BIOL 2315 Review Guide: Plant Biology, Avian Biology, Thermoregulation, and Fermentation

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering plant biology, monocots vs. dicots, avian anatomy, thermoregulation, and fermentation biochemistry.

Vegetable (Botanical Definition)

Any edible plant material that is neither a fruit nor a seed, such as roots, stems, leaves, and hypocotyls.

Fruit (Botanical Definition)

A seed-bearing structure that develops from the ovary of a flowering plant following fertilization.

Seed

An embryonic plant enclosed in a protective outer coat, capable of developing into a new plant.

Roots

Plant structures that anchor plants and absorb water and minerals from the soil; food examples include carrots (tap root) and parsnips.

Tubers & Rhizomes

Underground stem modifications specialized for storage and reproduction; examples include potatoes (tuber) and ginger (rhizome).

Hypocotyl

The transitional region between root and stem that acts as a storage organ; food examples include radishes and beets.

Stems/Stalks

Plant structures that transport water and nutrients while supporting aerial organs; food examples include celery and asparagus.

Leaves

The primary site of photosynthesis characterized by high nutrient density; food examples include spinach, kale, and lettuce.

Flowers

Reproductive structures of angiosperms utilized as food, such as broccoli florets and cauliflower.

Photosynthesis

The biological process by which plants use chlorophyll to convert light energy into chemical energy: $6\text{CO}_2 + 6\text{H}_2\text{O} + \text{Light Energy} \xrightarrow{\text{Chlorophyll}} \text{C}_6\text{H}_{12}\text{O}_6 + 6\text{O}_2$.

Great Oxidation Event

A major planetary transition caused by ancestral photosynthetic cyanobacteria that enriched Earth's oceans and atmosphere with oxygen.

Vascular Plants (Tracheophytes)

Plants possessing specialized conducting tissues—xylem for water/mineral transport and phloem for sugar/nutrient transport (e.g., ferns, roses, oak trees).

Non-Vascular Plants (Bryophytes)

Plants lacking specialized vascular tissues that absorb water and nutrients directly through cell surfaces via osmosis and diffusion (e.g., mosses, liverworts, hornworts).

Angiosperms

Flowering plants that produce flowers and enclose their seeds within protective fruits.

Gymnosperms

Non-flowering plants that bear "naked" seeds, typically housed on cone structures (e.g., pines, spruces).

Monocots

Flowering plants possessing a single cotyledon, parallel leaf venation, vascular bundles scattered throughout the stem, floral parts in multiples of $3$, and a fibrous root system.

Dicots

Flowering plants possessing two cotyledons, netted/branched leaf venation, stem vascular bundles arranged in a concentric ring, floral parts in multiples of $4$ or $5$, and a primary taproot system.

Amniotic Egg

A key evolutionary adaptation in early tetrapods that enabled terrestrial reproduction by preventing embryo desiccation away from aquatic environments.

Anisogamy

A form of sexual reproduction involving two distinct gametes: a large, nutrient-rich egg cell (macrogamete) and a small, motile sperm cell (microgamete).

Blastodisk

A single layer of cells located on the yolk surface where embryonic development occurs upon fertilization.

Yolk (Vitellus)

The primary nutrient storage of proteins and lipids in an egg, synthesized in the hen's liver.

Albumen (Egg White)

The egg component providing liquid suspension, mechanical protection, and antimicrobial defenses (sequestering iron, lysing bacterial walls, and inhibiting viral activity).

Chalazae

Structural cord-like protein fibers that suspend and anchor the yolk centrally within the egg white.

Cuticle (Bloom)

A proteinaceous outer coating sealing shell pores to protect the egg against microbial ingress and moisture loss.

Infundibulum

The region of the avian oviduct where fertilization takes place if sperm is present.

Magnum

The segment of the avian oviduct responsible for depositing the dense and thin albumen layers around the yolk.

Uterus (Shell Gland)

The avian organ where calcification of the calcium carbonate ($\text{CaCO}_3$) shell occurs over approximately $14\,\text{hours}$.

Red Junglefowl (Gallus gallus)

The primary wild progenitor of the domestic chicken, originally domesticated approximately $8{,}000\,\text{years}$ ago (~$6000\,\text{BC}$) in Southeast Asia.

TSHR Mutation

A genetic alteration in the Thyroid-Stimulating Hormone Receptor gene that uncouples chicken reproduction from daylight length, allowing continuous year-round egg laying.

Avian Influenza (H5 Strains)

A viral disease naturally reservoired in wild waterfowl that transmits rapidly in high-density poultry operations, controlled via whole-flock culling with carbon monoxide gas.

Ectotherms ("Cold-Blooded")

Organisms (e.g., reptiles, amphibians, fish) that rely on ambient external environments for heat, having low baseline metabolic rates and minimal caloric requirements.

Endotherms ("Warm-Blooded")

Organisms (e.g., birds, mammals) that generate metabolic heat internally, characterized by high baseline metabolic rates and high caloric requirements.

Mesothermy

An intermediate metabolic strategy utilized by extinct organisms like non-avian dinosaurs, balancing internal heat generation without reaching full endothermic rates.

Theropods

Bipedal, predominantly carnivorous dinosaurs that are the direct evolutionary ancestors of modern birds.

Archaeopteryx

An iconic transitional fossil showing reptilian traits (toothed jaws, long bony tail) alongside avian features (feathered wings, asymmetrical flight feathers).

Churning

The mechanical agitation of cream that disrupts the phospholipid membrane around fat globules, causing triglycerides to coalesce into butter while separating buttermilk.

Casein

The primary milk protein organized in micelles that precipitate into curds upon acidification (to pH ~$4.7$) or enzymatic cleavage by rennet (chymosin).

Whey

The soluble protein supernatant remaining after milk curd separation, containing functional proteins like lactoglobulins and immunoglobulins.

Lactose

A disaccharide milk sugar composed of glucose and galactose subunits that is converted to lactic acid by bacteria during fermentation.

Fermentation

An anaerobic metabolic process wherein microorganisms break down carbohydrate substrates to produce ATP without an electron transport chain, generating organic byproducts.

Lactic Acid Fermentation

Fermentation performed by Lactobacillus and Streptococcus species producing lactic acid; used in yogurt, cheese, sauerkraut, and pickles.

Alcoholic Fermentation

Fermentation performed by Saccharomyces cerevisiae (yeast) producing ethanol and carbon dioxide; used in bread, beer, and wine.

Acetic Acid Fermentation

Fermentation performed by Acetobacter species producing acetic acid; used in the production of vinegar and kombucha.

Daikon Radish

A large, mild-flavored white root radish (Raphanus sativus var. longipinnatus) belonging to the Brassicaceae family.

Watermelon Radish

An heirloom variety of daikon radish characterized by a pale green exterior ring and a bright magenta/pink interior.