| A | B |
|---|
| Classification | A system or way of organizing living things. |
| Bacteria | Microscopic, single-celled organisms that lack a nucleus and organelles (prokaryotic). |
| Archaea | A microscopic, single-celled organism that lacks a nucleus and organelles (prokaryotic). Archaea have different cell walls and cell membranes than bacteria or eukaryotes. |
| Prokaryote | A single-celled organism that has no nucleus or organelles. All prokaryotes are bacteria or archaea. |
| Fungi | Eukaryotic organisms, including molds, mushrooms, and yeasts. Can be single-celled or multicellular and are heterotrophic. |
| Eukaryote | Organism made of a cell or cells that contain a nucleus and organelles. All cells except bacteria and archaea are eukaryotic. |
| Control | An experimental test used to compare results with tests where a variable was changed. |
| Colony | A group of organisms of the same species living together. A bacterial colony is a visible group of bacteria. |
| Culture | A growth of organisms on a prepared material. |
| Plasmid | Circular pieces of genetic material (DNA) found in prokaryotic cells. |
| Spore | A reproductive cell distributed through the air. |
| Asexual reproduction | The production of genetically identical offspring from a single parent. |
| Decomposer | An organism that breaks down dead material and returns nutrients to the soil. |
| Dichotomous key | An identification key where the sequence and structure of identification steps is fixed by the author of the key. At each point in the decision process, multiple alternatives are offered, each leading to a result or a further choice. |
| Domain | One group in the most currently accepted biological classification system. The three domains are Bacteria, Archaea, and Eukaryota. |
| Kingdom | The second highest taxonomic rank, just below domain. Kingdoms are divided into smaller groups called phyla. |
| E. coli | A species of rod-shaped bacteria in the large intestine of humans and other animals. |
| Microorganism | An organism so small that a microscope must be used to view it. |
| Penicillium | A type of mold that releases a chemical that keeps bacteria from forming new cell walls when they divide, effectively killing them; used to create the antibiotic penicillin. |
| Yeast | A single-celled fungus often used in making bread. |
| Independent variable | The variable the scientist tests in an experiment. |
| Dependent variable | The result of the test of the independent variable. |
| Constant | Variables that are kept the same so that the independent variable is the only one being tested. |
