1. Unit 1 Vocabulary
You are to write the word on the front of the card – then write the definition on the back of the card.

2. Scientific Method

3. a series of steps
a scientist
uses to answer a
question or
solve a problem

4. Hypothesis

5. a possible explanation or answer to a scientific question
(“educated guess”)

6. Control (Constant)

7. is a factor or condition that does not change in an experiment

8. Controlled Experiment

9. an activity that you design to answer a scientific question that tests
only one variable at a time

10. Variable

11. the factors in a controlled experiment that can
change (control, independent and dependent variables)

12. Independent Variable

13. the factor or condition that is changed in an experiment

14. Dependent Variable

15. the factor or condition that changes as a result of the action of independent variable

16. Theory

17. well-tested explanation that is consistent with all available evidence

18. Precision

19. The exactness of a measurement and also how consistently the
measurement can be reproduced

20. Accuracy

21. The comparison between a
measurement and an actual value (the closer the measurement is to the actual value the more accurate it is)

22. Technology

23. The use of scientific knowledge to solve problems or engineer new products, tools, or processes

24. DNA

25. contains the blueprint for life – instructions
found in every cell
of all living things –
contains the blueprint
for life – instructions
for making proteins

26. Classification

27. organisms into orderly
the arrangement of
organisms into orderly
groups based on their
similarities

28. Kingdom

29. Archaea Bacteria Protista Fungi Plantae Animalia
One of the classification levels for classifying living things. It falls immediately under the domain level. There are 6 recognized kingdoms we will study this year:
Archaea
Bacteria
Protista
Fungi
Plantae
Animalia

30. Taxonomy

31. the science of identifying, classifying and naming
living things

32. Dichotomous Key

33. a tool used to
identify unknown
organisms

34. Cell

35. a membrane-covered structure that contains all of the materials necessary for life -
(the smallest units of life)
(the basic unit of life)

36. Bacteria

37. the smallest and
simplest organisms
on the planet

38. Archaea

39. Microscopic, single-celled organisms that live in extreme environments

40. Asexual Reproduction

41. a single parent produces offspring that are identical to the parent

42. Binary Fission

43. two new, identical cells
simple cell division,
one cell divides into
two new, identical cells
- -used by bacteria
(Type of asexual reproduction!)

44. Sexual Reproduction

45. two parents produce offspring that now contain genetic information from both parents

46. Diffusion

47. the movement of molecules from an area of high concentration to an area of lower concentration (can occur across cell membranes or outside of cells)

48. Osmosis

49. the diffusion
of water molecules

50. Prokaryotic Cells

51. a cell with no
nucleus (bacteria)

52. Eukaryotic Cells

53. a cell with a nucleus and other membrane bound organelles

54. Biotic

55. Abiotic

56. the non-living parts of the environment

57. the living parts of the environment

58. Producer

59. an organism that makes its own food
Cyanobacteria
Plant-like protists
Plants

60. Consumer

61. organisms that eat producers or other organisms for energy

62. Decomposer

63. an organism that gets energy by breaking down the remains of dead or decaying organisms and absorbing the nutrients