| A | B |
|---|
| biology | the study of life |
| organization | the high degree of order within an organism's internal and external parts and in its interactions with the living world |
| cell | in biology, the smallest unit that can perform all life processes; cells are covered by a membrane and contain DNA and cytoplasm |
| unicellular | describes an organism that consists of a single cell |
| multicellular | describes a tissue, organ, or organism that is made of many cells |
| organ | a collection of tissues that carry out a specialized function of the body |
| tissue | a collection of specialized cells and cell products that perform a specific function |
| organelle | one of the small bodies that are found in the cytoplasm of a cell and that are specialized to perform a specific function |
| biological molecule | chemical compound that provides physical structure and brings about movement, energy use, and other cellular functions |
| homeostasis | stable internal conditions of the body |
| metabolism | the sum of all chemical processes that occur in an organism |
| cell division | the formation of two cells from one exisiting cell |
| development | the gene directed process by which an organism matures |
| reproduction | the process of producing offspring |
| gene | a short segment of DNA that contains the instructions for a single trait |
| scientific method | the series of steps followed to solve problems, including collecting data, formulating a hypothesis, testing the hypothesis, and stating the conclusions |
| observation | the process of obtaining information by using the senses; the information obtained by using the senses |
| hypothesis | in science, an idea or explanation that is based on observations and that can be tested |
| prediction | a statement made in advance that expresses the results that will be obtained from testing a hypothesis if the hypothesis is supported; the expected outcome if a hypothesis is accurate |
| experiment | a procedure that is carried out under controlled conditions to discover, demonstrate, or test a fact, thoery or general truth |
| control group | in an experiment, a group that serves as a standard of comparison with another group to which the control group is identical except for one factor, the independent variable |
| experimental group | in an experiment, a group that is identical to a control group except for one factor and that is compared with the control group |
| independent variable | in an experiment, the factor that is deliberately manipulated, also called the manipulated variable |
| dependent variable | in an experiment, the factor that changes as a result of manipulation of one or more other factors; also called a responding variable |
| theory | an explanation for some phenomenon that is based on observation, experimentation and reasoning; that is supported by a large quantity of evidence; and that does not conflict with any existing experimental results or observation |
| peer review | the process in which experts in a given field examine the results and conclusions of a scientist's study before that study is accepted for publication |
