Glossary

Biology- The study of life.

Cell- Highly organized, tiny structures with thin coverings called membranes.

Reproduction- The process by which organisms make more of their own kind.

Metabolism- The sum of all the chemical reactions carried out in an organism.

Homeostasis- Thre maintenance of stable internal conditions in spite of changes in the external environment.

Gene- Sets of inhereted instructions for making protiens.

Heredity- The passing of traits from parent to offspring.

Mutation- A change in the DNA of a gene.

Evolution- Change in the inherited traits of a species changes over time.

Species- A group of genetically similar organisms that can produce fertil offspring.

Natural Selection- Organisms with favorable genes are more likely to survive and reproduce.

Ecology- The science that studies the interactions of living organisms with one another and with the non-living part of their environment.

Observation- The act of noting or perceiving objects or events using the senses.

Hypothesis- An explanation that might be true-a statement that can be tested.

Prediction- The expected outcome of a test.

pH- A relative measure of the hydrogen ion concentration within a solution.

Expirement- A planned prcedure to test a hypothesis.

Control group- A group in an expirement that recieves no expiremental treatment.

Independant variable- The factor that is varied in an expirement.

Dependant variable- The variable that is measured in an expirement.

Theory- A set of related hypotheses that have been tested and confimed many times by many scientists.