Biology
The study of life
Organism
A living thing that has or had all the characteristics of life
organization
orderly structure shown by living things
growth
the process of increasing in physical size.
development
the process of change that occurs during an organism's life to produce a more complex organism
Reproduction
the production of offspring
Species
A group of similar organisms that can breed and produce fertile offspring.
Stimulus
A change in an organism's surroundings that causes the organism to react
response
a reaction to a stimulus
Homeostasis
process by which organisms maintain a relatively stable internal environment
Adaptation
inherited characteristic that increases an organism's chance of survival
Science
An organized way of gathering and analyzing evidence about the natural world.
Theory
an explanation of a natural phenomenon supported by many observations and experiments over time
law
describes relationships under certain conditions in nature
peer review
A process by which the procedures and results of an experiment are evaluated by other scientists who are in the same field or who are conducting similar research.
Ethics
A system of moral principles.
Observation
The act of noticing and describing events or processes in a careful, orderly way.
Inference
A logical interpretation based on prior knowledge and experience.
Scientific Method
A series of steps followed to solve problems including collecting data, formulating a hypothesis, testing the hypothesis, and stating conclusions.
Hypothesis
testable explanation of a situation
experiment
investigating a phenomenon in a controlled setting to test a hypothesis
control group
the group that does not receive the experimental treatment/variable - used for comparison
experimental group
In an experiment, the group that is exposed to the treatment/variable or the factor being tested.
independent variable
The experimental factor that is manipulated; the variable whose effect is being studied.
dependent variable
The measurable effect, outcome, or response in which the research is interested.
constant
A value that does not change during an experiment
Data
Facts and statistics collected together for reference or analysis
metric system
The decimal measuring system based on the meter, liter, and gram as units of length, capacity, and weight or mass. Measured units are in division that are powers of 10
SI units
International System of Units - used universally in science