biology keystones 3

producer (ecological)

organism that obtains its energy from abiotic sources, such as sunlight or inorganic chemicals

prokaryote

organisms whose cells lack a nucleus and other organelles

protein

polymer composed of amino acids linked by peptide bonds; folds into a particular structure depending on bonds between amino acids

protein synthesis

the process in which cells make proteins; occurs in two stages: transcription and translation

pumps (ion or molecule)

transmembrane proteins that actively move ions and/or solutes against a concentration or electrochemical gradient across biological membranes

punctuated equilibrium

theory that states that speciation occurs suddenly and rapidly followed by long periods of little evolutionary change

recessive inheritance

a genetic condition occurs when the child inherits one mutated copy of a gene from each parent

ribosome

organelle that links amino acids together to form proteins

science

the knowledge obtained by observing natural events and conditions in order to discover facts and formulate laws or principles that can be verified or tested

selective breeding

choosing parents with particular characteristics to breed together and produce offspring with more desirable characteristics

semiconservative replication

it produces two copies of dna in such a way that one strand is from the original dna and the other one is a new strand

sex-linked trait

characteristics (or traits) that are influenced by genes carried on the sex chromosomes

sexual reproduction

process by which two gametes fuse and offspring that are a genetic mixture of both parents are produced

speciation

evolution of two or more species from one ancestral species

species

group of organisms so similar to one another that they can breed and produce fertile offspring

specific heat

the amount of heat needed to raise the temperature of 1 gram of a substance 1 degree Celsius

succession

sequence of biotic changes that regenerate a damaged community or start a community in a previously uninhabited area

symbiotic relationship

a close, prolonged association between two or more different biological species

system

changing, organized group of relate parts that interact to form a whole

temperature

the hotness or coldness of a body

terrestrial

things related to land or the planet earth

theory (scientific)

proposed explanation for a wide variety of observations and experimental results

tissue

group of cells that work together to perform a similar function

transcription

process of copying a nucleotide sequence of dna to form a complementary strand of mRNA

translation

process by which mRNA is decoded and a protein is produced

translocation

a genetic change in which a piece of one chromosome breaks off and attaches to another chromosome

trophic level

level of nourishment in a food chain

unicellular

an organism that has only one single cell

vestigial structure

remnants of an organ or structure that functioned in an earlier ancestor