Biology Unit 3 Vocab

Aerobic

process which requires oxygen

Active Transport

Energy from the cell is needed to move substances

Anaerobic

process that does not require oxygen

ATP

Compound used by cells to store and release energy

ADP

low-energy molecule in your cells that acts like a partially discharged battery

Cell Membrane

Thin flexible barrier; Surrounds all cells and regulates what leaves and enters

Chloroplast

Captures sunlight and converts it into chemical energy (in plants)

Chlorophyll

principal pigment of plants and other photosynthetic organisms

Cellular Respiration

process that releases energy by breaking down glucose

Diffusion

where particles move to an area where there more concentrated to an area where there less concentrated

Eukaryote

cells that enclose their DNA in nuclei

Electron Transport Chain

series of electrons carrier proteins that shuttle high-energy electrons during ATP generating reactions

Facilitated Diffusion

process of diffusion in which molecules pass across the membrane channels

Fermentation

process in which cells release energy in the absence of oxygen

Glycolysis

first set of reactions in cellular respiration

Glucose

a simple sugar that serves as the primary source of energy

Hypotonic

when comparing 2 solutions, the solutions with the lesser concentration of solutes

Hypertonic

when comparing 2 solutions, the solution with the greater concentration of solutes

Hydrophobic

a kind of lipid that is water-hating “tails”

Hydrophilic

type of lipid that is water-loving “heads”

Isotonic

when concentration of 2 solutions is the same

Light-Independent reaction

set of reactions that don’t require light; energy from ATP and NADPH is used to build high-energy compounds

Light-dependent reaction

set of reactions that use energy from light to produce ATP and NADPH

Mitochondrion

cell organelle that converts stored food into compounds that are more convenient

Nucleus

large membrane enclosed structure that contains genetic material (DNA)

Organelle

Acts like specialized organs (little organs)

Osmosis

diffusion of water through a selectively permeable membrane

Phospholipid

molecules that form the primary structural foundation of all cellular membranes

Pyruvate (pyruvate acid)

3-carbon organic molecule that serves as a central metabloic junction point in living cells

Prokaryote

cells that do not enclose their own DNA in nuclei

Photosynthesis

process where plants use sunlight to turn water and carbon into sugar and oxygen

Ribosome

small particles of RNA and protein found throughout cytoplasm

Selective Permeability

allows substances to pass while other cannot

Thylakoid

saclike photosynthetic membranes found in chloroplast