The Scientific Method
The part of an experiment that is kept the same to isolate the tested variable.
What is a control (or control group)?
The “powerhouse” of the cell that produces energy.
What is the mitochondrion?
The physical appearance or expressed trait of an organism.
What is phenotype?
The gradual change in a population’s inherited traits over generations.
What is evolution?
The molecule that carries hereditary information.
What is DNA?
A logical explanation that connects data to a broader principle and is supported by repeated evidence.
What is a scientific theory?
These cells lack a nucleus, like bacteria.
What are prokaryotes?
These are different versions of the same genes.
What are alleles?
Random changes in allele frequencies that have the biggest effect in small populations.
What is genetic drift?
A long tail-like structure that helps certain cells swim.
What is a flagellum (or flagella)?
The specific prediction you state before you collect data.
What is a hypothesis?
The green organelle in plant cells that captures sunlight to make food.
What is a chloroplast?
Having two identical alleles for a trait.
What is homozygous?
Birds with slightly larger beaks survive a drought better and pass on their traits. This is an example of this process.
What is natural selection?
The cellular process where cells make an identical copy of themselves for growth or repair.
What is mitosis?
The type of reasoning used when you move from specific observations to a general principle.
What is inductive reasoning?
Tiny structures filled with digestive enzymes that break down waste.
What are lysosomes?
The allele combination an organism carries for a trait.
What is a genotype?
Movement of individuals or gametes between populations that can add or remove alleles.
What is gene flow?
The largest level of biological organization—encompassing all regions of Earth where life exists.
What is the biosphere?
The information you measure or record to see the effect of your change.
What is the dependent variable?
The flexible layer that allows a cell to maintain homeostasis by controlling what enters and leaves.
What is the plasma (cell) membrane?
A situation in which the heterozygote shows a blended intermediate phenotype.
What is incomplete dominance?
The process by which two populations of the same species become separate species over time.
What is speciation?
When unrelated species develop similar traits because they live in similar environments.
What is convergent evolution?