Nature of Science
What is the scientific method?
A systematic process for conducting experiments and gathering data to answer questions and test hypotheses.
What is the function of the mitochondria?
Mitochondria are the powerhouses of the cell, generating ATP through cellular respiration.
What is natural selection?
Natural selection is the process by which organisms better adapted to their environment tend to survive and reproduce.
What is the water cycle?
The water cycle is the continuous movement of water on, above, and below the surface of the Earth, including processes like evaporation, condensation, and precipitation.
What is an ecosystem?
An ecosystem is a community of living organisms interacting with their physical environment.
Define a hypothesis.
A proposed explanation for a phenomenon, based on limited evidence, that can be tested through experimentation.
What is the function of the nucleus in a cell?
The nucleus contains the cell's genetic material and controls cellular activities.
Define fitness in biological terms.
Fitness refers to an organism's ability to survive and reproduce in its environment.
Explain the greenhouse effect.
The greenhouse effect is the warming of Earth's surface due to the trapping of heat by greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.
Define biodiversity.
Biodiversity refers to the variety of life in a particular habitat or ecosystem.
What is the difference between observation and inference?
Observation is the act of noting and recording something with instruments, while inference is a conclusion drawn from observations.
Describe the structure of the cell membrane.
The cell membrane is a phospholipid bilayer with embedded proteins that controls the movement of substances in and out of the cell.
Explain how Punnett squares are used to predict genetic outcomes.
Punnett squares are diagrams used to predict the probability of offspring inheriting particular traits.
What are the different types of weathering?
Weathering can be physical (mechanical breakdown) or chemical (alteration of minerals).
Explain the concept of carrying capacity.
Carrying capacity is the maximum number of individuals that an environment can support sustainably.
Explain the importance of peer review in scientific research.
Peer review ensures the accuracy, validity, and reliability of scientific findings by having other experts evaluate the research.
What is the role of ribosomes in a cell?
Ribosomes are responsible for protein synthesis.
What is the difference between dominant and recessive traits?
Dominant traits are expressed when at least one dominant allele is present, while recessive traits are expressed only when two recessive alleles are present.
Describe the process of erosion.
Erosion is the movement of soil and rock by wind, water, ice, or gravity.
What are invasive species?
Invasive species are non-native organisms that cause harm to the environment, economy, or human health.
Describe the role of models in scientific research.
Models are simplified representations of complex systems used to predict and understand phenomena.
Explain the process of mitosis.
Mitosis is the process of cell division that results in two genetically identical daughter cells.
Describe the concepts of genotype and phenotype.
Genotype refers to the genetic makeup of an organism, while phenotype is the physical expression of the genotype.
What are the main components of the Earth's atmosphere?
The Earth's atmosphere is composed mainly of nitrogen (78%), oxygen (21%), and trace gases like argon and carbon dioxide.
Describe the impact of human activities on the environment.
Human activities such as deforestation, pollution, and urbanization can lead to habitat destruction, loss of biodiversity, and climate change.