BIOL121 Final Semester 1

Flashcards of key vocabulary from BIOL121 lecture notes.

Biological Science 1

BIOL121 is a unit of study at Australian Catholic University.

Mandatory Laboratory Safety Online Induction

Required to be completed prior to participating in science lab classes to promote a safe learning environment.

Anion

A negatively charged ion.

Cation

A positively charged ion.

Acidosis

A condition where blood pH falls below a certain level.

Alkalosis

A condition where blood pH rises above a certain level.

Homeostasis

Maintaining a stable internal environment in the body.

Pharmacokinetics

The process of how drugs are absorbed, distributed, metabolized, and excreted by the body.

Pharmacodynamics

The effects of drugs on the body and their mechanisms of action.

Opportunistic Pathogens

Normal flora that can cause disease under certain conditions.

Modes of Transmission

Ways microorganisms are spread (contact, vehicle, and vectors).

Sterilization

A process that destroys or eliminates all forms of microbial life.

Disinfection

Reducing the number of pathogenic microorganisms to pose no threat of disease.

Sanitization

The process of reducing the number of microorganisms to a safe level.

Lymphocytes

B and T cells involved in the lymphatic system and immune responses.

Innate Immunity

Non-specific, natural defense mechanisms the body has to defend itself.

Adaptive Immunity

Specific defense with memory to protect against future infections.

Antigen

Substances recognized as foreign that provoke immune responses.

Antibody

Proteins produced by plasma cells in response to antigens.

Myelinated Nerves

Nerves with myelin sheaths that facilitate faster nerve impulse transmission.

Vagus Nerve

Cranial nerve X; important for parasympathetic functions in the body.

Afferent Neurons

Sensory neurons that transmit information to the central nervous system.

Efferent Neurons

Motor neurons that transmit information from the central nervous system to the body.

Sympathetic Nervous System

Division of the autonomic nervous system; prepares the body for fight or flight.

Parasympathetic Nervous System

Division of the autonomic nervous system; promotes rest and digest functions.

Adrenal Medulla

Secretes adrenaline under sympathetic nervous system stimulation.

Calcitonin

A hormone produced by the thyroid gland that lowers blood calcium levels.

Parathyroid Hormone (PTH)

A hormone released to increase blood calcium levels.

Osteocytes

Bone cells involved in bone maintenance.

Osteoblasts

Bone cells involved in bone production.

Osteoclasts

Bone cells involved in bone remodeling and repair.

Extension

Movement that increases the angle between articulating bones.

Flexion

Movement that decreases the angle between articulating bones.

Rotation

Movement around the longitudinal axis.

Abduction

Movement away from the midline.

Adduction

Movement toward the midline.

Cardiac Output

The amount of blood pumped by the heart per minute.

Stroke Volume

The amount of blood ejected by the heart with each beat.

Heart Rate

Number of heart beats per minute.

Systolic Pressure

Pressure in the arteries during ventricular contraction.

Diastolic Pressure

Pressure in the arteries during ventricular relaxation.

Mean Arterial Pressure (MAP)

Average arterial pressure throughout one cardiac cycle, diastole and systole.

Vascular Phase

Initial phase of blood clotting involving vasoconstriction.

Platelet Phase

Second phase of blood clotting involving platelet aggregation.

Coagulation Phase

Third phase of blood clotting involving the formation of a clot.

Capillaries

Small blood vessels that form connections between arteries and veins.

Arterioles

Small arteries that deliver blood to capillaries.

Venules

Small veins that receive blood from capillaries.

Ventilation

Movement of air into and out of the lungs.

External Respiration

Gas exchange between alveoli and pulmonary capillaries.

Internal Respiration

Gas exchange between systemic capillaries and tissue cells.

Tidal Volume

Volume of air inhaled or exhaled during quiet breathing.

Inspiratory Reserve Volume

Extra volume that you can inhale.

Expiratory Reserve Volume

Additional volume that an individual can force out of the lungs .

Total Lung Capacity

Greatest amount of air that an individual can inhale, and exhale.

Glomerular Filtration Rate (GFR)

Flow rate of filtered fluid through the kidney.

Autosome

Any of the numbered chromosomes, as opposed to the sex chromosomes.

Sex Chromosome

A chromosome involved in determining the sex of an organism, typically one of two kinds.

Gene

A unit of heredity which is transferred from a parent to offspring and is held to determine some characteristic of the offspring.

Allele

One of two or more alternative forms of a gene that arise by mutation and are found at the same place on a chromosome.

Genotype

The genetic constitution of an individual organism.

Phenotype

The set of observable characteristics of an individual resulting from the interaction of its genotype with the environment.

Homozygote

An individual having two identical alleles of a particular gene or genes and so breeding true for the corresponding characteristic.

Heterozygote

An individual having two different alleles of a particular gene or genes and so not breeding true.

Peristalsis

Successive muscular contractions along the wall of a hollow muscular structure.

Segmentation

Back-and-forth contractions of the gastrointestinal tract to mix digestive materials.

Bolus

A small rounded mass of a substance, esp. of chewed food at the moment of swallowing.

Enzyme

A substance produced by a living organism which acts as a catalyst to bring about a specific biochemical reaction.

Salvia

The watery and usually frothy substance secreted into the mouth by salivary glands, acting as a lubricant in swallowing and aiding digestion.

Chyme

The pulpy acidic fluid which passes from the stomach to the small intestine, consisting of gastric juices and partly digested food.

Bile

A brownish fluid produced by the liver, stored in the gallbladder, and released into the small intestine.

Defecation

The discharge of faeces from the body.

Metabolism

The chemical processes that occur within a living organism to maintain life.

Anabolism

The synthesis of complex molecules in living organisms from simpler ones together with the storage of energy.

Catabolism

The breakdown of complex molecules in living organisms to form simpler ones, together with the release of energy.

ATP

(Adenosine Triphosphate) A molecule that carries energy within cells for metabolism.

ADP

(Adenosine Diphosphate) An important organic compound in metabolism as it is essential to the flow of energy in living cells.

Glycolysis

The breakdown of glucose by enzymes, releasing energy and pyruvic acid.

Endogenous Ligand

A substance produced by the body that binds to a receptor.

Receptor

A protein molecule that receives and responds to a chemical signal.

Agonist

A drug that binds to a receptor and activates it.

Antagonist

A drug that blocks a receptor by binding to it.

Ovum

A female reproductive cell or gamete.

Sperm

A male reproductive cell or gamete.