Organisms and Environments

Knowledge and Skills Statement

Organisms and environments. The student knows that organisms have an organizational structure and variations can influence survival of populations.
Glossary terms and definitions are consistent across kindergarten through high school in the TEKS Guide. The definitions are intended to give educators a common understanding of the terms regardless of what grade level they teach. Glossary definitions are not intended for use with students.

the basic unit of life; a collection of organic matter (cytoplasm) surrounded by a membrane, containing biomolecules such as DNA and proteins, and which has the ability to metabolize and replicate itself

theory which states that all organisms are composed of one or more cells, all cells come from pre-existing cells, and cells are the basic unit of structure and function in organisms

an individual form of life, such as a plant, animal, bacterium, protist, or fungus; a body made up of organs, organelles, or other parts that work together to carry on the various processes of life

Research

Wolpert, L. “Evolution of the Cell Theory.” Philosophical Transactions: Biological Sciences 349, no. 1329 (September 1995): 227–233. http://www.jstor.org/stable/56216.

Summary: Evolution of the Cell Theory gives a detailed account of how the cell theory evolved over time and the scientists that contributed to the theory we know today.