It's About the Bod'
a life science discipline dedicated to the body structures of living organisms
What is anatomy?
an organism that makes its own energy, usually from light
What is an autotroph?
the process by which organisms with more beneficial characteristics are more likely to survive and reproduce
What is natural selection?
a tested variable in a scientific investigation; a dependent variable is affected by changes made to the independent variable
What is a dependent variable?
a female gamete
What is an egg?
body parts between organisms that are structurally similar and share an evolutionary history, but may have different functions
What are homologous structures?
the property of a body or a system that enables it to do work or cause a change
What is energy?
the variety of species in an ecosystem
What is biodiversity?
the remains or impressions of prehistoric organisms preserved in rock
What is a fossil?
an unborn or unhatched organism undergoing the process of growth and development
What is an embryo?
body parts that remain in an organism, but have lost their original function through the process of evolution
What are vestigial structures?
the chemical process occurring in green plants where solar energy is captured and transformed to life-sustaining energy for the same plants
What is photosynthesis?
a state of being mutually reliant on each other for survival and growth
What is interdependence?
rock formed by the deposition of material on Earth's surface or within a body of water
What is sedimentary rock?
a male gamete
What is a sperm?
body parts that have the same function in organisms, but have different evolutionary roots
What are analogous structures?
a substance an organism needs to consume to carry out life functions
What is nutrient?
the maximum number of individuals of a species an ecosystem can sustain
What is carrying capacity?
a variable controlled by the scientist during a scientific investigation
What is an independent variable?
the study of the development and growth of an organism in its unborn or unhatched stage
What is embryology?
a substance that catalyzes chemical reactions in the body
What is an enzyme?
an organism that can't make its own energy, so must consume energy from other sources
What is heterotroph?
a large area made up of living things that is defined by a specific climate
What is a biome?
a tool that helps scientists classify a new species by using answers to yes-or-no questions to compare the characteristics of the new species to other organisms
What is a dichotomous key?
the process of an ovary releasing a mature egg for potential fertilization
What is ovulation?