Science Basics
This is the systematic process of understanding the natural world using observation and evidence.
science
the smallest unit of life
cell
What substances/elements make up 96% of living matter
carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen
Water is this type of molecule, meaning electrons are shared unequally.
polar
Carbon can form four of these, allowing it to build complex molecules
covalent bonds
This step of the scientific method involves forming a testable explanation for an observation.
Forming a hypothesis
Characteristics that arise from the interactions between the components of a system, not present in the individual parts themselves; they arise at each new level of biological organization
emergent properties
Atoms of the same element with different numbers of neutrons
isotopes
List the properties of water
cohesion, adhesion, high specific heat, expansion upon freezing, "universal solvent"
Compounds with the same chemical formula but different structures
isomers
What are questions that science cannot answer because they are not testable or measurable?
moral/supernatural questions
ex: religion
Order/Organization, Growth and Development, Reproduction, Response to Environment, Regulation/Homeostasis, Evolutionary Adaptation
This scale measures the concentration of H⁺ ions in a solution.
pH scale
when water sticks to itself
cohesion
Mirror-image molecules like left and right hands
enantiomers
This is the broad, well-supported explanation for a wide range of phenomena.
the scientific theory
hierarchy of living things (smallest to largest)
atom, molecule, macromolecule, organelle, cell, tissue, organ, organ system, organism, population, community, ecosystem, biosphere
What are the types of chemical bonds (strongest to weakest)
Covalent, ionic, hydrogen, van der waals
these attractions form between the partially charged regions of water molecules
hydrogen bonds
types of isomers
cis-trans, structural, enantiomers
his refers to the shared features all organisms share, as well as the variety of forms they take.
The unity and diversity of life
This core biological theory describes how populations change over time through natural selection; Charles Darwin
theory of evolution
formed when two or more atoms are chemically bonded together
molecules
Living organisms use these systems to maintain stable pH even when acids or bases are added
buffers
The energy currency of the cell; releases energy when a phosphate bond is broken
ATP