Biology Vocabulary

Absorption spectrum (C1.3)

A graph showing the percentage of absorption of light absorbed at each wavelength by a pigment or a group of pigments.

Action spectrum (C1.3)

A graph showing the rate of photosynthesis at each wavelengths of light.

Photosystem (C1.3)

Molecular arrays of chlorophyll and accessory pigment with a special chlorophyll, the reaction centre from which an excited electron is emitted,

Arrays of pigment molecules that can generate and emit excited electrons.

ETC (C1.3)

A series of membrane bound molecules that transfer electrons via redox reactions.

Population (C4.1)

Interacting groups of organisms of the same species living in an area

Carrying capacity (C4.1)

The maximum population size of a biological species that can be sustained by that specific environment.

Community (C4.1)

All of the interacting organisms in an ecosystem

Herbivory (C4.1)

Primary consumers feeding on producers.

Predation (C4.1)

One consumer species killing and eating another consumer species

Interspecific competition (C4.1)

Two or more species using the same resource, with the amount taken by one species reducing the amount available to the other species.

Mutualism (C4.1)

Two species living in a close association, with both species benefiting from the association

Parasitism (C4.1)

One species living inside, or on the outer surface of, another species and obtaining food from them. The host is farmed and the parasite benefits.

Pathogenicity (C4.1)

One species living inside another species and causing a disease in the host.

Antibiotics (C4.1)

Chemicals secreted by microorganisms, mostly to kill or prevent the growth of other organisms.

Allelopathy (C4.1)

Chemicals secreted into the soil by plants to kill or deter the growth of neighbouring plants.

Ecosystem (C4.2)

Open systems in which both energy and matter enter and exit

System (C4.2)

A set of interacting or interdependent components

Food chain (C4.2)

A sequence of organisms, each of which feeds on the previous one

Food web (C4.2)

A model that summarizes all of the possible food chains in a community

Autotrophs (C4.2)

Organisms that use external energy sources to synthesize carbon compounds from simple inorganic substances.

Heterotrophs (C4.2)

Organisms that use carbon compounds obtained from other organisms to synthesize the carbon compounds that they require.

Trophic levels (C4.2)

Groups that organisms are classified into according to how they obtain energy and C compounds.

Production (C4.2)

The accumulation of carbon compounds in biomass

Primary production (C4.2)

Accumulation of C compounds in biomass by autotrophs

Gross primary production (C4.2)

The total biomass of carbon compounds made in plants by photosynthesis

Net primary production (C4.2)

GPP - biomass lost due to respiration of the plant

Secondary production (C4.2)

Accumulation of C compounds in biomass by heterotrophs

Pool (C4.2)

Reserve of element (can be organic or inorganic)

Flux (C4.2)

Transfer of element from one pool to another

Ecological niche (B4.2)

A role of a species in an ecosystem

Morphological species concept (A3.1)

A group of organisms with shared traits

Biological species concept(A3.1)

A group of organisms that can interbreed and produce fertile offspring.

SNP (A3.1)

Position in a gene where more than one base may be present - main factor of making humans different from each other.

DNA barcodes (A3.1)

Short sections in DNA from one gene or group of genes that are distinct enough to identify a species.

Classification (A3.2)

Placing organisms in groups according to their traits and evolutionary origin

Clades (A3.2)

A group of organisms with common ancestry and shared traits.

Cladogram (A3.2)

A branching diagram that represents ancestor-descendant relationship

Terminal branch: represent individual clades

Node: Branching points on a cladogram

Root: base of cladogram, hypothetical common ancestor

Biodiversity (A4.2)

The variety of life in all its forms, levels and combinations

Ecosystem biodiversity(A4.2)

Variety in the combination of species living together in communities.

Species diversity (A4.2)

The many different species on the evolutionary tree of life (Varied body parts, internal structures, life cycles, modes of nutrition)

Genetic biodiversity (A4.2)

Variety in the gene pool of each species

Biodiversity crisis (A4.2)

Unprecedented losses of ecosystems and species occurring today.

Neurons (C2.2)

Cells within the nervous system that carry electrical impulse

Resting potential (C2.2)

Potential across membrane when not transmitting an impulse

Nerve impulse (C2.2)

Action potential that are propagated along nerve fibres

Synapses (C2.2)

Junctions between neurons and between neurons and effector cells

Threshold potential (C2.2)

Minimum voltage that causes sodium channels to open

Myelin (C2.2)

Multiple layers of phospholipid membrane that are deposited around the nerve fibre

Consciousness (C2.2)

A property that emerges from interaction of individual neurons in brain

Emergent property (C2.2)

Caused by interactions between elements of a system

Homeostasis (D3.3)

Maintenance of internal environment of organism

Diabetes (D3.3)

Condition in which a person has consistently elevated blood glucose levels even during prolonged fasting

Thermoregulation (D3.3)

Control of core body temperature to keep it close to a set point

Cell division (D2.1)

Generation of new cells in living organisms

Cytokinesis (D2.1)

Splitting of cytoplasm in a parent cell between daughter cells

Cell proliferation (D2.1)

Rapid increase in number of cells

Genotype (D3.2)

Combination of alleles

Phenotype (D3.2)

Observable traits of an organism resulting from genotype and environmental factors

Phenotypic plasticity (D3.2)

The capacity to develop traits suited to the environment experienced by an organism, by varying patterns of gene expression

Phenylketonuria (D3.2)

A recessive genetic condition caused by mutation in an autosomal gene that codes for the enzyme (phenylalanine hydroxylase) to convert phenylalanine to tyrosine

Independent assortment (D3.2)

The segregation of alleles of two genes so that the outcome with each gene has no effect on the outcome with the other

Recombinants (D3.2)

An individual with a different combination of alleles and therefore traits from either parent

Evolution (A4.1) (D4.1)

Change in the heritable characteristics of a population

Change in allele frequency of gene pool

Homologous structure (A4.1)

Inherited from a common ancestor but have evolved in diverse ways as they have become adapted for different functions

Analogous structure (A4.1)

Have same function but different evolutionary origin (Convergent evolution)

Allopatric separation (A4.1)

When population in different geographical areas become separate species (geographic separation)

Sympatric separation (A4.1)

Population of a species living together in one geographical area to split into two population that do not interbreed (behavioral & temporal separation)

Adaptive radiation (A4.1)

A pattern of diversification in which species that have evolved from a common ancestor occupy a range of ecological roles

Natural selection (D4.1)

Mechanism driving evolutionary changes

Gene pool (D4.1)

consists of natural selection between individuals according to differences in their heritable traits

Selection pressure (D4.1)

environmental factors that favor certain phenotype

Artificial selection

the process by which humans breed plants and animals for specific traits

Receptors (C2.1)

Proteins with binding sites for specific signaling chemicals

Quorum sensing (C2.1)

The regulation of gene expression in response to fluctuations in cell-population density.

Stability (D4.2)

Property of natural ecosystems - ability to maintain its structure and function over time, despite changes or disturbance