
- measure of the acidity of a solution, representing the hydrogen ion concentration
- pH
- a planned procedure to test a hypothesis
- experiment
- a group in an experiment that does not receive experimental treatment
- control group
- factor that is varied in an experiment
- independent variable
- variable that is measured in an experiment
- dependent variable