Characteristics, Organization, and Transport in Organisms

A comprehensive set of vocabulary flashcards based on lecture notes covering the characteristics of living things, classification, cell structure and specialization, and the mechanisms of cellular transport including diffusion, osmosis, and active transport.

Respiration

Chemical reactions that take place in cells that break down nutrient molecules, and release energy for metabolism.

Sensitivity

The ability to sense stimuli in the internal or external environment and make appropriate responses.

Growth

A permanent increase in size and dry mass by an increase in cell number or both.

Excretion

The removal from organisms of waste products of metabolism, toxic materials, and excess substances.

Nutrition

Taking in materials for growth, energy, and development.

Species

A group of organisms that can reproduce to produce fertile offspring.

Binomial naming system

A standard way of classification where the scientific name consists of the Genus (Capitalized) and species (lower case), which is underlined when written or italicized when printed.

Morphology

The study of the form or outward appearance of organisms.

Anatomy

The study of internal structures by dissection.

Ferns

Land and vascular plants that undergo sexual reproduction and produce gametes without seeds; they possess sporangia which make spores.

Monocotyledon

A type of flowering plant characterized by long and narrow leaves, parallel veins, and one cotyledon.

Dicotyledon

A type of flowering plant characterized by broad leaves, branching veins, and two cotyledons.

Hyphae

Thread-like structures that make up a fungus, featuring many nuclei distributed throughout the cytoplasm.

Viruses

Particles that are NOT cells, consisting of a central core of RNA or DNA surrounded by a protein coat; they only reproduce inside living host cells.

Prokaryote

Unicellular organisms such as bacteria where chromosomes are not organized into a nucleus and cell walls are made from peptidoglycan.

Plasmids

Little rings of DNA found in bacterial cells that contain extra DNA.

Mitochondria

The site of aerobic respiration in a cell; cells with high metabolism require many of these to release energy.

Cell Wall (Plants)

A structural support for plants made from cellulose.

Ciliated Cells

Specialized cells with cilia (extensions of the cell membrane) that allow for the movement of mucus in the trachea and bronchi.

Red blood cells

Cells with a biconcave shape and no nucleus that contain haemoglobin to transport oxygen in the blood.

Palisade mesophyll cells

Column-shaped cells containing many chloroplasts to maximize sunlight absorption and photosynthesis.

Acrosome

The part of a sperm cell's head containing digestive enzymes used to penetrate the egg.

Tissue

Groups of cells of similar structure working together on the same function.

Magnification Formula

$M = \frac{I}{A}$, where $I$ is image size and $A$ is actual size.

Measurement conversion

$1\,mm = 1000\,\mu m$.

Diffusion

The net movement of particles from a region of higher concentration to a region of lower concentration as a result of random movement.

Osmosis

The net movement of water molecules from high water potential (dilute) to lower water potential (concentrated) through a partially permeable membrane.

Turgid

The state of a plant cell when it swells up after being placed in distilled water, as the vacuole exerts turgor pressure on the elastic cell wall.

Plasmolysed

The state of a plant cell when water moves from the cell to a salt solution with low water potential.

Haemolysis

The bursting of an animal cell when excess water enters by osmosis.

Crenated

The shrinking of an animal cell when water in the cytoplasm osmoses out into a salt solution.

Active transport

The movement of particles through a cell membrane from lower concentration to high concentration using energy acquired from respiration and carrier proteins.