Patterns of Life

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Biology Noun

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[by-ol-uh-jee]

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Biology

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The science that employs scientific methodology to study living things and their vital processes.

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Example: This image shows many different living things, like plants and animals, in their environment, representing biology, which is the scientific study of life.

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Organism Noun

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[or-guh-niz-uhm]

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Organism

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An individual living thing, which can be a plant, animal, fungus, or single-celled life form.

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Example: This image shows many different types of organisms, from plants like peas to animals like mice and even microbes like yeast, illustrating their diversity.

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Cell Noun

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[sel]

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Cell

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The smallest self-contained structural and functional unit of an organism that can be considered alive.

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Example: This diagram shows a cross-section of an animal cell, labeling its main parts, called organelles, like the nucleus and mitochondria, which perform specific jobs.

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Reproduction Noun

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[ree-pruh-duhk-shuhn]

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Reproduction

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The biological process by which new individual organisms, or 'offspring', are produced from their 'parents'.

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Example: This diagram shows asexual reproduction. A single planarian worm is cut into pieces, and each piece regenerates its missing parts to become a new, complete organism.

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Sexual Reproduction Noun

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[sek-shoo-uhl ree-pruh-duhk-shuhn]

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Sexual Reproduction

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A form of reproduction where cells from two different parents unite to produce the first cell of a new organism.

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Example: Sexual reproduction involves two key steps: meiosis, which halves the number of chromosomes to create haploid cells, and fertilization, which combines them to form a diploid organism.

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Asexual Reproduction Noun

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[ey-sek-shoo-uhl ree-pruh-duhk-shuhn]

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Asexual Reproduction

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A form of reproduction where a new organism is generated from a single parent, resulting in genetically identical offspring.

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Example: This diagram shows budding in a hydra, where a new organism grows as an outgrowth from the parent and then detaches, creating identical offspring.

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DNA Noun

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[dee-en-ey]

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DNA

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A molecule (deoxyribonucleic acid) that carries the directions for inheritance and determines the inherited traits of an organism.

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Example: This diagram shows DNA's double helix structure, formed by a sugar-phosphate backbone and paired nitrogenous bases: Adenine (A) with Thymine (T), and Guanine (G) with Cytosine (C).

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Metabolism Noun

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[muh-tab-uh-liz-uhm]

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Metabolism

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The combination of all chemical reactions through which an organism builds up or breaks down materials to carry out its life processes.

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Example: This diagram shows metabolism by illustrating cellular respiration, where a cell takes in glucose (food) and oxygen to produce energy (ATP), water, and carbon dioxide.

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Stimulus Noun

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[stim-yuh-luhs]

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Stimulus

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A signal, either internal or external, to which an organism responds to maintain its life processes.

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Example: This diagram shows a plant shoot responding to the stimulus of sunlight. The light causes cells on the shaded side to grow longer, bending the plant.

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Homeostasis Noun

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[hoh-mee-oh-stey-sis]

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Homeostasis

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The process by which organisms maintain a relatively stable and constant internal environment despite changes in external conditions.

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Example: This diagram shows how red blood cells maintain homeostasis by continuously transporting oxygen from the lungs to the body's cells, ensuring a stable internal environment.