BSC1010C

CHAPTER 1

WORD ROOTS 

bio- = life (biology: the scientific study of life; biosphere: all the environments on Earth that are inhabited by life; bioinformatics: using information technology to extract useful information from large sets of biological data)

-ell = small (organelle: a small membrane-enclosed body with a specialized function found in the cytoplasm of eukaryotic cells)

eu- = true (eukaryotic cell: a cell that has a true nucleus)

pro- = before; karyo- = nucleus (prokaryotic cell: a cell that has no nucleus)

evolution

Descent with modification; the idea that living species are descendants of ancestral species that were different from the present-day ones; also defined more narrowly as the change in the genetic composition of a population from generation to generation.

The scientific study of life.

emergent properties

New properties that arise with each step upward in the hierarchy of life, owing to the arrangement and interactions of parts as complexity increases.

systems biology

An approach to studying biology that aims to model the dynamic behavior of whole biological systems.

eukaryotic cell

A type of cell with a membrane-enclosed nucleus and membrane-enclosed organelles. Organisms with eukaryotic cells (protists, plants, fungi, and animals) are called eukaryotes.

prokaryotic cell

A type of cell lacking a membrane-enclosed nucleus and membrane-enclosed organelles. Organisms with prokaryotic cells (bacteria and archaea) are called prokaryotes.

DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid)

A double-stranded, helical nucleic acid molecule, consisting of nucleotide monomers with a deoxyribose sugar and the nitrogenous bases adenine (A), cytosine (C), guanine (G), and thymine (T); capable of being replicated and determining the inherited structure of a cell’s proteins.

gene

A discrete unit of hereditary information consisting of a specific nucleotide sequence in DNA (or RNA, in some viruses).

genome

The genetic material of an organism or virus; the complete complement of an organism’s or virus’s genes along with its noncoding nucleic acid sequences.

bioinformatics

The use of computers, software, and mathematical models to process and integrate biological information from large data sets.

negative feedback

A primary mechanism of homeostasis, whereby a change in a physiological variable triggers a response that counteracts the initial change.

positive feedback

A physiological control mechanism in which a change in a variable triggers mechanisms that amplify the change.

domain

A taxonomic category above the kingdom level. The three domains are Archaea, Bacteria, and Eukarya.  Archaea and Bacteria are prokaryotic; Eukarya is eukaryotic.

inquiry

The search for information and explanation, often focused by specific questions.

discovery science

The process of scientific inquiry that focuses on describing nature.

data

Recorded observations.

inductive reasoning

A type of logic in which generalizations are based on a large number of specific observations.

hypothesis

A tentative answer to a well-framed question, narrower in scope than a theory and subject to testing.

deductive reasoning

A type of logic in which specific results are predicted from a general premise.

controlled experiment

An experiment in which an experimental group is compared with a control group that varies only in the factor being tested.

theory

An explanation that is broad in scope, generates new hypotheses, and is supported by a large body of evidence.

model

A representation of a theory or process.

technology

The application of scientific knowledge for a specific purpose, often involving industry or commerce but also including uses in basic research.