| A | B |
|---|
| autotroph | an organism that uses energy to synthesize organic molecules from inorganic substances |
| biology | the study of all living things |
| differentiation | a process in which the cells of a multicellular individual becomes specialized during development |
| DNA | hereditary information in the form of a large molecule called deoxyribonucleic acid |
| ecology | the study of the relationship between organisms and their environment |
| ecosystem | all the biotic and abiotic components of an environment |
| evolution | all the changes that have formed life on Earth from its earliest beginnings to the diversity that characterizes it today |
| evolve | change over generations |
| gene | a segment of DNA that contains coding for a polypetide or protein; a unit of hereditary information |
| heterotroph | an organism that must take in food to meet their energy needs |
| homeostasis | the stable internal conditions found in all living things, including single cells |
| multicellular organism | an organism composed of more than one cell |
| natural selection | a theory that states that organisms with certain favorable traits are better able to successfully reproduce than organisms that lack these traits |
| organism | a living thing |
| photosynthesis | the process where plants and some types of unicellular organisms capture the energy from the sun and change it into a form of energy that can be used by living things |
| reproduction | the process when organisms produce new organims like themselves |
| sexual reproduction | hereditary information from two parts of a single organism or from two organisms of the same species is combined |
| unicellular organism | organisms composed of only one cell |
| cell division | the formation of two cells form an existing cell |
| development | the process by which an adult organism arises |
| metabolism | the sum of all of the chemical processes that occur in the organism |
| control group | in an experiment, a group or individual that serves as a standard of comparison with another group or individual to which it is identical except for one factor |
| controlled experiment | a test of variables using a comparison of a control group with an experimental group |
| data | any and all information that scientists gather in trying to answer their questions |
| dependent variable | the factor that results from the independent variable |
| experiment | a test of a hypothesis or prediction by gathering data under controlled conditions |
| experimental group | the group with one factor different form the control group |
| hypothesis | a statement that both explains observations and data and can be tested |
| independent variable | the single factor that is changed in the experimental group to differ it from the control group |
| inference | a conclusion made on the basis of facts or premises rather than on direct observations |
| model | an explanation supported by data |
| observation | using one or more of the five senses to percieve objects or events |
| prediction | a statement made in advance taht states the results that will be obtained from testing a hypothesis, if the hypothesis is true |
| sampling | the technique of using a sample to represent an entire population |
| theory | a broad and comprehensive statement of what is thought to be true |
