Explanation

• An ecosystem is a specific area where living organisms (the community) interact with each other and their non-living environment (such as water, air, soil, sunlight, and temperature).
• It's a self-contained system where living and non-living components work together to create a functional unit.

Explanation

The biosphere is the global sum of all ecosystems on Earth, encompassing everything from the tiniest microbe to the mightiest tree.

It's the zone of life on our planet, where all living things exist and interact.

The biosphere includes land, oceans, atmosphere, and even the depths of the Earth's crust.

Explanation

Genotype refers to the genetic constitution of an individual, which is the specific set of genes and alleles that an individual possesses.

It is the genetic makeup of an individual that determines their traits and characteristics.

Explanation

Homozygous refers to the state where an individual inherits two identical copies of a gene (one from each parent) that code for the same trait or characteristic.

Explanation

DNA replication is the process by which a cell makes an exact duplicate of its DNA before cell division.

This process involves the unwinding of the double helix, the synthesis of a new complementary strand.

The formation of two identical daughter molecules.

Explanation

A gene is a small segment of DNA that contains the information needed to encode a single protein.

It is the basic unit of heredity and is made up of a sequence of nucleotides (DNA building blocks) that are organized into codons, which specify the amino acids that make up a protein.

Explanation

The outer part of the DNA helix is made up of sugar (deoxyribose) and phosphate molecules, which form the backbone of the DNA double helix.

This sugar-phosphate backbone is referred to as the "upright" or "backbone" of DNA.

Explanation

Chromatin is the chemical material that makes up chromosomes, consisting of DNA, histone proteins, and other non-histone proteins.

It's the complex of DNA and proteins that form the chromosome.

Explanation

Homologous chromosomes are pairs of chromosomes that are similar in shape, size, and genetic content, and have the same position of the centromere.

They contain the same genes in the same order, but may have different variations of those genes (alleles).

Explanation

Inheritance refers to the transmission of traits or characteristics from parents to offspring through the passing down of genetic information.

It's the process by which genetic traits are inherited.