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Non-living, may be within or made by a living organism. ANS Abiotic
Living. Matter is considered ______ if it was ever alive at some point in time ANS Biotic
Smallest level. The basic unit of matter. Consists of a dense nucleus surrounded by electrons. ANS Atom
Second level. A chemical structure consisting of at least two atoms held together by a chemical bond. ANS
Molecule
Third level. Biologically important molecules that are technically polymers. Example: DNA. ANS
Macromolecule
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.
ANS Cell
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. ANS
Organelle
Sixth level. Single-celled life form. Consists of just one cell and include unicellular organisms such as bacteria
and protists. ANS Microorganism
Seventh level. Formed when similar cells work together to fulfill the same detailed function. ANS Tissue
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. ANS Organ
Ninth level. Consists of functionally related organs. Mammals have many. ANS Organ System
,Tenth Level. Individual living entities that survive and reproduce as a unit. For example, each tree in a forest.
ANS Organism
Eleventh level. Consists of all the individuals of a species living within a specific area. ANS Population
Twelfth level. Populations can interact with each other in positive and negative ways, and together they form
this. ANS Community
Thirteenth level. Consists of all the living things in a particular area together with the abiotic, or nonliving,
parts of that environment. ANS Ecosystem
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. ANS Biosphere
Characteristics of a system that are not present in any of its component parts. ANS Emergent Properties
The scientific study of life and is the branch of science that studies living organisms and the way organisms
interact with their environments. ANS Biology
The ability or tendency of organisms and cells to maintain stable internal conditions. ANS Homeostasis
Any matter an organism needs but cannot make for itself. ANS Nutrient
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. ANS Energy
An increase in size. ANS Growth
Structure and function change in an orderly way as an organism passes through its life cycle. An individual's
pattern of _______ is partly determined by genetic instructions. ANS Development
, Occurs when an individual organism passes on its genetic information to a newly independent organism, or
offspring. ANS Reproduction
A scientific theory that explains how and why life changes over time. Provides the explanation for why all
living organisms share profound similarities, and yet, the life forms on our planet are so incredibly diverse.
ANS Evolution
Individuals are always a bit different from their parents and from each other, partly because of changes to their
genes. These differences may be helpful or harmful to the individuals that inherit them. In nature, individuals
often have very low odds of surviving to reproduce. Individuals with slightly harmful or even average
characteristics might be less likely to make it, and those with traits that fit in very well with the local habitat
will have the greatest chance to survive and reproduce. This sorting process goes on generation after
generation. ANS Natural Selection
The sum of the number of protons and the number of neutrons. The mass of an atom. ANS Atomic Mass
The number of protons in an atom, displayed for each atom in the periodic table. ANS Atomic Number
Attractions between atoms that hold atoms and molecules together. ANS Chemical Bonds
Strongest chemical bond. Occurs between atoms of in the same molecule. Electron pairs are shared, creating a
strong bond between atoms. ANS Covalent Bonds
Subatomic particle, located in shells on the outside of the nucleus, has a negative charge and almost no mass.
ANS electron
A measure of the tendency of an atom to attract a bonding pair of electrons. How strongly does an atoms
attract bonding electrons to itself? ANS electronegativity
Atoms with unique properties, designated by the atomic number. ANS element
Weak chemical bond. Occurs between atoms in different molecules or parts of molecules. Weak electrostatic
attraction between areas of molecules with opposite partial charges. ANS hydrogen bond