Characteristics of Life
What is the basic unit of life?
Cell
What are the building blocks of proteins?
Amino Acids
What is the molecule that carries the genetic code from DNA to the ribosome?
mRNA (messenger RNA)
What is the physical expression of a trait called?
Phenotype
What is the study of interactions between organisms and their environment?
Ecology
Name one characteristic that all living things share.
Growth, reproduction, or response to stimuli
What type of bond joins atoms in a molecule?
Covalent Bond
What are the two main stages of protein synthesis?
Transcription and Translation
What is the term for different forms of a gene?
Allele
What term describes a group of individuals of the same species living in the same area?
Population
What process allows living organisms to maintain stable internal conditions?
Homeostasis
What is the primary energy currency of the cell?
ATP (adenosine tri-phosphate)
What is the location in the cell where translation occurs?
At a Ribosome in the Cytoplasm
What is the principle that states alleles separate during gamete formation?
Mendel's Law of Segregation
What is natural selection?
The process where organisms better adapted to their environment tend to survive and produce more offspring
How do living organisms obtain energy to carry out life processes?
Metabolism
What is the name of a substance that increases the rate of a chemical reaction?
Catalyst
What type of RNA brings amino acids to the ribosome?
tRNA
What type of inheritance involves traits that are controlled by multiple genes?
Multiple Alleles (also called Polygenic Inheritance)
What is the term for a symbiotic relationship where both species benefit?
Mutualism
Describe the difference between a living organism and a non-living thing.
Living organisms exhibit all characteristics such as growth, reproduction, and response to stimuli; non-living things do not.
Describe the role of enzymes in biochemical reactions.
Enzymes lower the activation energy, increasing the rate of reactions without being consumed.
Explain the significance of the genetic code in protein synthesis.
The genetic code determines the sequence of amino acids in a protein, which dictates its structure and function.
Describe the difference between homozygous and heterozygous genotypes
Homozygous has two identical alleles for a trait; heterozygous has two different alleles
Explain how genetic drift can impact a population's evolution
Genetic drift is a random change in allele frequencies that can lead to reduced genetic variation, potentially causing some alleles to become more or less common by chance.