Biology Entrance Examination Practice - Comenius University Bratislava

Vocabulary-style flashcards defining key biological terms, medical conditions, and physiological processes from the Comenius University Bratislava Faculty of Medicine Biology Booklet.

Karyotype

The count and the morphology of the chromosomes within the cell nucleus, which is the same in healthy individuals of the same species but differs between sexes.

Turner Syndrome

A chromosomal condition in a woman characterized by a $45$, X karyotype.

Gonochorism

A phenomenon where male and female individuals can be distinguished and an organism produces only one type of gamete.

Homeostasis

The stability of the internal environment and the maintenance of a balanced state within an organism.

Down Syndrome

A chromosomal disorder in a man characterized by a $47$, XY+21 karyotype.

Osmotic lysis

The rupture of cells that occurs in a hypotonic environment where the osmotic pressure is lower than in the cell.

Peptide bond

The covalent chemical bond that links amino acids together in a protein molecule.

Parthenogenesis

The biological process involving the development of an unfertilized egg.

Sexual dimorphism

The phenomenon where individuals of different genders can be distinguished by primary and secondary sexual characteristics, morphological, and functional properties.

Inbreeding

The mating of relatives or crossing of individuals with very similar genotypes, which results in increased homozygosity.

Crossing-over

The exchange of genetic material between homologous chromosomes that occurs during the prophase of the first meiotic division.

Gene

A sequence of nucleotides located in DNA macromolecules within the cell nucleus or organelles that controls the production of specific proteins.

Proteosynthesis

The metabolic process in the cell in which new protein molecules are produced.

Phagocytosis

The ability of a cell to absorb microorganisms or foreign particles.

Ribosomes

Cellular organelles composed of ribonucleic acid and proteins that are the site of protein synthesis.

Glycogen

A polysaccharide that serves as a storage form of energy in animal cells, often referred to as animal starch.

G1 phase

The phase of the cell cycle characterized by cell growth, the initiation of synthetic processes, and the presence of the main control point.

S phase

The synthetic phase of the cell cycle in which nuclear DNA replication and duplication of nuclear chromosomes occurs.

Murein

A peptidoglycan compound that provides strength to the cell wall of prokaryotic organisms.

Bacteriophage

A specific type of virus that infects and replicates within bacteria.

Antigen

A foreign substance or structure that can evoke a specific immune response, such as the production of antibodies by B-lymphocytes.

Agglutinogens

Hereditary antigens located on the surface of erythrocytes that are responsible for blood groups in humans.

Neuron

The basic functional unit of the nervous system, composed of a cell body, an axon, and dendrites.

Pepsin

A digestive enzyme secreted in an inactive form (pepsinogen) into the acidic environment of the stomach to break down proteins.

Insulin

A hormone produced by the pancreas that increases the use of glucose in tissues and the storage of glycogen in the liver and muscles, reducing blood glucose levels.

Vital capacity of lungs

The maximal volume of air exhaled after maximal inspiration, averaging approximately $5,dm^3$ in men and $3.5,dm^3$ in women.

Systole

The phase of the heart cycle characterized by the contraction of the heart muscle and the ejection of blood into the vascular system.

Diastole

The phase of the heart cycle during which the heart fills with blood.

Aorta

The largest artery in the human body, which exits the left ventricle and transports oxygenated blood into the large circulation.

Nephron

The basic functional and construction unit of the human kidney consisting of the glomerulus and the Bowman's capsule.

Placenta

The organ that mediates the connection between the fetus and the mother, providing lung, kidney, and digestive functions for the embryo.

Codon

A sequence of three adjacent nucleotides in DNA or mRNA that carries information determining the inclusion of a specific amino acid in a peptide chain.

Plasmids

Small circular DNA molecules in the cytoplasm of bacteria that replicate independently from chromosomal DNA and can carry genes for antibiotic resistance.

Hepatitis A

An infectious inflammatory disease of the liver caused by a virus, often transmitted by poor hygiene or contaminated food like raw seafood.

Hardy-Weinberg Law

A principle of population genetics used to calculate the frequency of alleles and genotypes, expressed by the formulas $p + q = 1$ and $p^2 + 2pq + q^2 = 1$.

Genotype

The set of all genes in one cell or the genetic makeup of an individual organism.

Phenotype

The set of all manifest traits of an organism, resulting from the interaction of its genotype and the environment.