Studied by 1 person
Movement
an action by an organism or part of an organism causing a change of position or place
Respiration
the chemical reactions in cells that break down nutrient molecules and release energy for metabolism
Sensitivity
the ability to detect and respond to changes in the internal or external environment
Growth
a permanent increase in size and dry mass
Reproduction
the processes that make more of the same kind of organism
Excretion
the removal of the waste products of metabolism and substances in excess of requirements
Nutrition
the taking in of materials for energy, growth and development
Cell
The smallest unit of life that can function independently
Tissue
a group of cells with similar structures that work together to perform
Organ
a structure made of two or more tissues that work together to perform a specific function
Organ System
A group of organs that work together to perform a major function or meet physiological needs of the body
Diffusion
the net movement of particles from a region of their higher concentration to a region of their lower concentration as a result of their random movement
Osmosis
the net movement of particles from a region of their higher concentration to a region of their lower concentration (i.e. down a concentration gradient), as a result of their random movement
Active transport
as the movement of particles through a cell membrane from a region of lower concentration to a region of higher concentration using energy from respiration
Catalyst
a substance that increases the rate of a chemical reaction and is not changed by the reaction
Enzyme
proteins that are involved in all metabolic reactions, where they function as biological catalysts
Photosynthesis
the process by which plants synthesize carbohydrates from raw materials using energy from light
Ingestion
taking in of substances into the body
Chemical digestion
Breakdown of large insoluble molecules to small soluble molecules using chemical means, such as enzymes.
Mechanical Digestion
Breakdown of large insoluble molecules to small soluble molecules using physical means, such as teeth
Absorption
the movement of nutrients from the intestines into the blood
Assimilation
uptake and use of nutrients by cells
Egestion
the removal of undigested food from the body as faeces
Emulsification
the process of breaking down fat globules into smaller droplets, for an increased surface area for chemical digestion
Peristalsis
wave like contraction and relaxation of the muscles in the alimentary canal to move food through the digestive system
Hormone
chemical/ substance, produced by a gland transported in the blood and alters the activity of one or more specific target
Transpiration
loss of water vapour from leaves
Translocation
the movement of sucrose and amino acids in phloem from sources to sinks
Pathogen
a disease-causing organism
Transmissible Disease
a disease in which the pathogen can be passed from one host to another
Antibody
proteins that bind to antigens leading to direct destruction of pathogens or marking of pathogens for destruction by phagocytes
Active immunity
as defence against a pathogen by antibody production in the body
Passive Immunity
short-term defences against a pathogen by antibodies acquired from another individual.
Aerobic respiration
chemical reactions in cells that use oxygen to break down nutrient molecules to release energy
Anaerobic respiration
the chemical reactions in cells that break down nutrient molecules to release energy without using oxygen
deamination
removal of the nitrogen-containing part of amino acids to form urea
Reflex action
a means of automatically and rapidly integrating and coordinating stimuli with the responses of effectors
synapse
a junction between two neurones
sense organs
groups of receptor cells responding to specific stimuli
homeostasis
maintenance of a constant internal environment
gravitropism
response in which parts of a plant grow towards or away from gravity
phototropism
response in which parts of a plant grow towards or away from the direction of the light source
drug
any substance taken into the body that modifies or affects chemical reactions in the body
drug
any substance taken into the body that modifies or affects chemical reactions in the body
asexual reproduction
a process resulting in the production of genetically identical offspring from one parent
sexual reproduction
process involving the fusion of the nuclei of two gametes to form a zygote and the production of offspring that are genetically different from each other
fertilisation
fusion of the nuclei of gametes
pollination
the transfer of pollen grains from an anther to a stigma
self-pollination
the transfer of pollen grains from the anther of a flower to the stigma of the same flower
cross-pollination
transfer of pollen grains from the anther of a flower to the stigma of a flower on a different plant of the same species
sexually transmitted infection
an infection that is transmitted through sexual contact
Gene
a length of DNA that codes for a protein
Allele
an alternative form of a gene
Haploid nucleus
nucleus containing a single set of chromosomes
Dipoid nucleus
nucleus containing two sets of chromosomes
Mitosis
nuclear division giving rise to genetically identical cells
Stem Cells
unspecialised cells that divide by mitosis to produce daughter cells that can become specialised for specific functions
meiosis
reduction division in which the chromosome number is halved from diploid to haploid resulting in genetically different cells
inheritance
transmission of genetic information from generation to generation
genotype
genetic make-up of an organism and in terms of the alleles present
phenotype
observable features of an organism
homozygous
having two identical alleles of a particular gene
heterozygous
having two different alleles of a particular gene
dominant allele
allele that is expressed if it is present in the genotype
recessive allele
allele that is only expressed when there is no dominant allele of the gene present in the genotype
codominance
situation in which both alleles in heterozygous organisms contribute to the phenotype
sex-linked characteristic
a feature in which the gene responsible is located on a sex chromosome
variation
differences between individuals of the same species
continuous variation
a range of phenotypes between two extremes
discontinuous variation
a limited number of phenotypes with no intermediates
mutation
genetic change
gene mutation
random change in the base sequence of DNA
adaptive feature
an inherited feature that helps an organism to survive and reproduce in its environment
food chain
the transfer of energy from one organism to the next, beginning with a producer
producer
organism that makes its own organic nutrients, usually using energy from sunlight, through photosynthesis
consumer
organism that gets its energy by feeding on other organisms
herbivore
animal that gets its energy by eating plants
carnivore
animal that gets its energy by eating other animals
decomposer
organism that gets its energy from dead or waste organic material
trophic level
the position of an organism in a food chain, food web or ecological pyramid
population
a group of organisms of one species, living in the same area, at the same time
community
all of the populations of different species in an ecosystem
ecosystem
unit containing the community of organisms and their environment, interacting together
biodiversity
the number of different species that live in an area
sustainable resource
resource which is produced as rapidly as it is removed from the environment so that it does not run out
genetic modification
changing the genetic material of an organism by removing, changing or inserting individual genes
