WGU C190 Intro to Biology | 311 Questions and Answers(A+ Solution guide)

Abiotic - Non-living, may be within or made by a living organism. Biotic - Living. Matter is considered ______ if it was ever alive at some point in time Atom - Smallest level. The basic unit of matter. Consists of a dense nucleus surrounded by electrons. Molecule - Second level. A chemical structure consisting of at least two atoms held together by a chemical bond. Macromolecule - Third level. Biologically important molecules that are technically polymers. Example: DNA. Cell - Fourth level. The fundamental unit of life. Essentially a tiny droplet of water and other molecules enclosed by a fluid "skin" or membrane. The smallest and simplest entity that possesses all the characteristics of life. Organelle - Fifth level. Compartments inside the cell that contain specific groups of macromolecules and carry out specific cellular functions. One of these organelles is the nucleus; it encloses the DNA within the cell. Microorganism - Sixth level. Single-celled life form. Consists of just one cell and include unicellular organisms such as bacteria and protists. Tissue - Seventh level. Formed when similar cells work together to fulfill the same detailed function. Organ - Eighth level. Collections of tissues that work together to carry out a common general function. Present not only in higher level animals but also in plants.Organ System - Ninth level. Consists of functionally related organs. Mammals have many. Organism - Tenth Level. Individual living entities that survive and reproduce as a unit. For example, each tree in a forest. Population - Eleventh level. Consists of all the individuals of a species living within a specific area. Community - Twelfth level. Populations can interact with each other in positive and negative ways, and together they form this. Ecosystem - Thirteenth level. Consists of all the living things in a particular area together with the abiotic, or nonliving, parts of that environment. Biosphere - Fourteenth level. The highest level of organization in living systems. The collection of all ecosystems on Earth. Includes all habitable zones on the planet, including land, soil, and rocks to a great depth in the Earth's crust; water and ice; and the atmosphere to a great height. Emergent Properties - Characteristics of a system that are not present in any of its component parts. Biology - The scientific study of life and is the branch of science that studies living organisms and the way organisms interact with their environments. Homeostasis - The ability or tendency of organisms and cells to maintain stable internal conditions. Nutrient - Any matter an organism needs but cannot make for itself. Energy - The capacity to do work or to make a change in the location, temperature, or structure of matter. Does not have mass and it does not take up space, but it can be measured in terms of what it does.