Vocabulary
What is the fundamental microscopic structural and functional unit of all living organisms?
Cell
Which organelle acts as the command center, managing cellular growth, reproduction, and housing genetic material?
Nucleus
True or False: Nonliving objects contain cells bounded by cell membranes.
False
How many cells make up a unicellular organism such as bacteria?
One Cell
Approximately how many microorganisms make up the human microbiome host ecosystem?
100 trillion
What term describes an organism composed of a single cell that performs all necessary functions to maintain life?
unicellular Organism
Known as the "powerhouse of the cell," which organelle produces energy by converting nutrients into usable power?
Mitochondria
What are two processes that living organisms perform over time that nonliving objects do not naturally perform?
Growth / Reproduction
Multicellular organisms display high specialization where cells form tissues, which then organize into what structures?
Organs and body system
Which domain of single-celled microscopic organisms makes up the vast majority of the human gut microbiome?
Bacteria
What are the medicines used to kill bacteria that non-selectively destroy both harmful and beneficial bacteria?
Antibiotics
Which two cellular structures are found in plant cells but are absent in animal cells?
Chloroplast and Cell Wall
Classify these specimens as living or nonliving: red blood cell, water, leaf, rock.
Living: red blood and leaf
Nonliving: Water, rock
How does a single cell in a unicellular organism manage to survive without specialized organs?
performing all necessary life functions (obtaining energy, expelling waste, reproducing, responding to environment) within that single cell?
How do drought-adapted plants (xerophytes) use osmosis to rehydrate when water becomes available in their environment?
drawing water molecules across their cell membranes from higher to lower concentration to expand leaf cells
What is the passive movement of water molecules across a cell membrane from an area of higher concentration to lower concentration?
Osmosis
Which organelle acts as a selective barrier to control what substances enter and leave the cell to maintain homeostasis?
Cell Membrane
When examining unknown microscopic samples over time, what two quantitative observations provide evidence of life?
Increase of size or quality
Give one example of a unicellular organism and one example of a specialized cell found in a multicellular organism.
bacteria or protists (unicellular) and muscle, blood, skin, or nerve cells (multicellular)
How do plants growing in low-light shade environments cellularly adapt to maximize energy generation?
developing larger chloroplasts within their leaf cells to capture more sunlight
What medical procedure transfers healthy microbes to replenish beneficial bacteria in a patient's gut?
Fecal Transplant
What is the gel-like fluid that surrounds and suspends organelles inside both plant and animal cells?
Cytoplasm
Why is an insect classified as a living organism while a sea shell alone is classified as nonliving?
insect is made of cells, uses energy, grows, and reproduces, whereas a shell is a nonliving object
Why do muscle cells require a significantly higher concentration of mitochondria compared to skin or nail cells?
muscle cells have high energy demands to perform heavy physical work?
What unexpected negative effect can taking a course of broad-spectrum antibiotics have on human gut health?
What is non-selectively killing both harmful and beneficial gut bacteria, disrupting microbiome balance