Unit 10 Honors Bio

Alternate Generations

A reproductive cycle in plants and some algae involving two distinct multicellular stages: the haploid gametophyte and the diploid sporophyte.

Bioremediation

The use of living organisms, primarily microbes, to remove or neutralize pollutants from a contaminated site.

Biotechnology

The manipulation of living organisms or their components to develop or make useful products.

Chemosynthesis

A process by which certain organisms synthesize organic compounds using energy derived from inorganic chemical reactions, rather than sunlight.

Ecosystem Services

The benefits humans receive from ecosystems.

Fertilization in Angiosperms

The fusion of male and female gametes to form a zygote.

Endotoxins

Toxins released when certain bacteria die and their cell walls break apart.

Exotoxins

Toxins secreted by living bacteria into their environment.

Gametophyte

The haploid multicellular stage in the life cycle of plants that produces gametes.

Imperfect Fungi

Fungi that do not have a known sexual reproductive stage.

Host

An organism that harbors another organism (parasite), providing it with nourishment and shelter.

Photosynthesis

The process by which green plants and some other organisms use sunlight to synthesize foods with the help of chlorophyll.

Mycorrhiza

Symbiotic associations between fungi and plant roots.

Parasite

An organism that lives in or on another organism (the host) and benefits at the host's expense.

Pollen

The male gametophyte in seed plants, containing sperm cells.

Pollination

The transfer of pollen from the male part (anther) to the female part (stigma) of a flower.

Seed

An embryo that develops into a new plant, along with endosperm for nourishment and a seed coat for protection.

Symbiosis

A close and long-term biological interaction between two different biological organisms.

Sporophyte

The diploid multicellular stage in the life cycle of plants that produces spores.

Virus

A microscopic infectious agent that requires a host cell to replicate.

Yeast

A type of fungus used in baking and brewing.

Viruses: Non-Living Status

Viruses cannot carry out metabolic processes or reproduce independently; they require a host cell to replicate.

Virus Structure & Infection

Consists of genetic material (DNA or RNA) enclosed in a protein coat (capsid) and hijacks host's machinery to replicate.

Preventing Viral Infections

Methods include vaccination, antiviral medications, hygiene practices, and vector control.

Prokaryotic Cells

Cells that lack a nucleus and are generally smaller in size; examples include Bacteria and Archaea.

Eukaryotic Cells

Cells that have a nucleus and are generally larger in size; examples include plants, animals, fungi, and protists.

Domains & Kingdoms

Prokaryotic Domains include Bacteria and Archaea; Eukaryotic Domain is Eukarya.