Grade 12 Biology - Unit 1: Applications of Biology in Day-to-Day Life

Vocabulary practice flashcards created from Grade 12 Biology Unit 1 lecture notes, covering conservation, food security, citizenship, biotechnology, forensic science, environmental applications, and agricultural genetics.

Conservation of Natural Resources

The wise use, protection, and management of natural resources for present and future generations.

Renewable Natural Resources

Inexhaustible natural resources capable of being produced or replenished indefinitely, whose availability is not affected in the long term by consumption when managed carefully.

Non-Renewable Natural Resources

Finite natural resources that exist in limited quantities and cannot be easily replaced once used, as their consumption rate far exceeds their rate of natural renewal.

Biological Control

The practice of using natural predators, parasites, or microorganisms to control biological pests, thereby reducing dependence on chemical pesticides.

Food Security

A condition achieved when all people at all times have physical, social, and economic access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food that meets their dietary needs and preferences for an active and healthy life.

Nutrition Security

Access to nutritious food combined with safe water, adequate sanitation, access to healthcare services, and knowledge of proper food hygiene, preparation, and childcare.

Undernourishment

A hunger condition defined by the World Food Program where individuals do not consume enough calories.

Wasting

The most severe form of hunger, characterized by acute weight loss resulting from severe malnutrition and starvation.

Biofortification

The process of breeding staple crops via selective breeding or genetic modification to contain higher levels of essential vitamins, proteins, and minerals.

Conscious Citizen

A person who values being fully human, respects all living things, and takes responsibility to convert knowledge and skills into ethical actions that improve life on the planet.

Global Conscious Citizen

An individual who thinks beyond their community and country, cares about global issues like climate change and inequality, and takes responsible actions for the well-being of people and the planet.

Sustainable Development

Development that meets present needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs by balancing social equity, economic growth, and environmental preservation.

Biotechnology

The application of technologies that utilize living organisms or their cellular products to develop products beneficial to human beings.

Genetic Engineering

A laboratory-based process that alters the DNA makeup of an organism by transferring DNA from one organism into another.

Transgenic Organism

A genetically modified organism that has received genetic material (a transgene) from a different species.

Gene Cloning

The process of using a vector (such as a bacterium or virus) to produce multiple identical copies of a specific gene or DNA segment in a laboratory setting.

Gene Therapy

A technique that introduces a normal functional gene into an individual's genome to repair a disease-causing mutation in vivo or ex vivo.

Single Cell Protein

Protein derived from mass-cultured microorganisms such as bacteria, yeasts, molds, or algae, used as a protein substitute in human and animal food.

Pruteen

The first commercial single cell protein produced by the mass culture of the bacterium Methylophilus methylotrophus for use as animal feed.

Mycoprotein

A human meat substitute produced from the fungus Fusarium venenatum.

Spirulina

A nutrient-rich cyanobacteria harvested from lakes and ponds, consumed as a superfood packed with proteins, vitamins, and minerals.

Primary Metabolites

Metabolic compounds directly involved in normal growth, development, and reproduction that are identical across species (e.g., carbohydrates, ethanol, lactic acid).

Secondary Metabolites

Metabolic compounds derived from primary metabolites that perform specific physiological functions and vary among restricted groups of species (e.g., antibiotics, steroids, pigments).

Leavening

The process in bread making where yeasts like Saccharomyces cerevisiae ferment sugars in flour to produce $CO_2$ gas, expanding the dough to make it spongy and light.

Bacteriostatic Antibiotic

An antibiotic that slows or inhibits bacterial growth and reproduction without directly killing the bacteria.

Bacteriocidal Antibiotic

An antibiotic that directly kills bacteria.

Biosensor

A bioelectronic device that links living biological components with transducers to convert biological or chemical reactions into proportional electrical signals.

Forensic Science

The use of scientific methods and biological analyses (such as cellular, tissue, and fluid testing) to investigate crimes or legal evidence for courts of law.

Minisatellites (VNTRs)

Variable Number Tandem Repeats in non-coding DNA that vary in length and repeat frequency between individuals, serving as key markers for genetic fingerprinting.

Biohydrometallurgy

A field of environmental biotechnology that utilizes microorganisms (such as Thiobacillus ferrooxidans) to extract metals from low-grade mineral ores.

Composting

An aerobic microbial process that breaks down solid organic waste into a stable, sanitary, humus-like soil conditioner.

Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD)

The amount of dissolved oxygen consumed by microorganisms to oxidize organic matter in wastewater, used as a key metric for water pollution.

Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD)

The total amount of oxygen required to completely oxidize organic carbon in a liquid sample to $CO_2$, $H_2O$, and ammonia.

Primary Wastewater Treatment

A physical stage of wastewater treatment involving screening and sedimentation to remove floating objects and settleable sludge, reducing BOD by 25–35%.

Secondary Wastewater Treatment

A biological wastewater treatment stage relying on microbial oxidation (aeration) via trickling filters or activated sludge to drastically reduce dissolved organic content.

Tertiary Wastewater Treatment

An advanced treatment phase involving filtration through fine sand and activated charcoal followed by disinfection (chlorination or UV treatment) to remove viruses, trace chemicals, and nutrients.

Bioremediation

The branch of biotechnology that utilizes living organisms (plants, fungi, or bacteria) or their products to detoxify and degrade pollutants in soil and water.

Biodegradation

The natural breakdown of environmental pollutants into simpler, harmless compounds by saprophytic or genetically engineered microorganisms.

Biotransformation

The modification of a toxic pollutant's molecular structure by microbial enzymes to render it non-toxic or easier to degrade.

Biogas

A combustible gas mixture primarily composed of methane ($CH_4$) and carbon dioxide ($CO_2$) produced by the anaerobic decomposition of organic waste by bacteria and archaea.

Ti Plasmid

A tumor-inducing plasmid isolated from Agrobacterium tumefaciens used as a cloning vector to transfer recombinant genes into plant genomes.

Bt Crops

Genetically modified crops containing insecticidal protein genes transferred from Bacillus thuringiensis to protect against pest attacks.

Biological Warfare

The deliberate deployment of biological toxins or infectious biological agents (e.g., Bacillus anthracis, Ebola) to kill or incapacitate living organisms as an act of war.