Introduction to AP Biology

The scientific study of life, encompassing all living organisms and their interactions with the environment.

The fundamental unit of life, a self-contained entity that encompasses all living components.

The process by which organisms maintain a stable internal environment despite external fluctuations.

The process by which organisms produce offspring, ensuring the continuation of their species.

Changes in the characteristics of a population over time, driven by the process of natural selection.

The process by which organisms with traits better suited to their environment are more likely to survive and reproduce.

Features that enhance an organism's ability to survive and reproduce in a particular environment.

Factors that influence the survival and reproduction of organisms, such as temperature, predators, and competition.

The collection of all genetic information in an organism.

Physical structures within a cell that contain DNA, organized into genes.

The molecule that stores genetic instructions, dictating an organism's development and characteristics.

The coordinated response of an organism or cell to a stimulus.

The principle that a system's components interact to create emergent properties, allowing it to function as a whole.

The interaction between organisms within a specific environment.

The scientific process of analyzing data, interpreting results, and drawing conclusions.

A tentative explanation for a natural phenomenon, generated through inductive reasoning.

The variable that is manipulated or changed in an experiment.

The variable that is measured or observed in an experiment, its value depends on the independent variable.

A statement that proposes there is no relationship between the independent and dependent variables.

A statement that proposes a relationship between the independent and dependent variables.

A group in an experiment that is not exposed to the independent variable, serving as a baseline for comparison.

A measure of how much the data points in a sample deviate from the average.

The probability that the observed results are due to random chance, not the independent variable.

The ability to do work; the capacity to cause change. Energy is essential for life processes, like growth, movement, and reproduction.

The sum of all chemical reactions that occur within a living organism. It includes processes like breaking down food for energy and building complex molecules.

The flow of energy through an ecosystem. Energy from the sun is captured by producers (plants), then transferred to consumers (animals) and eventually lost as heat.

The continuous movement of essential chemical elements, like carbon and nitrogen, between living organisms and the environment. These elements are recycled and reused.

The process of developing from a single cell (zygote) into a mature organism. Development involves using genetic information for growth and change.

A change in the genetic material (DNA) of an organism. Mutations are the source of genetic variation and can lead to new traits.

A statement suggesting there's NO connection between two things - used in experiments to see if evidence supports the opposite (that there IS a connection).

A principle or law that explains a phenomenon in nature, supported by a large body of evidence. Examples include the Theory of Cell and the Theory of Evolution.

A set of concepts supported by multiple related hypotheses, backed by observations, data, and experiments.

The process of submitting scientific work for expert review before publication, ensuring quality and accuracy.

The level of significance in statistics; commonly a 5% chance (or .05) of the results being due to random chance; to reject the null hypothesis, results must be statistically significant, meaning they're unlikely to be due to chance.

When the results of an experiment are unlikely to be due to random chance, meaning there's strong evidence to reject the null hypothesis.

The hypothesis that suggests a connection DOES exist between two things, contrary to the null hypothesis.

When an experiment fails to provide enough evidence to reject the null hypothesis, suggesting there's no clear connection between the factors being studied.