Natural Science Final Exam Study Guide
Biology - ANSThe study of life and living things
cell membrane - ANSthe structure that separates the inside of the cell from the outside of the
cell
Cells - ANSthe basic units that make up all living organisms
Chloroplast - ANSthe organelle in plant cells that capture energy from sunlight to build organic
molecules
Chromosomes - ANSDNA containing structures in prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells
Cytoplasm - ANSthe part of the cell that is outside the nucleus
DNA - ANSdeoxyribonucleic acid, the molecule that stores genetic information in living
organisms; a double-stranded molecule consisting of a sugar-phosphate backbone attached to
a series of nitrogenous bases
Eukaryotes - ANSOrganisms whose cells have a nucleus, such as animals and plants
mitochondria - ANSorganelles that break down food molecules to provide the energy that cells
need to carry out their function
nucleus - ANSa structure in eukaryotic cells that contains the cells DNA
Organelles - ANSstructures in the cytoplasm of eukaryotic cells that have specific functions
organism - ANSan individual living thing such as a plant or an animal
Prokaryote - ANSorganisms whose cells have no nucleus, such as bacteria
active transport - ANStransport across the cell membrane in which energy is required from the
cell
ATP - ANSadenosine triphosphate, the molecule that provides energy for most cellular process
cellular respiration - ANSthe aerobic, or oxygen-using breakdown of glucose to obtain ATP
enzyme - ANSa protein that lowers the activation energy for a chemical reaction, allowing the
reaction to happen more quickly
, mitosis - ANSa type of cell division in which one cell divides into two cells, each of which has the
same genetic information as the original cell
passive transport - ANStransport across the cell membrane that does not require energy from
the cell, such as diffusion and facilitated diffusion
photosynthesis - ANSthe process in plants and certain other organisms in which light energy
from the sun is converted to chemical energy in organic molecules
Adaptation - ANSa trait that makes organisms well suited to living and reproducing in their
enviorements
artificial selection - ANSthe breeding of organism with traits humans like in order to produce
offspring with similar traits
Evolution - ANSinherited changes in living organisms over time
heritable - ANSdescribes traits that are passed from parents to offspring because they are
determined at least partly by genes
natural selection - ANSorganisms with heritable, advantageous treats leave more offspring than
organisms with other traits, causing advantageous traits to become more common in a
population over time
speciation - ANSthe formation of new and distinct species in the course of evolution
species - ANSa group of organisms whose members can breed with one another but not with
members of other species
variation - ANSdifferences in a trait from one individual to another
biogeochemical cycles - ANSthe movement of substances such as water, carbon and nitrogen
between the tissues of living organisms and the abiotic world
biomass - ANSthe amount of organic matter in an ecosystem
biome - ANSone of the eighth major types of terrestrial ecosystem
community - ANSall the organisms that live within a given area
consumer - ANSan organisms that obtains food by eating other organisms
decomposer - ANSan organism that obtains food by eating dead organic matter
Biology - ANSThe study of life and living things
cell membrane - ANSthe structure that separates the inside of the cell from the outside of the
cell
Cells - ANSthe basic units that make up all living organisms
Chloroplast - ANSthe organelle in plant cells that capture energy from sunlight to build organic
molecules
Chromosomes - ANSDNA containing structures in prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells
Cytoplasm - ANSthe part of the cell that is outside the nucleus
DNA - ANSdeoxyribonucleic acid, the molecule that stores genetic information in living
organisms; a double-stranded molecule consisting of a sugar-phosphate backbone attached to
a series of nitrogenous bases
Eukaryotes - ANSOrganisms whose cells have a nucleus, such as animals and plants
mitochondria - ANSorganelles that break down food molecules to provide the energy that cells
need to carry out their function
nucleus - ANSa structure in eukaryotic cells that contains the cells DNA
Organelles - ANSstructures in the cytoplasm of eukaryotic cells that have specific functions
organism - ANSan individual living thing such as a plant or an animal
Prokaryote - ANSorganisms whose cells have no nucleus, such as bacteria
active transport - ANStransport across the cell membrane in which energy is required from the
cell
ATP - ANSadenosine triphosphate, the molecule that provides energy for most cellular process
cellular respiration - ANSthe aerobic, or oxygen-using breakdown of glucose to obtain ATP
enzyme - ANSa protein that lowers the activation energy for a chemical reaction, allowing the
reaction to happen more quickly
, mitosis - ANSa type of cell division in which one cell divides into two cells, each of which has the
same genetic information as the original cell
passive transport - ANStransport across the cell membrane that does not require energy from
the cell, such as diffusion and facilitated diffusion
photosynthesis - ANSthe process in plants and certain other organisms in which light energy
from the sun is converted to chemical energy in organic molecules
Adaptation - ANSa trait that makes organisms well suited to living and reproducing in their
enviorements
artificial selection - ANSthe breeding of organism with traits humans like in order to produce
offspring with similar traits
Evolution - ANSinherited changes in living organisms over time
heritable - ANSdescribes traits that are passed from parents to offspring because they are
determined at least partly by genes
natural selection - ANSorganisms with heritable, advantageous treats leave more offspring than
organisms with other traits, causing advantageous traits to become more common in a
population over time
speciation - ANSthe formation of new and distinct species in the course of evolution
species - ANSa group of organisms whose members can breed with one another but not with
members of other species
variation - ANSdifferences in a trait from one individual to another
biogeochemical cycles - ANSthe movement of substances such as water, carbon and nitrogen
between the tissues of living organisms and the abiotic world
biomass - ANSthe amount of organic matter in an ecosystem
biome - ANSone of the eighth major types of terrestrial ecosystem
community - ANSall the organisms that live within a given area
consumer - ANSan organisms that obtains food by eating other organisms
decomposer - ANSan organism that obtains food by eating dead organic matter
