Terms of Biology

Chapter 1 * animal
Multicelled consumer with unwalled cells; develops through a series of stages and moves about during part or all of the life cycle.

 * archaean
Member of a group of single-celled microorganisms that superficially resemble bacteria, but are genetically and structurally distinct.

 * atom
Particle that is a fundamental building block of all matter.

 * bacterium
Single-celled organism belonging to the Domain Bacteria; cells are typically walled and do not contain a nucleus.

 * biodiversity
Of a region, the genetic variation within its species, variety of species, and variety of ecosystems.

 * biology
The scientific study of life.

 * biosphere
All regions of Earth where organisms live.

 * cell
Smallest unit that has the properties of life; at minimum, consists of plasma membrane, cytoplasm, and DNA.

 * community
All populations of all species that live a particular region.

 * consumer
Organism that gets energy and nutrients by feeding on tissues, wastes, or remains of other organisms; a heterotroph.

 * control group
In an experiment, group of individuals who are not exposed to the independent variable that is being tested.

 * critical thinking
Judging the quality of information before allowing it to guide one's thoughts or actions.

 * data
Experimental results.

 * deductive reasoning
Using a general idea to make a conclusion about a specific case.

 * dependent variable
In an experiment, variable that is presumably affected by the independent variable being tested.

 * development
Multistep process by which the first cell of a new individual becomes a multicelled adult.

 * DNA
Deoxyribonucleic acid. Nucleic acid that carries hereditary information about traits; consists of two nucleotide chains twisted in a double helix.

 * ecosystem
A community interacting with its environment.

 * emergent property
A characteristic of a