UIL VOCAB

• Bulk flow – The movement of fluids due to pressure differences, such as water transport in xylem and phloem.

• Rhizobacteria – Beneficial bacteria that colonize plant roots, promoting growth and nutrient absorption.

• Mycorrhizae – Symbiotic fungi that enhance plant nutrient uptake, especially phosphorus, by forming associations with roots.

• Epiphytes – Plants that grow on other plants for support but do not parasitize them, obtaining moisture from the air.

Plant Hormones

• Auxin – A hormone that promotes cell elongation, root growth, and phototropism in plants.

• Cytokinins – Plant hormones that promote cell division and shoot formation while delaying aging in leaves.

• Abscisic acid (ABA) – A hormone that induces seed dormancy and helps plants respond to stress, such as drought.

• Gibberellins – Growth hormones that stimulate seed germination, stem elongation, and fruit development.

• Ethylene – A gaseous hormone involved in fruit ripening, leaf abscission, and stress responses.

• Brassinosteroids – Plant hormones that regulate growth, development, and responses to stress.

• Jasmonates – Hormones involved in plant defense against herbivores and environmental stress.

• Strigolactones – Hormones that regulate plant branching and facilitate symbiosis with mycorrhizal fungi.

Animal Biology Terms

• Plasma proteins – Proteins in blood plasma (e.g., albumins, globulins, fibrinogen) that play roles in clotting, immunity, and transport.

• Erythrocytes – Red blood cells that transport oxygen using hemoglobin.

• Leukocytes – White blood cells involved in immune defense.

• Interferons – Proteins that help cells resist viral infections by signaling nearby cells to activate defenses.

• Histamine – A chemical released by immune cells that triggers inflammation and allergic responses.

• Epithelial cells – Cells that form protective layers on body surfaces and line organs.

Human Anatomy Terms

• Distal tubule – A segment of the nephron in the kidney that regulates electrolyte balance and pH.

• Posterior pituitary – The part of the pituitary gland that stores and releases hormones like oxytocin and antidiuretic hormone (ADH).

• Anterior pituitary – The front portion of the pituitary gland that produces hormones like growth hormone (GH) and adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH).

Ecology Terms

• Clumped dispersion – A pattern where organisms are found in groups, often due to social behavior or resource availability.

• Random dispersion – A distribution pattern where individuals are spread unpredictably due to lack of strong attractions or repulsions.

Protist and Fungal Groups

• Excavates – A group of unicellular protists with unique flagella and feeding grooves, including Giardia and Euglena.

• SAR – A diverse supergroup of protists including Stramenopiles, Alveolates, and Rhizarians (e.g., diatoms, ciliates, foraminifera).

• Archaeplastida – A major group of photosynthetic organisms including red algae, green algae, and land plants.

• Amoebozoans – A group of protists with amoeboid movement, including slime molds and free-living amoebas.

• Opisthokonts – A supergroup that includes fungi, animals, and related protists.

• Unikonta – A broad supergroup including Amoebozoans and Opisthokonts, characterized by a single flagellum.

Plant Classification Terms

• Bryophytes – Non-vascular plants such as mosses, liverworts, and hornworts.

• Embryophyte – A term for land plants, including both non-vascular and vascular groups.

• Angiosperm – Flowering plants that produce seeds enclosed in fruits.

• Lycophyte – Seedless vascular plants like club mosses.

• Gymnosperm – Seed-producing plants that do not form flowers, such as conifers.

• Glaucophyte – A rare group of microscopic algae that retain ancestral traits of early photosynthetic organisms.

Animal Tissue Types

• Squamous cells – Flat, thin cells found in the skin and linings of organs.

• Columnar cells – Tall, column-shaped cells found in the digestive tract lining.

• Cuboidal cells – Cube-shaped cells found in glands and kidney tubules.

Disease and Epidemiology

• Pandemic – A disease outbreak that spreads across multiple countries or continents.

• Subdemic – A term not widely used but could refer to localized outbreaks within a larger epidemic.

• Epidemic – A disease outbreak that spreads rapidly within a specific region or population.

• Endemic – A disease that is consistently present in a particular geographic area.

Microbial Fermentation

• Mixed acid fermentation – A metabolic process where bacteria produce a mixture of acids, such as lactic, acetic, and formic acids.

• 2,3-butanediol fermentation – A fermentation process producing 2,3-butanediol as a major product, used by some bacteria.

• Alcohol fermentation – A process where yeast and some bacteria convert sugars into ethanol and CO₂.

• Homolactic acid fermentation – A process in which glucose is converted entirely into lactic acid, used by Lactobacillus species.

• Heterolactic acid fermentation – A fermentation pathway that produces lactic acid along with other byproducts such as ethanol and CO₂.

Genetics & Evolution

• Gene flow – The transfer of genetic material between populations through migration and reproduction, which can increase genetic diversity.

• Homologous structures – Anatomical features in different species that share a common evolutionary origin but may have different functions (e.g., human arm and whale flipper).

• Analogous structures – Features in different species that serve similar functions but evolved independently (e.g., bird wings and insect wings).

• Temporal isolation – A form of reproductive isolation where species breed at different times (seasons, times of day), preventing interbreeding.

• Behavioral isolation – Reproductive isolation due to differences in mating behaviors, such as courtship rituals or calls.

• Geographical isolation – Physical barriers (rivers, mountains) prevent interbreeding between populations, leading to speciation.

Speciation

• Allopatric speciation – The formation of new species due to geographic separation of populations, preventing gene flow.

• Sympatric speciation – The evolution of new species within the same geographic area, often due to behavioral, temporal, or genetic differences.

Population Ecology

• Clumped dispersion – A population distribution where individuals are grouped together due to resource availability or social behavior.

• Uniform dispersion – Evenly spaced individuals, often due to competition or territoriality.

• Random dispersion – A population distribution where individuals are spread unpredictably, often occurring when resources are abundant and evenly distributed.

Molecular Biology Techniques

• Northern Blot – A technique used to detect RNA molecules in a sample by hybridizing them with a complementary DNA or RNA probe.

• Southern Blot – A method for detecting specific DNA sequences in a sample using restriction enzymes and hybridization probes.

• Western Blot – A technique used to detect specific proteins in a sample using antibodies.

Hematology (Blood & Immune System)

• Lymphoid – Refers to cells, tissues, and organs involved in the lymphatic system and immune response, including lymphocytes (B cells, T cells, and NK cells), lymph nodes, and the spleen.

• Myeloid – Relates to blood cells derived from the bone marrow, including red blood cells (erythrocytes), platelets, and certain white blood cells (granulocytes and monocytes).

Penetrance – The proportion of individuals with a particular genotype who actually express the associated phenotype. If a genetic trait has 100% penetrance, all individuals with the genotype show the trait; if it has incomplete penetrance, some individuals with the genotype do not express the expected phenotype.