4 Key Terms
- abstract
- opening section of a scientific paper that summarizes the research and conclusions
- applied science
- form of science that aims to solve real-world problems
- atom
- smallest and most fundamental unit of matter that retains the properties of an element
- basic science
- science that seeks to expand knowledge and understanding regardless of the short-term application of that knowledge
- biochemistry
- study of the chemistry of biological organisms
- biology
- the study of life
- biosphere
- collection of all the ecosystems on Earth
- botany
- study of plants
- cell
- smallest fundamental unit of structure and function in living things
- community
- set of populations inhabiting a particular area
- conclusion
- section of a scientific paper that summarizes the importance of the experimental findings
- control
- part of an experiment that does not change during the experiment
- deductive reasoning
- form of logical thinking that uses a general inclusive statement to predict specific results
- dependent variable
- the possible outcome of the experiment; the effect
- descriptive science
- (also, discovery science) form of science that aims to observe, explore, and investigate
- discussion
- section of a scientific paper in which the author interprets experimental results, describes how variables may be related, and attempts to explain the phenomenon in question
- ecosystem
- all the living things in a particular area together with the abiotic, nonliving parts of that environment
- eukaryote
- organism with cells that have nuclei and membrane-bound organelles
- evolution
- the process of gradual change in a population or species over time
- falsifiable
- able to be disproven by experimental results
- homeostasis
- ability of an organism to maintain constant internal conditions
- hypothesis
- suggested explanation for an observation, which one can test
- hypothesis-based science
- form of science that begins with a specific question and potential testable answers
- independent variable
- what you have control over; what you can choose and manipulate
- inductive reasoning
- form of logical thinking that uses related observations to arrive at a general conclusion
- introduction
- opening section of a scientific paper, which provides background information about what was known in the field prior to the research reported in the paper
- life science
- field of science, such as biology, that studies living things
- macromolecule
- large molecule, typically formed by the joining of smaller molecules
- materials and methods
- section of a scientific paper that includes a complete description of the substances, methods, and techniques that the researchers used to gather data
- microbiology
- study of the structure and function of microorganisms
- molecular biology
- study of biological processes and their regulation at the molecular level, including interactions among molecules such as DNA, RNA, and proteins
- molecule
- chemical structure consisting of at least two atoms held together by one or more chemical bonds
- natural science
- field of science that is related to the physical world and its phenomena and processes
- neurobiology
- study of the biology of the nervous system
- organ
- collection of related tissues grouped together performing a common function
- organ system
- level of organization that consists of functionally related interacting organs
- organelle
- small structures that exist within cells and carry out cellular functions
- organism
- individual living entity
- paleontology
- study of life’s history by means of fossils
- peer-reviewed manuscript
- scientific paper that a scientist’s colleagues review who are experts in the field of study
- phylogenetic tree
- diagram showing the evolutionary relationships among various biological species based on similarities and differences in genetic or physical traits or both; in essence, a hypothesis concerning evolutionary connections
- physical science
- field of science, such as geology, astronomy, physics, and chemistry, that studies nonliving matter
- plagiarism
- using other people’s work or ideas without proper citation, creating the false impression that those are the author’s original ideas
- population
- all of the individuals of a species living within a specific area
- prokaryote
- single-celled organism that lacks organelles and does not have nuclei surrounded by a nuclear membrane
- results
- section of a scientific paper in which the author narrates the experimental findings and presents relevant figures, pictures, diagrams, graphs, and tables, without any further interpretation
- review article
- paper that summarizes and comments on findings that were published as primary literature
- science
- knowledge that covers general truths or the operation of general laws, especially when acquired and tested by the scientific method
- scientific method
- method of research with defined steps that include observation, formulation of a hypothesis, testing, and confirming or falsifying the hypothesis
- serendipity
- fortunate accident or a lucky surprise
- theory
- tested and confirmed explanation for observations or phenomena
- tissue
- group of similar cells carrying out related functions
- variable
- part of an experiment that the experimenter can vary or change
- zoology
- study of animals
