Life Science
What is the basic unit of life?
Cell
What is matter?
Anything that has mass and takes up space (volume).
What does "recycle" mean in terms of materials?
To collect and process waste materials so they can be remanufactured into new products instead of being thrown away.
What is a hypothesis?
A testable prediction or explanation based on prior knowledge, logic, and observation.
What carries genetic information inside cells?
DNA (or genes).
What is the main function of the circulatory system in animals?
To transport oxygen, nutrients, hormones, and waste products to and from cells throughout the body using the heart and blood vessels.
What are the three common states of matter found on Earth?
Solid, Liquid, Gas
Name one renewable energy source.
Any one of: Solar, wind, hydroelectric (water), geothermal, or biomass energy.
Why is it important to repeat experiments or trials?
To ensure reliability and verify that the results weren't just a one-time accident or random chance.
Term for physical appearance or trait (e.g., eye color)?
Phenotype
Define producer (in an ecosystem) and give one example.
An organism that makes its own food/energy (typically via photosynthesis). Examples: Grass, trees, algae, phytoplankton
Term for a push or pull on an object that can change its motion?
Force
What is biodiversity and why is it important for ecosystems?
The variety of different species living in an ecosystem. It is critical because high biodiversity makes an ecosystem resilient—if one species gets sick or disappears, others can step in to keep the ecosystem stable.
What is a scientific model?
A simplified representation of a complex real-world object, system, or process used to study things too big, small, fast, or dangerous to see in person.
What is the difference between Sexual vs Asexual reproduction in terms of variation?
Sexual reproduction shuffles genes from two parents, creating unique genetic variation in offspring. Asexual reproduction involves only one parent, creating offspring that are genetically identical clones.
Explain how a food web differs from a single food chain.
A food chain is a single, linear pathway showing who eats whom. A food web is a complex network of many interconnected food chains that shows all the feeding relationships in an ecosystem.
Describe particle motion when thermal energy is added to a solid that melts.
Thermal energy causes the particles to absorb kinetic energy and move faster. As they vibrate rapidly, they break free from their fixed solid positions into a loose, fluid arrangement. The temperature rises until it hits the melting point, where it stays constant during the phase change.
Example of human activity polluting waterways and how to reduce it.
Activity: Agricultural runoff (excess fertilizers washing into rivers).
Action: Planting vegetative buffer strips along riverbanks to absorb the runoff before it hits the water.
Difference between observation and inference (with examples).
Observation: Gathering direct data using your five senses (e.g., "The sidewalk is wet.").
Inference: A logical conclusion or explanation drawn from those observations (e.g., "It must have rained last night.").
Define mutation and its impact (Always harmful?).
A mutation is a permanent change in the DNA sequence. Mutations are not always harmful; they can be neutral (no effect) or even beneficial (giving an organism an adaptation to survive).
Describe one way environmental factors (like sunlight) can influence organism growth.
Example: If a plant receives insufficient sunlight, its rate of photosynthesis drops, causing it to grow shorter, develop fewer leaves, or turn yellow. (The environmental factor directly limits or enhances biological growth).
Explain the law of conservation of mass
Mass cannot be created or destroyed during a physical or chemical change; the total mass stays exactly the same from start to finish.
Describe a sustainable practice for using a natural resource (e.g. reforestation).
Example: Reforestation (replanting trees immediately after logging). This is sustainable because it ensures the timber resource replaces itself at the same rate it is consumed, protecting soil health and animal habitats for the future.
Describe one limitation of scientific knowledge (e.g. tech limits).
Science is limited by the technology of the time or incomplete data sets (e.g., our telescopes can't see the surfaces of distant exoplanets perfectly). Scientists deal with this by continuously inventing better instruments, gathering new data, and peer-reviewing work to update old theories.
How do both genetics and environment affect height?
Example: Height. An organism's genes establish a maximum potential height range, but environmental factors like nutrition, access to clean water, and childhood illness dictate whether they actually grow to reach that genetic potential.