Organisms and Life Processes Flashcards

A comprehensive set of vocabulary flashcards covering basic life processes, cell biology, nutrition, respiration, health, and transport systems in plants and humans based on the lecture notes.

Feeding

The process by which living organisms obtain their food.

Autotrophic nutrition

A type of nutrition where organisms make their own food, for example, plants photosynthesizing.

Heterotrophic nutrition

A type of nutrition where organisms take in food that is already available in the bodies of others, such as fungi and protozoa.

Breathing

The taking in of air rich in oxygen and releasing air rich in carbon dioxide.

Respiration

The process where oxygen is used to release energy from food and carbon dioxide is produced as a waste product.

Sexual reproduction

Reproduction where male and female sex cells fuse to form a zygote which develops into a new organism.

Asexual reproduction

Reproduction where the parent organism divides to form two or more new offsprings without sex cells.

Locomotion

The movement of an entire organism from one place to another.

Sensitivity

The ability to detect and respond to changes in the surrounding environment.

Excretion

The removal of metabolic wastes from the cells of an organism.

Metabolism

The sum total of chemical reactions that take place inside living cells.

Anabolic reaction (Anabolism)

Metabolic reactions where large and complex molecules are synthesized from small and simple molecules, such as in photosynthesis.

Catabolic reaction (Catabolism)

Metabolic reactions where large complex molecules are broken down into smaller and simpler molecules, such as in respiration.

Enzyme

A biological catalyst inside a living organism that is important in speeding up or slowing down life processes.

Microscope

A device that produces a magnified image of a structure that is too small to be seen by the naked eye.

Eyepiece

The lens of a compound microscope through which the observer looks at the specimen.

Objective lens

The lens that magnifies the object under study; lower power provides $X10$ magnification and high power provides $X40$ magnification.

Condenser

A part of the microscope that concentrates light from the mirror or source to the object on the stage.

Magnification

The measure of how many times bigger or smaller a diagram or image looks compared to its actual size, calculated as $\frac{\text{Size of Image}}{\text{Size of Object}}$.

Cell

The basic functional unit of living organisms where all chemical processes of life take place.

Organelles

Minute specialized structures contained within the cytoplasm of a cell.

Nucleus

The part of the cell responsible for controlling all cell activities and storage of genetic information on DNA called chromosomes.

Mitochondrion

Rod-shaped or sausage-shaped structures where respiration takes place; known as the power house of the cell.

Ribosomes

Small round structures in the cell where protein synthesis takes place.

Endoplasmic Reticulum

A network of membranes used for transportation of substances within the cytoplasm; can be smooth or rough.

Chloroplasts

Oval-shaped structures in plant cells that contain chlorophyll to absorb light energy for photosynthesis.

Vacuole

A fluid-filled space in plant cells containing cell sap and surrounded by a membrane called the tanoplast.

Cell wall

The outermost boundary of a plant cell made of cellulose, providing protection and shape.

Root Hair cells

Specialized plant cells that absorb water and mineral salts via an elongated outgrowth that increases surface area.

Xylem cells

Plant cells specialized for the conduction of water and mineral salts and for providing mechanical support via lignified walls.

Phloem cells

Plant cells specialized for the transport of manufactured food from the leaves to other parts of the plant.

Red blood cell (Erythrocyte)

An animal cell with a biconcave disc shape and haemoglobin used for the transportation of oxygen.

Tissues

A group of specialized cells having the same shape, structure, and function.

Organ

A group of two or more specialized tissues performing a specific function.

System

A group of organized organs performing a particular function.

Diffusion

The movement of solutes into and out of a cell down the concentration gradient.

Osmosis

The movement of water molecules from a region of high water potential to a region of low water potential through a selectively permeable membrane.

Cell lysis

The bursting of an animal cell due to the osmotic gain of water when placed in a hypotonic solution.

Crenation

The shrinking and wrinkling of an animal cell due to osmotic loss of water when placed in a hypertonic solution.

Turgidity

A condition where the protoplasm of a plant cell presses against the cell wall due to osmotic gain of water.

Plasmolysis

A condition where the protoplasm of a plant cell shrinks and pulls away from the cell wall due to osmotic loss of water.

Active transport

The movement of particles against a concentration gradient using energy from $ATP$.

Optimum temperature

The specific temperature at which an enzyme works best.

Enzyme denaturation

The disturbance of the shape of an enzyme and its active site such that the substrate no longer fits, resulting in loss of catalytic function.

Carbohydrates

Energy-giving foods that provide calories and serve as the body's main source of fuel.

Proteins

Nutrients needed for growth, tissue repair, and the production of hormones and enzymes.

Scurvy

A disease caused by vitamin $C$ deficiency leading to sore skin, bleeding gums, and internal bleeding.

Kwashiorkor

A disease caused by a lack of proteins in the diet, common in children feeding mainly on carbohydrates.

Marasmus

A condition caused by a lack of both proteins and carbohydrates in the body, mainly affecting infants.

Goitre

A swelling caused by a lack of iodine in the diet.

Obesity

A medical condition in which the body accumulates fats beyond a certain limit, often due to excessive carbohydrate intake and lack of exercise.

Photolysis

The process in the light reaction of photosynthesis where water breaks down into $O_2$, electrons, and hydrogen protons using sunlight energy.

Saprophytic nutrition

A type of nutrition where an organism feeds on dead and decaying organic matter by secreting extracellular digestive enzymes.

Incisors

Chisel-shaped teeth used for cutting and biting.

Canines

Dagger-shaped teeth used for tearing flesh and suffocating prey.

Enamel

The hardest substance in the animal body, made of Calcium and Phosphate salts, forming the biting surface of teeth.

Ingestion

The intake of food into the mouth.

Assimilation

The movement of digested food molecules into the cells of the body where they are used or become part of the cells.

Egestion

The removal of undigested food from the body through the anus.

Peristalsis

The alternate contraction and relaxation of circular and longitudinal muscles in a wave-like manner to move food along the alimentary canal.

Villi

Finger-like projections in the ileum that increase the surface area for the absorption of nutrients.

Deamination

The process by which the amino group of an amino acid is removed and converted to urea by the liver.

Spiracles

A pair of openings on the surface of insect abdominal segments used for gaseous exchange.

Alveolus

A pocket-like fold in the air sacs of the human lungs where gaseous exchange between blood and air occurs.

Anaerobic respiration

A form of tissue respiration where oxygen is not utilized; known as fermentation in plants and yeast.

Pathogenic diseases

Diseases caused by pathogens such as bacteria, viruses, protozoa, and fungi that attack the immune system.

Immunity

The ability of the body to resist attack by disease-causing microorganisms.

Transpiration

The process by which water escapes from a plant into the atmosphere through the stomata in the form of water vapor.

Guttation

The process at night where root pressure forces water and mineral salts out of the tips of leaves.

Platelets

Solid parts of the blood that release thromboplastin to initiate blood clotting.

Agglutination

The clumping together of blood cells caused by an antibody-antigen reaction.

Double circulation

A system where blood passes through the heart twice during one complete circulation around the body, involving pulmonary and systemic circuits.