Campbell-Biology-in-Focus Chapter-1
Practice Questions and Answers
adapted - Answer Matched to the local environment.
evolution - Answer Descent with modification; the idea that living species are descendants of ancestral
species that were different from the present-day ones; also defined more narrowly as the change in the
genetic composition of a population from generation to generation.
biology - Answer The scientific study of life.
reductionism - Answer The approach of reducing complex systems to simpler components that are more
manageable to study.
biosphere - Answer The entire portion of Earth inhabited by life; the sum of all the planet's ecosystems.
ecosystem - Answer All the organisms in a given area as well as the abiotic factors with which they
interact; one or more communities and the physical environment around them.
community - Answer All the organisms that inhabit a particular area; an assemblage of populations of
different species living close enough together for potential interaction.
population - Answer A group of individuals of the same species that live in the same area and
interbreed, producing fertile offspring.
organism - Answer An individual living thing.
organ - Answer A specialized center of body function composed of several different types of tissues.
organ system - Answer A group of organs that work together in performing vital body functions.
Practice Questions and Answers
adapted - Answer Matched to the local environment.
evolution - Answer Descent with modification; the idea that living species are descendants of ancestral
species that were different from the present-day ones; also defined more narrowly as the change in the
genetic composition of a population from generation to generation.
biology - Answer The scientific study of life.
reductionism - Answer The approach of reducing complex systems to simpler components that are more
manageable to study.
biosphere - Answer The entire portion of Earth inhabited by life; the sum of all the planet's ecosystems.
ecosystem - Answer All the organisms in a given area as well as the abiotic factors with which they
interact; one or more communities and the physical environment around them.
community - Answer All the organisms that inhabit a particular area; an assemblage of populations of
different species living close enough together for potential interaction.
population - Answer A group of individuals of the same species that live in the same area and
interbreed, producing fertile offspring.
organism - Answer An individual living thing.
organ - Answer A specialized center of body function composed of several different types of tissues.
organ system - Answer A group of organs that work together in performing vital body functions.
