Themes and Concepts of Biology - Glossary
Glossary from chapter 1.1 of the book OpenStax, Concepts of Biology. OpenStax CNX
words
atom
a basic unit of matter that cannot be broken down by normal chemical reactions
biology
the study of living organisms and their interactions with one another and their environments
biosphere
a collection of all ecosystems on Earth
cell
the smallest fundamental unit of structure and function in living things
community
a set of populations inhabiting a particular area
ecosystem
all living things in a particular area together with the abiotic, nonliving parts of that environment
eukaryote
an organism with cells that have nuclei and membrane-bound organelles
evolution
the process of gradual change in a population that can also lead to new species arising from older species
homeostasis
the ability of an organism to maintain constant internal conditions
macromolecule
a large molecule typically formed by the joining of smaller molecules
molecule
a chemical structure consisting of at least two atoms held together by a chemical bond
organ
a structure formed of tissues operating together to perform a common function
organ system
the higher level of organization that consists of functionally related organs
organelle
a membrane-bound compartment or sac within a cell
organism
an individual living entity
phylogenetic tree
a diagram showing the evolutionary relationships among biological species based on similarities and differences in genetic or physical traits or both
population
all individuals within a species living within a specific area
prokaryote
a unicellular organism that lacks a nucleus or any other membrane-bound organelle
tissue
a group of similar cells carrying out the same function
This glossary was extracted from the OpenStax, Themes and Concepts of Biology. OpenStax CNX. Oct 29, 2014 which is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
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