Biology definitions diffusion: the movement of molecules from a region of their higher concentration to a region of their lower concentration, down a concentration gradient osmosis: the passage of water molecules from a region of higher water potential to a region of lower water potential, through a partially permeable membrane active transport: the movement of ions into or out of a cell through the cell membrane, from a region of their lower concentration to a region of their higher concentration against a concentration gradient, using energy released during respiration catalyst: a substance that speeds up a chemical reaction and is not changed by the reaction enzymes: proteins that function as biological catalysts respiration: the release of energy from food substances in all living cells aerobic respiration as the release of a relatively large amount of energy by the breakdown of food substances in the presence of oxygen anaerobic respiration: the release of a relatively small amount of energy by the breakdown of food substances in the absence of oxygen excretion: the removal of toxic materials and the waste products of metabolism from organisms homeostasis: the maintenance of a constant internal environment hormone: a chemical substance, produced by a gland, carried by the blood, which alters the activity of one or more specific target organs and is then destroyed by the liver drug: any externally administered substance that modifies or affects chemical reactions in the body producer: an organism that makes its own organic nutrients, usually using energy from sunlight through photosynthesis consumer: an organism that gets its energy by feeding on other organisms herbivore: an animal that obtains its energy by eating plants carnivore: an animal that obtains its energy by eating other animals decomposer: an organism that obtains its energy from dead or waste organic matter Biology definitions food chain: a chart showing the flow of energy (food) from one organism to the next, beginning with the producer (e.g. mahogany tree → caterpillar → songbird → hawk) mitosis: cell division giving rise to genetically identical cells in which the chromosome number is maintained and state the role of mitosis in growth, repair of damaged tissues, replacement of worn out cells and asexual reproduction asexual reproduction: the process resulting in the production of genetically identical offspring from one parent and describe one named, commercially important application of asexual reproduction in plants meiosis: a reduction division in which the chromosome number is halved from diploid to haploid sexual reproduction: the process involving the fusion of haploid nuclei to form a diploid zygote and the production of genetically dissimilar offspring gene: a unit of inheritance mutation: a change in the structure of a gene (e.g. sickle cell anaemia) or in the chromosome number (e.g. 47 in Down’s syndrome instead of 46)
