100 Things to Know for the Living Environment Regents

homeostasis

the ability of an organism to maintain a stable internal balanced environment

metabolism

the sum of all the chemical reactions that occur within the cells of an organism

organic molecules

molecules that contain skeleton structures of carbon with hydrogen and oxygen

organelles

the small organ like parts that make up a cell

vacuoles

organelles that store waste and water

ribosome

very small organelles that are the site at which amino acids undergo protein synthesis

mitochondria

the site at which cellular respiration occurs making ATP

chloroplasts

organelles only found in plant cells that are the site for photosynthesis

nucleus

the control center of the cell with contains DNA

nucleolus

an organelle in the nucleus that makes ribosomes

cytoplasm

the liquid substance that fills a cell

cell membrane

separates the contents of the cell from the outside environment and controls the transport of materials in and out of the cell because it is selectively permeable

cellular communication

recognizes and responds to chemical signals by using receptor molecules

active transport

the moving of energy from an area of low concentration to high concentration using ATP

diffusion

the movement of molecules from an area of high concentration to an area of low concentration without using energy

digestive system

a system of the body that breaks down nutrients and puts them into the blood stream

circulatory system

a system of the body that transports materials throughout the body

respiratory system

a system of the body that exchanges carbon dioxide and oxygen

excretory system

a system of the body that removes metabolic wastes from blood and the body

nervous system

a system that quickly picks up and responds to stimuli

endocrine system

a system of the body that is slower to respond to changes by secreting hormones to the target tissues

control

hormones are produced in the endocrine glands and chemicals produced by nerve cells that are primary responsible for communication between cells

respiration

the process used by all organisms to produce energy by using oxygen to burn sugar in order to release energy in the form of ATP

hydrolysis / digestion

the breaking down of large molecules

transport

involves the movement of materials inside the cell as well as movement between parts of multicellular organisms

dehydration synthesis

the removal of water to make or build larger molecules from smaller molecules

photosynthesis

the process of storing the energy from the sun in the chemical bonds of glucose (sugar)

cellular respiration

the process of releasing the energy stored in the bonds of glucose as ATP

enzymes

special proteins that affect the rate of chemical reactions, they are catalysts used in digestion and synthesis

dynamic equilibrium

an ecosystem in homeostasis

negative feedback

a type of feedback mechanism that helps maintain hormone levels by secreting the opposite of whatever hormone level is too high or low

surface receptor protein

a molecule found on the cell membrane that the immune system recognizes as either part of the body or an outside invader

antibodies

special proteins produced by the white blood cells that fight diseases

immunity

the body's ability to fight diseases

vaccination

a substance inserted into the body containing a weakened or dead virus that trigger our white blood cells to produce antibodies to fight a specific pathogen

diseases

caused by pathogens (virus, bacterium, fungi)

cell division

the process by which a cell replicates and splits; mitosis and meiosis

mitosis

a type of asexual reproduction used by all cells except gametes in which a parent cell splits to form two identical offspring

gonads

sex glands (ovaries and testes)

gametes

the sex cells that unite in fertilization to form a zygote (egg and sperm)

zygote

a fertilized egg

fertilization

the process in which a male the male and female gametes unite to form a diploid cell (occurs in the fallopian tubes)

differentiation

the process that transforms developing cells into specialized cells with different structures and functions

vagina

opening for birth of child and urethra for urination

uterus

the place in which a baby develops

placenta

the organ through which nutrients diffuse from the mother to the baby

oviducts / fallopian tubes

the place where fertilization occurs

testes

the male gonads that produce sperm and male hormones like testosterone

artificial insemination

using sperm from a donor to get pregnant

amniocentesis

removing some of the cells from the amniotic fluid that protects the fetus and analyzing their DNA

karyotype

a visual map of chromosomes that can be used to determine if the fetus has problems like Down's syndrome

Down's syndrome

a chromosomal problem in which a fetus has three copies of chromosome #21

cancer

occurs when certain mutations caused by an environment that can result in uncontrolled cell division

heredity

the passing of genetic information from one generation to the next through reproduction

asexual reproduction

a form of reproduction where one parent creates identical offspring

sexual reproduction

a type of reproduction where two parents' gametes unite to form a genetically similar offspring

clones

identical copies of genes

DNA

a double stranded helix polymer (large molecule) of nucleotides that contains the genetic code for an individual

nucleotide

the basic unit of DNA which is made of a phosphate, a sugar, and a nitrogenous base

RNA

a single stranded polymer that is produced by DNA that contains uracil instead of thymine

protein synthesis

the process in which proteins are made from amino acids

mutation

any alteration of the DNA sequence which changes the normal message carried by a gene (substitution, deletion, addition and inversion)

gene expression

an organism's environment can effect the way some genes are expressed

pointed gene

a gene in which the fur color of the Himalayan Rabbit changes due to temperature

genetic engineering

a technology that humans use to alter genetic instructions on organisms

gene splicing

cutting DNA and placing it into another organism (GFP Lab)

restriction enzyme

an enzyme that cuts DNA in specific places and is an essential tool in gene splicing as well as gel electrophoresis

DNA fingerprint

from gel electrophoresis that can be used to compare organisms; the more common bars, the more common the ancestry or heritage

species

a group of closely related organisms that share certain characteristics and can produce offspring capable of reproduction

evolution

the process by which organisms have changed over time from simple, single celled organisms to complex multicellular organisms

natural selection

the process by which organisms with better traits survive and reproduce, passing those traits on to their offspring

overproduction

producing more offspring than the environment can support; forces competition and natural selection to occur

competition

the fight for limited resources that results in the struggle for survival of organisms

variation

differences among organisms in a species (sexually reproducing organisms have more variation than asexually reproducing organisms)

adaptation

any trait that helps an organism survive and reproduce under a given set of environmental conditions

extinction

the disappearance of an entire species caused by a failure to adapt to a changing environment

ancestry

can be determined through cladograms or a family tree

cladogram

a branching diagram that shows the ancestral relationship between organisms

ecology

the study of how organisms interact with each other and their physical environment

biotic factors

all the living factors in an environment

abiotic factors

all the nonliving factors in an environment

niche

an organism's role in an environment (ex. producer, consumer, etc.)

population

all the organisms of the same species that live in a particular environment

community

all the different populations in an area

biosphere

all the places on earth where life exists

limiting factors

the living and nonliving things in the environment that limit the size of populations

carrying capacity

the maximum population size that an environment can support

predators

kill and eat other organisms called prey

prey

organisms that are hunted and eaten by predators

autotrophs

producers make their own food through photosynthesis

heterotrophs

organisms that must eat something for food (consumers)

herbivores

can only eat plants

carnivores

can only eat other animals

omnivores

organisms that eat both plants and animals

consumers

same as heterotrophs

decomposers

break organisms down and return nutrients and return the nutrients to the environment

scavengers

eat dead organisms that they did not kill themselves

parasites

live off of another organism (host) and do not kill them usually (this organism benefits, while the host is harmed)

producers

the same as autotrophs

chemoautotrophs

organisms that make their own food through chemical reactions (usually live in areas with little sunlight)