BIO 106 - Key Terms

Asexual Reproduction

process by which an organism creates a copy of itself

there is not fusion of gametes involved

adaptations

trais of an organism that make it survive in a successful way

can be inherited or mutated

archaea

one of the three domains of life

½ composed of prokaryotes

bacteria

one of the three domains of life

½ composed of prokaryotes

biology

scientific study of lifeforms

biological organization

the hierarchy of structural levels of biological organization

binary fission

a method of asexual reproduction in single celled organisms where the cell grows and divides into two cells

cell

life fundamental unit of structure and function

cell cycle

for eukaryotes this includes interphase (G1, S, G2) and the M-phase (mitosis or meiosis)

cell division

replication of cells

centriole

the structure within the centrosome that is composed of microtubules

each centrosome has a pair

centromere

the region of a chromosome where spindle fibers attach to sister chromatids

centrosome

an organelle in the cytoplasm of eukaryote cells that organizes the microtubules during cell division

there are two of these

chromatid

condensed form of a chromosome within eukaryotes

chromatin

uncondensed version of the nuclear DNA in eukaryotes

cell is not preparing to divide

chromosome

structures composed of DNA molecule, each chromosome is a single strand of DNA

cleavage furrow

in cytokinesis when the plasma membrane pinches

consumer

organism that gets its energy from consuming other organisms

cytokenisis

occurs are the end of M-phase when teh daughter cells separate

cytology

study of cells using different microscopes

cytoplasm

contents of cell bounded by the plasma membrane