Concise Revision Course: CSEC® Biology

A comprehensive set of vocabulary flashcards based on CSEC Biology lecture notes.

Autotrophic nutrition

A process where organisms, like green plants, use simple inorganic compounds to produce complex organic food substances, primarily carbohydrates, using sunlight energy.

Heterotrophic nutrition

A form of nutrition where organisms obtain ready-made organic food from their environment, including holozoic, saprophytic, and parasitic forms.

Photosynthesis

The process by which green plants convert carbon dioxide and water into glucose using sunlight energy, primarily occurring in chloroplasts.

Gaseous exchange

The process by which oxygen diffuses into an organism and carbon dioxide diffuses out, occurring across specialized surfaces like lungs in animals and stomata in plants.

Diffusion

The net movement of particles from an area of higher concentration to an area of lower concentration until equilibrium is reached.

Osmosis

The movement of water molecules through a semi-permeable membrane from a region of higher water concentration to a region of lower water concentration.

Excretion

The process of removing waste and harmful substances produced by the metabolism of the body.

Neuron

A specialized nerve cell that transmits impulses within the nervous system and includes sensory, motor, and relay neurons.

Homeostasis

The maintenance of a stable internal environment in an organism, including regulation of temperature, pH, and glucose levels.

Genotype

The genetic composition of an organism, representing the alleles present in its cells.

Phenotype

The observable characteristics of an organism, which result from the interaction of its genotype with the environment.

Mitosis

A type of cell division that results in two genetically identical daughter cells, maintaining the diploid number of chromosomes.

Meiosis

A type of cell division that produces four genetically distinct haploid cells (gametes), reducing the chromosome number by half.

Symbiosis

A close ecological relationship between two different species, which can be mutualistic, commensal, or parasitic.

Natural selection

The process where organisms better adapted to their environment tend to survive and produce more offspring, driving evolutionary change.

Genetic engineering

The direct manipulation of an organism's genes to alter its characteristics, often involving the insertion of DNA from one organism into another.

Asexual reproduction

A mode of reproduction that involves only one parent, resulting in offspring that are genetically identical to the parent.

Sexual reproduction

A mode of reproduction that involves two parents, producing genetically diverse offspring through the fusion of gametes.

Plant hormones

Chemical substances that regulate various aspects of plant growth and development, such as auxins influencing cell elongation.

Translocation

The movement of organic compounds, especially carbohydrates, from source tissues (like leaves) to sink tissues (like roots and fruits) in plants.