Grade 12 Life Sciences Review Flashcards

These flashcards cover key concepts and vocabulary related to Grade 12 Life Sciences, including definitions and explanations of important terms.

Reproduction

The biological process by which new individual organisms are produced.

Endocrine System

The system of glands that produce hormones for regulating various bodily functions.

Homeostasis

The maintenance of a stable internal environment in an organism.

Negative Feedback

A control mechanism that counteracts change in order to maintain homeostasis.

Photosynthesis

The process through which plants convert light energy into chemical energy.

DNA Replication

The process of making a copy of DNA.

Mutation

A change in the nucleotide sequence of DNA, which can lead to genetic variation.

Evolution

The process through which different kinds of living organisms develop and diversify from earlier forms.

Natural Selection

The process whereby organisms better adapted to their environment tend to survive and produce more offspring.

Fossil Record

The historical sequence of life as documented by fossils.

Gibberellins

Plant hormones that promote stem elongation, seed germination and flowering.

Auxins

Plant hormones that regulate growth and are involved in responses to light and gravity.

Phototropism

The growth of a plant in response to light direction.

Geotropism

The growth of a plant in response to gravity.

Thyroxin

A hormone produced by the thyroid gland that regulates metabolism.

Alzheimer's Disease

A progressive disease that destroys memory and other important mental functions.

Transcription

The process of copying a segment of DNA into RNA.

Translation

The process in which cellular ribosomes create proteins from mRNA.

Cataracts

A medical condition where the lens of the eye becomes cloudy, leading to impaired vision.

Short-sightedness

A visual defect that prevents a person from seeing distant objects clearly.

Long-sightedness

A visual defect that prevents a person from seeing nearby objects clearly.

Adaptive Radiation

The diversification of a group of organisms into forms filling different ecological niches.

Homo erectus

An extinct species of hominid that is considered a direct ancestor of modern humans.

Neanderthals

A species of archaic humans that lived in Europe and Asia and became extinct around 40,000 years ago.