Biology EOC Vocabulary Review

Abiotic

Abiotic

of or relating to nonliving things

Accurate

correct

Acid

compound that forms hydrogen ions (H+) in solution a solution with a pH of less than 7

Active Transport

the movement of molecules or ions against a concentration gradient, that is, from an area of lower concentration to higher concentration, and therefore requiring energy

Activation Energy

energy that is needed to get a reaction started

Adaptation

any feature or behavior that enables an organism to survive and reproduce in its environment

Adaptive Radiation

a process by which different species develop from a common ancestor because different groups of the offspring are adapted for different environments

Adenosine triphosphate (ATP)

the molecule that carries the energy produced by respiration in its third, high-energy phosphate bond; used by cells to provide energy necessary for chemical reactions

Aerobic

relating to a reaction that requires the presence of oxygen

Allele

one of the different forms in which a gene can occur; there are at least two alleles for every trait

Amino Acid

any of the organic acids that are the chief component of proteins, either manufactured by cells or ingested by the organism

Anabolism

the production, storage, and transport of materials inside cells that the organism needs to survive

Anaerobic

relating to a reaction that can occur without the presence of oxygen

Analogous Structures

physical features possessed by different specise that are similar in function, but that are not related in development or evolutionary origin

Anaphase

the third phase in mitosis, during which the chromatids separate and move toward opposite centrioles

Animalia

a kingdom of multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, most of which can move about freely at some point in their life cycle

Anticodon

a sequence of three nucleotide bases on a molecule of transfer RNA (tRNA) that corresponse to a complementary sequence of three nucleotide bases on a messenger RNA (mRNA) molecule

Asexual Reproduction

reproduction that does not involve the fusion of gametes; organisms that reproduce in this manner are genetically identical to their progeny

ATP Synthase

an enzyme that allows protons to pass through a membrane and, in doing so, extracts enough energy to attach a phophate to an ADP molecule, producting ATP

Autosomal Chromosome

any of the non-sex chromosomes

Autotroph

an organism that produces its own food, including photosynthetic organisms such as green plants and photoplankton and chemosynthetic organisms such as sulfur bacteria

Auxin

a plant hormone that causes elongation on one side of a plant, so part of the plant may bend toward or away from a stimulus

Balance

a tool used for measuring mass or weight that uses a counterweights of known values for comparison

Behavioral Adaptation

an inherited behavior, such as feeding, mating, breeding, or migrating, that helps it survive in its environment

Bias

a perspective that affects the way in which people interpret events and form beliefs

Bilateral Symmetry

a body plan in which the right and left sides of the animal are symmetrical

Binary Fission

a type of asexual reproduction used by bacteria in which the cell is split into two identical cells through a process of elongation

Binomial Nomenclature

a system of classification in which an organism is given a two-word scientific name in Latin designating its genus and species

Biodiversity

the variety and number of organisms on Earth

Biogenesis

the theory that organisms can arise only from other organisms

Biomass

the total mass (with water removed) of living organisms within a given trophic level

Biotechnology

the use or alteration of organisms to serve human needs

Bioterrorism

the use of biological agents to terrorize, injure, or kill groups of people

Biotic

of or relating to living things

Biotic Potential

the ability of a population to increase, resulting from maximal rate of reproduction and minimal mortality

Budding

a method of asexual reproduction in which a juvenile grows out of an adult organism and eventually falls off to grown on its own

Calvin Cycle

light-independent reations of photosynthesis in which the ATP and NADPH generated from the light-dependent reactions provide energy for the synthesis of sugars

Capsule

the outermost protective layer found on some prokaryotic cells

Carbohydrate

one of the essential chemicals for life, used for energy and structure; made up of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen in a 1:2:1 ratio

Carbon Cycle

the movement of carbon through an ecosystem, primarily through photosynthesis and respiration

Carbon Fixation

the process of synthesizing sugars from carbon dioxide and water

Carnivore

a type of heterotroph that gets its energy for life by eating other animals

Carrying Capacity

the maximum number of organisms that can exist in an ecosystem given the available resources

Catabolism

the destruction (break-down) of waste products, worn-out parts, or foreign material inside a cell

Cell Cycle

the events in the life of a dividing cell, consisting of G₁, S, G₂, M phases and cytokinesis

Cell Membrane

a phospholipid bilayer covering a cell that controls which chemicals and substances are allowed to enter and exit the cell

Cell Theory

the idea that all living things are made of cells and that all cells come only from existing cells

Cell Wall

a structure in plant cells that surrounds the cell membrane, important for external cell structure and the protection of the cell's contents; also present in algae and certain bacteria

Cellular Respiration

the process in which carbon-rich sugar molecules react with oxygen to make energy for a cell's use; occurs in heterotrophs and autotrophs

Centriole

a cell structure that helps separate the contents of the nucleus during cell division

Centromere

the structure that binds chromatids together at the middle

Chemotaxis

a response shown by bacteria when tthey swim toward the source of a sensed chemical

Chlorophyll

one of the photosynthetic pigments found in plant chloroplasts

Chloroplast

the structure in plants that contains chlorophyll and is the site of photosynthesis

Chromatid

one of two identical strands of a replicated chromosome

Chromatin

numerous strands of DNA, coiled and bunched together; the individual strands that make up the chromosomes

Chromosome

any of the tubelike bodies within the nucleus containing DNA and protein; chromosomes carry the genetic code for an organism's inherited characteristics

Cladogram

a diagram used to classify related organisms according to their primative and derived traits

Class

a taxonomic category below the phylum and above the order categories

Cloning

the process of creating a genetically identical organism

Codominance

a situation in which both alleles express themselves in an organism that is heterozygous for a trait

Codon

a three-base sequence on messenger RNA (mRNA) that transfer RNA (tRNA) uses to provide the correct amino acid

Coevolution

the process in which two species evolve in response to each other

Color Blindness

a genetic disorder causing defects in the pigments of the light and color receptors of the eye

Commensalism

a symbiotic relationship in which one participant experiences a benefit and the other is unaffected

Community

a variety of populations that coexist in an ecosystem

Competition

a rivalry that occurs when two species or two individuals within a species need the same resource - food, shelter, and so on - to survive

Compound Light Microscope

a microscope consisting of an eyepiece and an objective mounted in a tube

Concentration Gradient

the varying levels of concentration of a substance on either side of a membrane or in an area

Conclusion

a decision or claim based on investigation and evidence

Conditioned Response

a response shown by a human or animal, which has been learned to be associated with a particular, unrelated stimulus

Constraint

a limitation that prevents the completion of certain types of research or study

Control Group

in an experiment, a group of subjects identical to the experimental subjects in every way, except it lacks exposure to the independent variable

Convergent Evolution

different species in similar environments evolving similar adaptations

Controlled Variable

the factor in an experiement that remains constant while the independent variable is manipulated/changed

Credibility

a quality in a person or organization by which others are more likely to believe their claims

Crossing Over

the exchange of genetic material between homologous chromosomes during meiosis I

Cytokinesis

the phase during which the cytoplasm divides to form to daughter cells

Cytoplasm

a combination of inorganic and organic substances outside the nucleus; includes the cytosol and organelles of a cell

Cytoskeleton

the support framework inside the cell made up of microfilaments and microtubules

Daughter Cell

a cell produced from a parent cell by mitosis or meiosis

Decomposer

an organism (e.g., bacterium, fungus) that breaks down other organisms into organic molecules after they have died

Denitrification

bacterial reduction of nitrates or nitrites

Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA)

a double-stranded nucleic acid molecule that contains the genetic code

Dependent Variable

the factor in an experiment that changes (or doesn't change) in response to the independent (manipulated) variable; sometimes called the responding variable

Dichotomous Key

a key for identifying organisms based on a series of choices between alternative characters

Diffusion

the general process by which all materials tranfer passively in and out of cells

Diploid

a cell that has two sets of chromosomes

DNA Polymerase

an enzyme that moves along a strand DNA and repairs or replicates the DNA

Dominant Allele

the form of a trait that is always expressed when at least one allele for it is present

Dormancy

a sleep-like state in which an animal's metabolism slows in order to save energy; hibernation and estivation are examples

Ecology

the branch of biology that studies relationships among organisms and their environments

Ecosystem

a collection of living organisms and their environment

Electron Transport Chain

a series of proteins within a membrane that uses high-energy electrons to convert ADP to ATP

Emigration

the movement of individuals out of a population

Enzyme

a specialized protein that often acts as a catalyst in various chemical reactions

Estivation

a dormant condition that some animals enter when temperatures are high and water is scarce

Ethics

the standards of behavior followed by a group of people

Eukaryote

a cell that has membrane-bound organelles and genetic material contained inside a nucleus

Eutrophication

the process by which a body of water is enriched in nutrients; this stimulates the growth of plant life; when plant life decays, it depletes dissolvved oxygen in the water