Benson High School
Biology
Instructor – Mrs. Brenda Soto
2014/2015 School Year
Vocabulary List
Abiotic - non-living
non-living; not biotic.
Acetylcholine
neurotransmitter that stimulates skeletal muscles.
Acidic
being or containing an acid.
Active Transport
the movement of a chemical substance by the expenditure of energy
against a gradient in concentration or in electrical potential across a plasma membrane.
ADP
called also adenosine diphosphate.
Alkaline
relating to or containing alkali, a pH greater than 7.
Allele
an alternative form of a gene.
Amino Acids
an amphoteric organic acid containing the amino acid group NH2;
especially: any of the various amino acids having the amino group in the alpha position that are
the chief components of proteins and are synthesized by living cells or are obtained as essential
components of the diet.
Amniotic egg
a water tight, fluid-filled egg in birds, reptiles, and mammals.
Amylase
enzyme the breaks down starches into sugars.
Analysis
separation of a whole into its component parts.
Antibiotic
substance used as a drug to kill bacteria.
Antibody
defensive protein released by B cells in response to a foreign substance in
the body. These are produced by the body and are generally all natural.
Aorta
main artery in the body; receives blood from the left ventricle.
ATP - adenosine triphosphate
composed of adenosine and three phosphate groups that
supplies energy for many biochemical cellular processes by undergoing enzymatic hydrolysis
especially to ADP.
ATP-synthetase
produce ATP.
protein channel in a membrane through which protons are pumped to
Autonomic nervous system the network of motor nerves that regulate cardic muscle, smooth
muscle, and gland activity.
Autotroph
own food sources.
organism the obtains energy from sunlight or chemicals by producing its
Axial skeleton
bones that form the main body axis.
Biotic
of or relating to life; especially caused or produced by living beings.
Calorie
amount of energy needed to raise the temperature of 1 gram of water 1
degree Celsius. Used to indicate the energy content of food.
Calvin cycle
the second major pathway in photosynthesis involving carbon fixation
and carbohydrate formation.
Cancer
a disease characterized by abnormal cell growth.
Capillaries
tiny blood vessels that allow exchange between blood and cells in tissue.
Carbohydrates
any of various neutral compounds of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen (as
sugars, starches, and celluloses) most of which are formed by green plants and which constitute
a major class of animal foods.
Chloroplast
a plastid that contains chlorophyll and is the site of photosynthesis.
Chromosomes
any of the rod shaped or threadlike DNA-containing structures of cellular
organisms that are located in the nucleus of eukaryotes, are usually ring shaped in prokaryotes
(as bacteria), and contain all or most of the genes of the organism.
Conclusion
a reasoned judgment.
Cytoplasm
the organized complex of inorganic substances and organic substances
external to the nuclear membrane of a cell and including the cytosol and membrance bound
organelles
Diffusion
the process whereby particles of liquids, gases, or solids intermingle as
the result of their movement caused by thermal agitation and in dissolved substances move
from a region of higher to one of a lower concentration.
Dihybrid cross
a cross that involves two pairs of contrasting traits.
Diploid
chromosome.
term used to indicate cell containing two homologues of each
Diurnal
term describing animals that are active during the day and sleep at night.
DNA - deoxyribonucleic acid
any of various nucleic acids that are usually the molecular
basis of heredity, are constructed of a double helix held together.
Dominant trait
trait that is expressed when its allele is homozygous or heterozygous.
Ecology
the study of the interactions of living organisms with one another and
with their environment.
Ecosystemof its habitat.
ecological system encompassing a community and all the physical aspects
Ectoparasites
parasites that live outside their host.
Element
a constituent part.
Endoskeleton
an internal skeleton.
Endothermic
refers to an animal that generates its own body heat.
Energy
Energy is the capacity to do work or to put matter into motion. Energy
has kinetic (active) potential (stored) work capacities. Types of energy that are important in
body functions include, chemical, electrical, mechanical, and radiant.
Epithelium
protective tissue that covers the body's interior surfaces.
Erythrocyte
oxygen carrying red blood cell.
Eukaryotic
any of a domain (Eukarya) or a higher taxonomic group (Eukaryota) above
the kingdom that includes organisms composed of one or more cells containing visibly evident
nuclei and organelles.
Exoskeleton
hard external covering of some invertebrates.
Fatty Acids
organic compound that is an important component of lipids in plants,
animals, and microorganisms.
Gamete
haploid cell.
haploid cell that participates in fertilization by fusing with another
Gametocyte
A cell from which gametes develop by meiotic division, especially a
spermatocyte or an oocyte.
Genotype
genetic constitution of an organism as indicated by its set of alleles.
Genus
taxonomic category containing similar species.
Gestation period
length of time between fertilization and birth.
Glycolosis
the enzymatic breakdown of a carbohydrate (as glucose) by way of
phosphate derivatives with the production of pyruvic or lactic acid and energy stored in highenergy phosphate bonds of ATP.
Habitat
place where an organism lives and interacts with other organisms.
Half-life
decay.
the period of the time that it takes for one-half of a radioisotope to
Haploid
cells.
having only one set of chromosomes thus producing the gametes or sex
Hardy-Weinberg principle
principle stating that the frequency of alleles in a population does
not change unless evolutionary forces such as selection act on the population.
Hemoglobin
the body.
component of red blood cells that blinds with and carries oxygen through
Hemophilia
excessive bleeding.
genetic disorder that impairs the blood's ability to clot and can cause
Herbivore
organism that eats only plants or algae.
Heredity
transmission of genetic traits from parent to offspring.
Hermaphrodite
organism that produces both eggs and sperm.
Heterotroph
organism that cannot makes its own food.
Heterozygous
trait.
refers to a pair of genes, or an individual, with two different alleles for a
Hypertonic
under comparison.
having a higher osmotic pressure than a surrounding medium or a fluid
Hypothesis
as assumption or concession made for the sake of argument.
Hypotonic
under comparison.
having a lower osmotic pressure than a surrounding medium or a fluid
Inorganic
relating to, or dealt with by a branch of chemistry concerned with
substances not usually classified as organic - no carbon.
Inquiry
examination into facts.
Investigating
to observe or study by close examination and systematic inquiry.
Isotonic
of, relating to, or exhibiting equal osmotic pressure.
Kinetic energy
energy of an object due to its motion.
Kingdom
the second highest taxonomic rank below domain. Kingdoms are divided
into smaller groups called phyla.
Krebs cycle
cyclic biochemical pathway of cellular respiration that uses pyruvate from
glycolysis, releases CO2, and produces ATP, NADH and FADH2
Lactic Acid
present normally especially in muscle tissue as a product of anaerobic
glycolysis, produced in carbohydrate matter usually by bacterial fermentation, and used
especially in food and medicine and in industry.
Lipids
a group of naturally occurring molecules that include fats, waxes, sterols,
fat-soluble vitamins.
Lysosomes
a saclike cellular organelle that contains various hydrolytic enzymes.
Macromolecule
any very large complex molecule.
Matter
Matter exist in three states: gas, liquid, and solid.
Matter is anything that occupies space and has weight.
Microevolution
change that occurs within a species over time.
Mitochondrion
produce energy for the cell through cellular respiration and are rich in
fats, proteins, and enzymes.
Monosaccharides
sugar that is not decomposable into simpler sugars by hydrolysis, is
classed as either an aldose or ketose, and contains one or more hydroxyl groups per molecule called also simple sugar.
Multicellular
an organism that consists of more than one cell.
Mutation
change in the DNA of a gene or chromosome
Natural selection
process by which populations change in response to their environment
leave more offspring.
Nitrogen fixation
process of combining nitrogen gas with hydrogen to form ammonia.
Nuclear envelope
double membrane that surrounds the cell nucleus.
Nucleic Acid
any of various complex organic acids (as DNA and RNA) that are
composed of nucleotide chains or simpler compounds or by the degradation of a complex
compound.
Organelles
a specialized cellular part (as a mitochondrion, lysosome, or ribosome)
that is analogous to an organ.
Organic
relating to, or containing carbon compounds.
Osmosis
movement of a solvent (as water) through a semipermeable membrane
(as of a living cell) into a solution of higher concentration that tends to equalize the
concentrations of solute on the two sides of the membrane.
Passive Transport
of, relating to, or characterized by a state of chemical activity.
Permeable
having pores or openings that permit liquids or gases to pass through.
pH scale
method of relating the hydrogen ion concentration in a solution.
Photosynthesis
process by which organisms use light energy to produce ATP and other
Phylum
major taxonomic group in biological classification: a major taxonomic
group into which animals are divided, made up of several classes
Pigment
of light.
molecule containing atoms that enable it to absorb certain wavelengths
Placenta
organ that nourishes the embryos of placental animals.
Plasma
nonnucular portion of blood.
Plasma membrane
proteins.
thin layer on the surface of all cells, consisting mainly of lipids and
Platelets
un-nucleated cell fragments that aid in blood clotting.
Polysaccharides
A carbohydrate that can be decomposed by hydrolysis into two or more
molecules of monosaccharides.
Predation
an ecological interaction in which one organism feeds on another.
Producer
organism that makes its own food from energy and carbon atoms in its
environmentt; autotroph.
Products
something produced.
Prokaryotic
and membrane.
any of the typically unicellular microorganisms that lack a distinct nucleus
Protein
any of various naturally occurring extremely complex substances that
consist of amino acid residues joined by peptide bonds, contain the elements of carbon,
hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, usually sulfur, and occasionally other elements (as phosphorus or
iron), and include many essential biological compounds (as enzymes, hormones, or antibodies).
Reactants
reaction.
a substance that enters into and is altered in the course of a chemical
Recessive trait
the trait that is not expressed in F1 generation after crossing.
Respiration
lungs.
simultaneous uptake of oxygen and release of carbon dioxide by the
Retrovirus
template
virus that uses reverse transcriptase to transcribe DNA from an RNA
Ribosomes
synthesis.
any of the RNA-rich cytoplasmic granules that are sites of protein
RNA - ribonucleic acid
one of the two main types of nucleic acid (the other being DNA),
which functions in cellular protein synthesis in all living cells and replaces DNA as the carrier of
genetic information in some viruses.
Sjpirillum
spiral-shaped bacterial cell.
Speciation
process by which new species are formed.
Species
offspring in nature.
group of organisms that look alike and are capable of producing fertile
Synthesis
the production of a substance by the union of chemical elements, groups,
Theory
the analysis of a set of facts in their relation to one another.
Vacuoles
fluid.
a small cavity or space in the tissues of an organism containing air or
Variable
able or apt to vary: subject to variation or changes.
Vertebrate
animal with a back bone.
Virulent
referring to the deadlines of a disease-causing agent.
Virus
a strand of nucleic acid encased in a protein coat that can infect cells and
replicate within them.
Xylem
up from the roots.
in plants, hard-walled cells that transport water and dissolved minerals
Zygotic meiosis
life cycle in which the zygote is the only diploid cell and undergoes
meiosis immediately after it is formed.