Ch. 1 Study of Life - Abbi Park

Adaptation

Inherited characteristic of a species that develops over time in response to an elemental factor, enabling the species to survive.

Biology

Science of life; examines how living things interact, how systems function, and how they function at a molecular level.

Development

Changes an organism undergoes in its lifetime before reaching its adult form.

Growth

Process that results in mass being added to an organism; may include formation of new cells and new structures.

Homeostasis

Regulation of an organism's internal environment to maintain conditions needed for life.

Organism

Anything that has or once had all the characteristics of life.

Organization

Orderly structure shown by living things.

Reproduction

Production of offspring.

Response

Organism's reaction to a stimulus.

Species

Group of organisms that can interbreed and produce fertile offspring.

Stimulus

Any change in an organism's internal or external environment that causes the organism to react.

Ethics

A set of values.

Forensics

The field of study that applies science to matters of legal interest and other areas such as archeology.

Metric System

Measurement system whose divisions are powers of ten.

Peer Review

A process in which the procedures used during an experiment may be repeated and the results are evaluated by scientists who are in the same field or are conducting similar research.

Science

A body of knowledge based on the study of nature.

SI

System of measurements used by scientists; abbreviation of the International System of Units.

Theory

Explanation of a natural phenomenon based on many observations and investigations over time.

Control Group

In a controlled experiment, the group not receiving the factor being tested.

Constant

A factor that remains fixed during an experiment while the independent and dependent variables change.

Data

Quantitative or qualitative information gained from scientific investigation.

Dependent Variable

Factor being measured in a controlled experiment; its value changes because of changes to the independent variable.

Experiment

Procedure performed in a controlled setting to test a hypothesis and collect precise data.

Experimental Group

In a controlled experiment, the group receiving the factor being tested.

Hypothesis

Testable explanation of a situation

Independent Variable

The one factor that can be changed in a controlled experiment; is the factor tested and affects the experiment outcome.

Inference

Assumption based on prior experience.

Observation

Orderly, direct information gathering about a natural phenomenon.

Safety Symbol

Logo representing a specific danger such as radioactivity, electrical or biological hazard, or irritants that may be present in a lab activity or field investigation.

Scientific Method

A series of problem-solving procedures that might include observations, forming a hypothesis, experimenting, gathering and analyzing data, and drawing conclusions.

Serendipity

Occurrence of accidental or unexpected but fortunate outcomes.