ANSC 101: PROPERTIES OF LIFE

Homeostasis

tendency for living things to attempt to maintain a state of relative stability

Hypertrophy

increase in cell size or organs beyond normal

Hyperplasia

increase in the size of the structure because of increase in cell numbers

Atrophy

decrease in size from the normal

Aplasia

failure of a tissue or organ to develop

Hypoplasia

incomplete development of tissue or organ

Reproduction

ability to produce more cells or more organisms that are essentially the same as the original

Absorption

process of taking dissolved materials or water through the cell membrane into the substance of the cell by diffusion or osmosis

Metabolism

sum total of physical and biochemical reactions occurring in each cell and in the entire animal

Anabolic

refers to reactions that build or maintain cellular componets

Catabolic

refers to reactions that break down cellular components

Irritability

or excitability is the property of being a ble to react to a stimulus

Conductivity

property of transmitting an electrical impulse from one point to another

Contractility

ability to shorten in one direction