Grade 12 Biology Unit 1 Applications of Biology

Flashcards covering vocabulary and key definitions from Grade 12 Biology Unit 1 Applications of Biology in day to day life.

Natural resources

Resources supplied by nature, such as soil, water, air, plants, animals, and energy.

Conservation

The careful maintenance and wise use of natural resources to prevent them from disappearing.

Conservation biology

A mission-oriented science that focuses on how to protect and restore biodiversity.

Renewable natural resources

Resources, mainly living things and their products, that can be used, reused, and replaced when managed carefully.

Non-renewable natural resources

Finite resources that are not replaced at the same speed as they are used up.

Food security

A state in which all people have physical, social, and economic access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food at all times.

Nutrition security

A situation where individuals have access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious foods, safe water, adequate sanitation, health care services, and proper knowledge of childcare, food storage, preparation, and hygiene.

Conscious citizen

An individual who values human life and relationships with all living things, taking responsibility for making ethical decisions to improve life on the planet.

Biotechnology

The science and technology of harnessing the natural and biological capabilities of plants, animals, and microbes for the benefit of people.

Transgene

A gene that is introduced into a species from another species.

Pruteen

An animal feed produced by the mass culture of the bacterium Methylophilus methylotrophus.

Mycoprotein

A meat substitute for human consumption made from the fungus Fusarium venenatum.

Spirulina

A spiral-shaped cyanobacterium harvested from lakes and ponds that serves as a primary nutrient source.

Bacteriostatic

Agents or antibiotics that stop bacteria from reproducing.

Bactericidal

Agents or antibiotics that kill bacteria.

Biosensor

An analytical device used to detect chemical substances by combining a biological component with a physicochemical detector.

Bioinformatics

A science that develops methods and software tools for understanding biological data such as genetic codes.

Biomining

The technique of extracting metals from ores and solid materials typically using prokaryotes, fungi, or plants.

Biohydrometallurgy

The use of microbes to extract metals from ores.

Biochemical oxygen demand (BOD)

The measure of the amount of oxygen needed by microorganisms to oxidize the organic content in waste water.

Bulking

The principal operating problem of the activated sludge process caused by overgrowth of filamentous bacteria such as Sphaerotilus natans.

Bioremediation

The use of living organisms or their products for detoxification and degradation of environmental pollutants.

Biotransformation

An event where microbial enzymes modify a toxic pollutant by altering or transforming its structure.

Biogas

A combustible gas, mostly methane with some $CO_2$, produced from the anaerobic breakdown of organic matter by microorganisms.

Composting

A controlled, aerobic process that converts solid organic materials into a stable, nutrient-rich soil amendment through natural decomposition.

Cloning

A method of producing genetically identical copies of genes, cells, or organisms.

Biological warfare

The use of biological toxins or infectious agents such as bacteria, viruses, and fungi with the intent to kill or incapacitate humans, animals, or plants as an act of war.