BSC1005 Biology Chapters 1-4 Flashcards

Questions and Answers

What is the scientific study of life?

Biology

Which of the following are properties of life? (Select all that apply)

Reproduction (correct)

Energy Processing (correct)

Volatility

Order (correct)

What is meant by 'order' in the context of living organisms?

Complex but ordered organization.

What does regulation refer to in organisms?

Adjusting internal environment despite external changes. Signup and view all the answers

What kind of information does DNA control in organisms?

Pattern of growth and development. Signup and view all the answers

What term describes how organisms respond to environmental stimuli?

Response to the environment. Signup and view all the answers

What is reproduction in biological terms?

The process by which organisms produce their own kind. Signup and view all the answers

What is evolution in the context of populations?

The capacity of populations to change over time. Signup and view all the answers

What is the biosphere?

All life and all the places where life exists. Signup and view all the answers

What do ecosystems consist of?

Living organisms and nonliving components of the environment. Signup and view all the answers

How are communities defined in ecological terms?

All organisms in a particular area. Signup and view all the answers

What is a population in biological terms?

Groups of interacting individuals of one species. Signup and view all the answers

What is an organism?

An individual living thing. Signup and view all the answers

What do organ systems consist of?

Two or more organs. Signup and view all the answers

What is a tissue?

A group of similar cells performing a special function. Signup and view all the answers

What is the smallest unit that can display all characteristics of life?

Cell Signup and view all the answers

What are organelles?

Functional components of cells. Signup and view all the answers

What are molecules in the biological hierarchy?

Clusters of atoms. Signup and view all the answers

What is DNA?

The molecule of inheritance. Signup and view all the answers

What happens to nutrients in an ecosystem?

Nutrients are recycled. Signup and view all the answers

What happens to energy in an ecosystem?

Energy flows into and out of the ecosystem. Signup and view all the answers

What are the two major kinds of cells?

Eukaryotic Signup and view all the answers

Which domain of life includes Bacteria, Archaea, and Eukarya?

Three Domains of Life Signup and view all the answers

What is natural selection?

A process in nature where certain traits enhance survival and reproduction. Signup and view all the answers

What is the simplified scientific method in order?

Observation, Question, Hypothesis, Prediction, Experiment, Results, Revise and Repeat. Signup and view all the answers

What is a controlled experiment?

A test of a single variable by changing it while keeping all others constant. Signup and view all the answers

What is a hypothesis?

An educated guess or testable prediction. Signup and view all the answers

What is a scientific theory?

A logical explanation supported by evidence. Signup and view all the answers

What is a scientific law?

Generalization about principles in nature. Signup and view all the answers

What is the meaning of adaptation in biology?

Traits maintained and evolved through natural selection. Signup and view all the answers

What is matter?

Anything that has mass and occupies space. Signup and view all the answers

What is an element?

A substance that cannot be broken down by chemical reactions. Signup and view all the answers

What are isotopes?

Atoms of the same element with different numbers of neutrons. Signup and view all the answers

What makes isotopes have different atomic masses?

A different number of neutrons. Signup and view all the answers

What is atomic mass?

The average mass of all isotopes of an element. Signup and view all the answers

What is mass number?

The sum of protons and neutrons in the nucleus. Signup and view all the answers

How does atomic mass differ from mass number?

Atomic mass is a weighted average, mass number is a total count. Signup and view all the answers

What is the atomic number?

The number of protons in an atom. Signup and view all the answers

Which elements make up 96% of the human body?

Carbon, Hydrogen, Nitrogen, Oxygen. Signup and view all the answers

What are trace elements?

Required elements in small quantities. Signup and view all the answers

What can a lack of iodine in the diet cause?

Goiter, characterized by swelling in the thyroid. Signup and view all the answers

What is a compound?

A substance made of atoms from two or more different elements. Signup and view all the answers

What is an atom?

The smallest unit with chemical properties of an element. Signup and view all the answers

What charge does a proton have?

Positive Signup and view all the answers

What charge does an electron have?

Negative Signup and view all the answers

What charge does a neutron have?

Neutral Signup and view all the answers

What are ions?

Atoms with a positive or negative charge. Signup and view all the answers

What is an ionic bond?

A bond formed when a metal atom loses an electron and a nonmetal gains it. Signup and view all the answers

What is a bond between a metal and a nonmetal called?

Ionic bond Signup and view all the answers

What is a bond between two nonmetals?

Covalent bond Signup and view all the answers

What is a covalent bond?

A bond formed when atoms share electron pairs. Signup and view all the answers

What are hydrogen bonds?

Very weak bonds between molecules. Signup and view all the answers

What type of bonds connect two nucleotides?

Hydrogen bonds. Signup and view all the answers

What occurs when one atom has an uneven charge distribution?

Polar molecule. Signup and view all the answers

What are the four properties of water that are essential for life?

Cohesion, water moderate temperature, density of ice, solvent. Signup and view all the answers

What is an acid?

A chemical compound that releases H+ ions in solution. Signup and view all the answers

What is a base?

A solution that accepts H+ ions. Signup and view all the answers

What are buffers?

Substances that minimize changes in pH. Signup and view all the answers

What are functional groups?

Chemical groups that give compounds their functionality. Signup and view all the answers

What are organic compounds?

Carbon-based molecules. Signup and view all the answers

What are the macromolecules?

Nucleic acids, proteins, carbohydrates. Signup and view all the answers

How do monomers link together?

Through dehydration reactions. Signup and view all the answers

What is a dehydration reaction?

A reaction that binds two monomers by removing a water molecule. Signup and view all the answers

What are the three classes of carbohydrates?

Monosaccharides, disaccharides, polysaccharides. Signup and view all the answers

What are monosaccharides?

The monomers of carbohydrates. Signup and view all the answers

Give two examples of monosaccharides.

Glucose, fructose. Signup and view all the answers

What bond links two monosaccharides?

A glycosidic bond. Signup and view all the answers

What type of reaction occurs when two sugars form?

Dehydration reaction. Signup and view all the answers

What are three examples of disaccharides?

Lactose, maltose, sucrose. Signup and view all the answers

What are polysaccharides?

Carbohydrates made up of more than two monosaccharides. Signup and view all the answers

What are three examples of polysaccharides?

Starch, glycogen, cellulose. Signup and view all the answers

What is starch?

A storage polysaccharide of plants made from glucose monomers. Signup and view all the answers

What is glycogen?

Polysaccharides that store glucose. Signup and view all the answers

What is cellulose?

A structural polysaccharide found in plant cells. Signup and view all the answers

What are the monomers of proteins?

Amino acids. Signup and view all the answers

What is the structure of a protein?

An amino group, side chain, and carboxyl group. Signup and view all the answers

What are the major types of proteins?

Structural, storage, contractile, transport, enzymes. Signup and view all the answers

What is a peptide bond?

The bond between the carboxyl group of one amino acid and the amino group of another. Signup and view all the answers

What is a polypeptide?

A polymer of many amino acids linked by peptide bonds. Signup and view all the answers

How do peptide bonds form?

Through dehydration reactions. Signup and view all the answers

What are the monomers of nucleic acids?

Nucleotides. Signup and view all the answers

How do DNA and RNA differ?

RNA has ribose, uracil, is single-stranded and smaller. Signup and view all the answers

What are the parts of DNA?

Phosphate group, deoxyribose, nitrogenous base. Signup and view all the answers

What are the four nitrogenous bases in DNA?

A, G, C, T. Signup and view all the answers

What are the four nitrogenous bases in RNA?

A, G, C, U. Signup and view all the answers

What bonds form the base pairs in DNA?

Hydrogen bonds. Signup and view all the answers

What is the sugar-phosphate backbone?

The alternating chain of sugar and phosphate in DNA or RNA strands. Signup and view all the answers

What are lipids?

Energy-rich organic compounds like fats and oils. Signup and view all the answers

Are carbohydrates hydrophilic or hydrophobic?

Hydrophilic. Signup and view all the answers

Are lipids hydrophilic or hydrophobic?

Hydrophobic. Signup and view all the answers

What is fat composed of?

Glycerol joined with three fatty acids. Signup and view all the answers

What is saturated fat?

A lipid made from fatty acids with no double bonds. Signup and view all the answers

What is unsaturated fat?

A fat with fewer hydrogen atoms due to double bonds among carbon atoms. Signup and view all the answers

What is hydrogenation?

The process of adding hydrogen to unsaturated fats to make them saturated. Signup and view all the answers

What are trans fats?

Hydrogenated unsaturated fats considered harmful. Signup and view all the answers

What are steroids?

A type of lipid with a carbon skeleton of four rings. Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Key Concepts in Biology

Biology is the scientific study of life, encompassing the structures, functions, and interactions of living organisms.
Seven key properties define life: Order, Regulation, Growth and Development, Energy Processing, Response to Environment, Reproduction, and Evolution.

Biological Hierarchy

The biosphere includes all ecosystems and living organisms on Earth.
Ecosystems comprise both living organisms and nonliving components like soil, water, and light.
Communities are groups of interacting species within an ecosystem, such as the diverse organisms in a tide pool.
Populations consist of individuals of the same species interacting within communities.
Organisms are individual living entities, such as an iguana.
Organ systems and organs work together to perform specific functions within an organism.
Tissues are groups of similar cells working together, such as heart muscle tissue.
Cells are the fundamental units of life, capable of displaying all life characteristics.
Organelles are the specialized structures within cells, such as the nucleus containing DNA.
Molecules are assemblies of atoms, forming the chemical basis for biological structures.

Genetics and Evolution

DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) is the molecule of inheritance that carries genetic information.
Evolution occurs through natural selection, where advantageous traits improve survival and reproduction over generations.

The Scientific Method

The simplified scientific method involves Observation, Question, Hypothesis, Prediction, Experiment, Results, and Revision.

Atomic Structure and Chemistry

Elements compose matter; they cannot be broken down by chemical means.
Isotopes are variants of elements with differing neutron counts, affecting their atomic mass.
Atomic mass is the average mass of an element's isotopes, while mass number counts protons and neutrons.
Atomic number represents the number of protons in an atom.
Major elements in the human body include Carbon, Hydrogen, Nitrogen, and Oxygen, constituting 96% of body mass.

Chemical Bonds

Ions are charged atoms, while ionic bonds form between metals and nonmetals.
Covalent bonds involve the sharing of electron pairs between nonmetals.
Hydrogen bonds are weak attractions formed between molecules.

Water and Acids/Bases

Properties of water include Cohesion, Temperature Regulation, Density of Ice, and being an excellent Solvent for many substances.
Acids release H+ ions in solution, while bases accept H+ ions; buffers help maintain pH balance.

Organic Compounds and Macromolecules

Functional groups influence the properties and reactions of organic compounds, which are primarily carbon-based.
Macromolecules include Nucleic Acids, Proteins, and Carbohydrates.
Monomers link through dehydration reactions to form polymers.

Carbohydrates

Three classes: monosaccharides (simple sugars like glucose), disaccharides (e.g., sucrose), and polysaccharides (e.g., starch, glycogen, cellulose).
Glycosidic bonds connect monosaccharides in carbohydrates.

Proteins

Composed of amino acids linked by peptide bonds, proteins perform various functions (structural, storage, transport, and catalysis).
Polypeptides are chains of amino acids formed via dehydration reactions.

Nucleic Acids

Nucleotide is the monomer of nucleic acids; DNA and RNA differ in structure and function.
The structure of DNA includes a sugar-phosphate backbone and nitrogenous bases (A, G, C, T).

Lipids

Lipids are hydrophobic molecules, including fats, oils, and steroids.
Saturated fats contain no double bonds, while unsaturated fats have one or more double bonds.
Trans fats result from hydrogenation and are linked to health hazards.

Summary

The interconnection among biological organization, chemical principles, and macromolecular structures is fundamental to understanding life processes and systems.

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Explore key concepts from Chapters 1-4 of BSC1005 with this comprehensive study guide. Each flashcard offers definitions and examples of important biology terms and the seven properties of life. Perfect for reviewing essential concepts and preparing for exams.