Scientia
The way things really are
truth
A self-contained living factory, surrounded by a membrane which is capable of self-replication, contains genetic material and cycles energy and matter
cell
Organisms that make their own energy from the sun
producers
The philosopher who observed frogs living in mud and believed that they must come from mud
Aristotle
all the living organisms and nonliving things in a specific area
ecosystem
Things we can know by observation, experimentation or using reason
facts
The cycle of energy and matter within an organism
metabolism
Organisms that get their energy by breaking down dead and decaying matter
decomposers
The theory that life can arise from non-life, such as clams growing from the muck
spontaneous generation
The scientist who boiled gravy and still found living organisms and molecules which he believed had a “life force” that made living things arise from non-living material
Needham
The characteristic that defines all living things
purpose
Organisms do this as they develop and become more complex
grow
Reproduction that results in offspring with DNA that is half of each parents’ DNA
sexual reproduction
The scientist who used meat in covered and uncovered jars and discovered that flies were laying eggs which became maggots
Redi
The theory that at the beginning of time, a living organism arose from non-living matter and has not done so again
archebiosis
An informed prediction which is used to add facts to a theory
hypothesis
Anything that causes an organism to react, such as heat or something flying at their face
stimulus
Organisms that get their energy by eating other organisms
consumers
The name of the fancy flask which prevented dust from contaminating the gravy
swan neck flask
The scientist who developed a new type of flask which prevented dust from entering and contaminating the gravy
Louis Pasteur
A mental model which explains all the facts as best we can
theory
The process of the body achieving a state of balance
homeostasis
Reproduction that results in two offspring with identical DNA
asexual reproduction
The scientist who boiled gravy in a sealed tube and found that no living organisms grew inside until it was opened up to the air
Spallanzani
a group of cells with the same job working together to fulfill a specific function
tissue