MSU SASE Reviewer - General Science and Biology

A comprehensive set of vocabulary flashcards based on the MSU SASE General Science and Biology reviewer transcript.

Auxins

Substances that may stimulate the growth of the roots in plant cuttings.

Cotyledon

A part of a seed that provides nutrients for the germinating plant.

Cleavage

The process by which an embryo begins to develop from a zygote.

Enzymes

Proteins that catalyze particular biochemical reactions involving specific substrate molecules; their activity is affected by pH and temperature.

Alleles

Two different forms of the same gene that are located on homologous chromosomes.

Monera

The kingdom considered to be the most primitive.

Brownian Movement (Smoke Particles)

The random movement of smoke particles observed under a microscope caused by air molecules bumping into them.

Distillation

The separation of a liquid into different substances with different boiling points.

Phenotype

The visible expression of a genotype.

Kangaroo Egg Cell Chromosomes

The number of chromosomes found in a kangaroo egg cell, which is $6$ given that body cells have $12$.

Cytoplasm

The part of a cell that contains the mitochondria.

Vacuole

The part of a plant cell used to store water, sugar, and minerals.

Photosynthesis

The process of converting light energy and inorganic compounds to chemical energy and organic compounds.

Stomata

Holes in leaves through which carbon dioxide enters plants.

Energy Foods

Types of food that include carbohydrates and fats.

Rickets

A deficiency disease caused by a lack of vitamin D.

Veins

Blood vessels that carry blood back to the heart.

White Blood Cells

Cells responsible for destroying bacteria in the body.

Excretory System

The body system responsible for removing harmful waste produced by the body.

Protoplasm Water Content

The most abundant substance in the protoplasm, making up between $65\%$ and $90\%$ of its volume.

Palisade Layer

The site in a leaf where the majority of photosynthesis occurs due to packed cells.

Involuntary Muscles

Muscle types that work without conscious thought, specifically smooth and cardiac muscles.

Meiosis

A type of cell division occurring in sex cells that produces $4$ daughter cells, each with half the original chromosome number.

Biotic Factor

A living factor in an environment, such as abundance of berry plants, that determines which organisms can inhabit an area.

Pyramid of Energy

A model where the base consists of producers supplying the most energy and the top consists of the highest consumers.

Medulla Stimulus

The part of the brain that sends impulses to increase breathing rate when there is an increase of $CO_2$ in the blood.

Parasitism

A symbiotic relationship where one organism benefits and the host is usually harmed.

Viruses

Agents that are not considered free-living because they cannot reproduce outside of a living cell.

Community

A population of different species living in a particular habitat and interacting with each other.

Chlorophyll

The green pigment found in chloroplasts essential for photosynthesis.

Reflexes

Involuntary actions such as sneezing, blinking, and coughing that do not involve thought.

Greenhouse Effect

The warming of Earth caused by trapped solar radiation due to the increase of $CO_2$ in the air.

Binomial Nomenclature

A naming scheme that uses only the Genus and Species to name an organism.

Pathogen

Any biological agent that causes disease.

Coccus

Bacteria that are spherical or nearly spherical in shape.

Xylem

The tissue responsible for transporting water from the roots to the leaves.

Venation

The arrangement of the veins in a leaf.

Deciduous Trees

Trees that lose all their leaves at the end of a growing season.

Phototropism

The growth of plants toward light.

Molting

The process of shedding an exoskeleton.

Genetic Engineering

A term used to describe methods of introducing new genes into an organism.

Ossification

The process of bone formation.

Coronary Artery

The artery that nourishes the cells of the heart.

Lymph

The liquid that bathes all the cells of the body.

Red Blood Cells

Cells that carry oxygen through the body.

Hemophilia

An inherited disease in which the blood does not clot.

Adrenal Gland

Known as the gland of emergency.

Synapse

A bridge between neurons.

Gametes

The uniting cells in sexual reproduction.

Zygote

The cell resulting from the union of two gametes.

Parthenogenesis

The development of an egg without being fertilized by a sperm.

Platyhelminthes

A phylum of invertebrates characterized by being flat-bodied, such as tapeworms.

RNA (Ribonucleic Acid)

A single-stranded molecule with a $5\text{-C}$ ribose sugar and bases adenine, guanine, uracil, and cytosine.