Biology Key words

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Abiotic factors
Non-living (physical) components of an ecosystem
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Active site
Region of enzyme where substrate binds
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ADH (anti-diuretic hormone)
Hormone which controls the amount of water reabsorbed in the kidney
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Adrenaline
Hormone released duriong stress. It causes changes which make the body ready for action
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Aerobic respiration
Process of transferring energy from glucose and oxygen
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Alleles
Different versions of the same gene
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Alveoli
Air sac in the lung which increases surface area
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Anaerobic respiration
Process of transferring energy from glucose in the absence of oxygen
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Antigens
Proteins on the surface of a microorganism
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Antiseptic
Chemicals that kill or neutralise all types of pathogen, but do not damage human tissue
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Antivirals
Drugs that destroy viruses
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Artery
Blood vessel that carries blood away from the heart
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Artificial classification
Grouping of organisms based on observable characteristics
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Aseptic technique
Technique used to ensure that no foreign microorganisms are introduced into a sample being tested
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Asexual reproduction
Reproduction that requires only one parent, results in clones e.g. with plants
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ATP
(Adenosine Triphospate), a chemical energy store (energy)
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Atria
Upper chamber of the heart (singular - atrium)
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Auxin
Plant hormone responsible for growth through cell elongation
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Binary fission
A type of reproduction, where an organism reproduces by dividing in two. Exact copies of the parent cell are produced
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Biodiversity
The variety of living organisms present in an area
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Biological control
Using a natural predator to control a pest population
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Biomass
The total mass of organism in a given area
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Biotechnology
The use of biological processes or organisms to produce products
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Biotic factors
Living components of an ecosystem
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Bladder
Organ which stores urine until it is removed from the body
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Brain
Organ that controls all body processes
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cancer
A disease which occurs as the result of cell changes that lead to uncontrolled growth and division
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capillary
Small blood vessels that carry blood close to all cells in the body. They link arterioles and venules.
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capture-recapture
Technique used to estimate population size of animals
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carbohydrate
Food component formed from sugar monomers
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Carbon cycle
Process through which carbon is cycled through the atmosphere, the Earth, and plants and animals
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Categoric variable
A variable that can take on one of a limited and usually fixed, number of possible values
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Casual relationship
A relationship in which changing one variable leads to, or causes, a change in another variable
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Cell
Smallest functional unit in an organism. Cells are the building blocks of life
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Cell cycle
The process of cell growth and division
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Cell membrane
Subcellular structure that controls which substances can move into and out of the cell
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Cell wall
Subcellular structure that surrounds the cell, providing support
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Central nervous system
Brain and spinal chord - where nervous information is processed
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Cerebellum
Area of the brain that controls posture, balance and non-volountary movements
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Cerebrum
Area of the brain that controls complex behaviour such as learning, memory, personality, and conscious thought
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Chlorophyll
Green pigment in chloroplasts which traps energy from the sun
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Chloroplast
Subcellular structure where photosynthesis takes place
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Chromosome
Strand of DNA containing genes
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Ciliary Body
Muscular tissue in the eye which alters the shape of the lens
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Classification
Grouping organisms who share characteristics similarities in DNA
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Clinical Trial
Stages of testing required to approve a drug for
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Clone
An organism which is genetically identical to its parent
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Colour blindness
Inability to distinguish individual colours
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Communicable disease
A disease which can be transmitted between organisms
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Community
All the living organisms in an area
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Competition
Two or more organisms in an area
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Complementary base pair
The pairing of the bases between two strands of DNA - adenine with thymine, and guanine with cytosine
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Concentration gradient
Difference in concentration between two regions
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Conservation
Protecting a natural environment to ensure habitats and organisms are not lost
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Consumers
Organisms that have to eat other organisms to gain energy
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Contagious
Disease which is easily transmitted
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Continuous variable
A variable that has values that can be any number between a minimum and maximum
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Continuous variation
Variation which can take any value between a minimum and maximum
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Contaception
Technique used to prevent pregnancy
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Control variable
A variable that you have to keep the same in an investigation
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Cornea
Transparent coating on the front of the eye
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Correletion
A relationship where there is a link between two variables
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Cytoplasm
A 'jelly-like' substance found in cells, where all the chemical reactions take place
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Decomposers
Organisms that gain their energy by feeding on dead or decaying material
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Deforestation
Removal of forest from an area
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Dehydration
Condition where body takes in too little water
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Denature
Shape of an enzyme is changed so that it can no longer catalyse a reaction
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Dependant variable
A variable that changes when you change the independent variable
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Detrivore
Small animal which breaks down organic matter into small pieces
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Diabetes
Medical condition which affects a person's control of blood sugar levels
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Diagnosis
Identifying a disease in a plant or animal
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Differentiation
Conversion of a cell from unspecialised to specialised
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Diffusion
Net movement of particles from a place where there is a high concentration to a low concentration
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Diploid cells
Cells which contain two sets of chromosomes
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Discontinuous variation
Characteristic which falls into distinct groups
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Discrete variable
A variable that can have whole number variables
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Disease
A condition caused by any part of an organism not functioning properly
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DNA
Biological polymer made from nucleodite monomers. The sequence contains all the information needed to make an organism
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DNA base
Nitrogen base found in DNA - adenine, thymine, cytosine, guanine
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DNA replication
Process by which a double-stranded DNA molecule is copied to produce two identical DNA molecules
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Dominant allele
Version of a gene whose characteristics is always expressed if present in the genotype
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Donor organism
Organism from which desired genes are taken
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Double circulatory system
A system in which blood travels through the heart twice in each circuit of the body
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Droplet infection
Method of disease transmission pathogens spread by airborne droplets from the nose, throat or lungs
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Ecosystem
All the living organisms and physical conditions present in an area
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Ecotourism
A form of tourism that minimises the impact of visitors on the environment
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Effectors
Muscles and glands which respond to impulses from the nervous system
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Egestion
Removal of undigested waste from an organism
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Electron microscope
A microscope which uses electrons to produce an image
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Endangered species
Species which have low numbers of surviving organisms left in the world
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Endocrine gland
Gland which produces and secretes a hormone
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Endocrine system
All the endocrine glands and the hormones they produce
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Endothermic
A chemical reaction in which energy is transferred from the surroundings to the reacting mixture
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Environmental
Relating to the natural world and the impact of human activity on its condition
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Environmental variation
Variation caused by the environment
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Enzyme
Biological catalyst - this means it speeds up reaction times without being used up
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Ethanol
Chemical name for the drug in alcoholic drinks
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Ethene
Plant hormone that causes paint fruits to ripen by stimulating the conversion of starch into sugar
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Euglena
Unicellular organism which performs photosynthesis but engulfs food in low light levels
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Eukaryotic cell
Cell whose genetic material is contained within the nucleus
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Evolution
Gradual change in a species over time
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Exchange surface
An area where materials are interchanged
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Excretion
Removal of waste products from an organism
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Exothermic
A chemical reaction in which energy is transferred from the reacting mixture to the surroundings
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Extinct
Species which have no surviving organisms left in the world
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Fermentation
Anaerobic respiration process that produces ethanol and carbon dioxide
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Fertilisation
Joining together of two gametes
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Fertility treatment
Technique used to increase a woman's chance of getting pregnant
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Flagellum
A 'tail-like' structure which allows cells to move
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Focus
The production of a sharp image
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Food security
The ability of human populations to access food of sufficient quality and quantity
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Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH)
Female hormone that causes an egg to mature and stimulates the ovaries to produce oestrogen
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Foreign genes
Genes that are inserted into an organism from a different species
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Fossil
Remains of plant or animal mineralised or changed into rock
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Fossil record
The sequence of fossils which together show how organisms have evolved over time
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Gametes
Sex cells
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Gene
Section of DNA which codes for a characteristic
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Gene pool
All the genetic material present in a population
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Gene therapy
Medical technique that involves the replacement of a faulty allele with a fully functioning allele
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Genetic cross
Technique used to show the possible characteristics of an offspring
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Genetic engineering
Altering an organism's genome to produce an organism with desired characteristics
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Genetic modification
Similar to genetic engineering
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Genetic variation
Variation caused by an organisms genetic material
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Genome
All the genetic material present in an organism
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Genotype
The combination of alleles present in an organism
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Gibberellins
Plant hormones that promotes growth (particularly stem elongation) and end the dormancy period of seeds and buds
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Glands
Secrete hormones into the blood stream
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Glucagon
Hormone which stimulates the liver to turn glycogen into glucose, increasing blood sugar levels
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Gravitropism
Growth in response to gravity (also known as geotropism)
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Habitat
The place in which an organism lives
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Haploid cells
Cells which contain one set of chromosomes
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Hazard
A possible source of danger
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Heart
Muscular organ which pumps blood around the body
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Heterozygous
Organism who has different alleles of a gene
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Homeostasis
Maintenance of a constant internal environment
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Homozygous
Organism who has two copies of the same allele
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Hormone
Chemical messenger which travels in the blood
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Host organism
Organism into which foreign genes are inserted
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Hydroponics
Growing plants in water containing dissolved minerals
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Hypothalamus
Area of brain that regulates temperature and water balance
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Immunity
The ability of the body to 'fight off' a microorganism before it has the ability to cause disease
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Incident of disease
The number of new cases of a disease per unit population per unit time
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Incubation period
The time between contracting a disease and disease symptoms showing
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Independent variable
A variable you change that changes the dependent variable
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Indicator species
Organism whose presence or absence can be used to indicate pollution
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Insulin
Hormone which stimulates the liver to turn glucose into glycogen, decreasing blood sugar levels
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Intensive farming
Organic farming uses more natural methods of producing crops and rearing animals, avoiding the use of artificial chemicals
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Interpendence
How different organisms depend on each other within a community
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Iris
Coloured ring of muscle tissue in the eye which alters the pupil size
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Kidney
Organ which filters waste substances out of the blood, and produces urine
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Lactic acid
By-product of anaerobic respiration which causes cramp
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Lens
Structure in the eye that focuses light clearly onto the retina
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Ligase enzymes
Enzymes which re-join DNA at sticky ends
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Lock and key hypothesis
Model that explains the specificity of enzymes
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Long sightedness
Inability to see nearby objects clearly
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Lumen
The open channel within a tube
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Luteinising hormone (LH)
Female hormone that triggers ovulation
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Lymphocytes
White blood cells that make antibodiesand antitoxins
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Lysis
Rupture of the cell membrane
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Medulla
Area of the brain that controls automatic actions such as heart rate and breathing rate
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Meiosis
Cell division which produces gametes
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Meristem
Growing region of a plant
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Metabolic rate
The rate at which the body uses energy
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Metric prefixes
A symbol used to show multiples of a unit, such as the k in km
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Mitochondria
Subcellular structure where respiration takes place
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Mitosis
Process by which body cells divide
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Monoclonal antibodies
An antibody produced by a single clone of cells
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Motor neurones
Transmits impulses from the CNS to the effector
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mRNA
Copy of DNA strand used to carry the genetic code out of the nucleus so that proteins can be synthesised
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mutation
Change in the sequence of DNA bases
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mutualism
Relationship in which both organisms benefit
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Natural selection
The process by which species best suited to their environment will survive and reproduce, passing on their advantagageous characteristics to offspring
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Negative feedback
A system then acts to return conditions to the desired level
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Nephron
Structures in the kidney that filter the blood
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Non-random sampling
Systematically choosing where to take a sample
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Normal distribution
A function that represents the distribution of many random variables as a symmetrical bell-shaped graph
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Nucleotide
Monomer (unit) found in DNA , consisting of an organic base, ribose sugar, and a phosphate group
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Nucleus
Subcellular structure that controls the cell, and contains genetic material
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Oestrogen
Female hormone that causes the lining of the uterus to build up
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Optic nerve
Nervous tissue that carries nerve impulses from the eye to the brain
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Order of magnitude
A number to the nearest power of ten
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Organic farming
Organic farming uses more natural methods of producing crops and rearing animals, avoiding the use of artificial chemicals
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Osmosis
Diffusion of water molecules from a region of high concentration to low concentration through a selectively permeable membrane
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Outlier
A result that that is very different from the other measurements in a data set
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Ovulation
Release of a mature egg from an ovary
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Oxygen debt
The quantity of oxygen required to break down lactic acid produced during anaerobic respiration
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Parasitism
Relationship in which the parasite gains and the host is harmed
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Pathogen
Disease-causing microorganism
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Period
Loss of uterus lining
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Peripheral nervous system
All the sensory and motor neurones in the body
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Phagocytes
White blood cells that engulf microorganisms
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Phenotype
Characteristics that are observed in an organism
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Phloem
Tissue that transports dissolved sugar around a plant
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Photosynthesis
Process by which producers make food - carbon dioxide and water react to form glucose and oxygen
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Phototropism
Growth in response to light
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Phylogeny
The study of evolutionary links
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Pituitary gland
Area of brain that stores and releases hormones that regulate many body functions
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Placebo
A drug with no active ingredient
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Plasmid
A circular ring of DNA found in a bacterial cell
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Polymer
Substance made up of many monomers (similar submits) bonded together
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Population
The number of organisms of a species living in an area
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Potometer
Apparatus used to measure the rate of water uptake in a plant
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Producers
Organisms that make their own food through the process of photosynthesis
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Progestrone
Female hormone that maintains the uterus lining during pregnancy
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Prokaryotic cell
Cell without a nucleus, whose genetic material is found within the cytoplasm
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Pseudopod
A 'false foot' - a temporary projection of the cytoplasm
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Punnet square
Diagram used to show the possible genetic makeup of offspring based on a mother's and father's genes
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Pupil
Central hole in the iris that allows light to enter the eye
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Pyramid of biomass
Diagram representation the amount of biomass present at each trophic level of a food chain
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Qualitative
Data that are descriptive or difficult to measure
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Quantitative
Data that are obtained by making measurements
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Random sampling
Position of sample is not pre-determined; individuals are selected by chance
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Receptor
Sensory cell that detects a stimulus
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Recessive allele
Version of a gene whose characteristic is only expressed if two copies are present in the genotype
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Reflex action
Rapid automatic nervous response that doesn't involve the brain
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Reflex arc
Pathway followed by a nervous impulse during a reflex action
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Relationship
The way in which two or more people or things are connected
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Relay neurones
Neurones that carry electrical impulses from sensory neurones to motor neurones
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Repeatable
A measure of how close values are to each other when an experiment is repeated with the same equipment
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Reproducible
When other people carry out an investigation and get similar results to the original investigation the results are reproducible
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Resolution
A measure of the smallest object which can be seen using an instrument
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Restriction enzymes
Enzymes which cut DNA at specific base sequences producing sticky ends
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Retina
Tissue at the back of the eye, which contains light-sensitive cells
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Seed bank
A store of seeds, conserved for possible future use
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Selective breeding
The process by which humans breed animals and plants with desired characteristics
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Semipermeable membrane
A membrane which only allows certain molecules to pass through
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Sensory neurones
Transmits impulse from receptor to CNS
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Sexual reproduction
Reproduction requiring two parents which results in variation
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Short sightedness
Inability to see distant objects clearly
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Solute
Substance that dissolves into a solvent
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Specialised
A cell that is adapted to perform a particular function is called a specialised cell
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Species
Group of organisms that are able to reproduce to produce fertile offspring
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Stem cell
Undifferentiated cell
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Sterile
Environment free from any microorganisms
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Sticky ends
Exposed unpaired bases on the ends of the DNA strands produced by restriction enzymes
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Stimulus
A change in the environment
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Stomata
Small openings (pores) in a plant's epidermis used to exchange gases (singular - stoma)
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Substrate
Molecule that an enzyme acts upon
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Sustainable food production
Producing food using methods that can be continued indefinitely
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Suspensory ligaments
Ligament tissue in the eye that connects the ciliary muscle to the lens
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Systematic error
An error that causes there to be the same difference between a measurement and the true value each time you measure it
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Target organ
Organ a hormone has an effect on
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Thirst response
Nervous impulse which triggers the body to take on more water
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Thyroxine
Hormone which controls metabolism
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Transcription
Process by which mRNA is formed
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Translation
Process by which proteins are synthesised
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Translocation
Movement of sugars from the leaf to stores in the roots, or to growing areas of a plant
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Transpiration
Loss of water from the leaves of a plant
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Transpiration stream
The flow of water through a plant caused by the loss of water from a plant's leaves
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Trophic level
Feeding level in a food chain
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Tropism
Growth in response to an external stimulus
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Tubule
A small tube
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Urine
Liquid containing water, urea, and other waste substances
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Vaccine
A weakened or dead version of a microorganism
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Vacuole
Subcellular structure that contains cell sap and helps to keep the cell firm
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Valve
Structure that controls the direction of flow
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Variation
Difference within a species
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Vasoconstriction
Narrowing of blood vessels, decreasing blood flow through capilllaries near the surface of the skin
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Vector
A vehicle, such as bacterium, used to transfer genetic material into an organism
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Vein
Blood vessel that carries blood towards the heart
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Ventricle
Lower chamber of the heart
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Villi
Finger-like projections on the intensive wall, which increases the surface area
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Water potential
Concentration of free water molecules
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Xylem
Tissue that transports water around a plant
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Zone of inhibition
Area on a agar plate that bacteria cannot grow
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Zygote
Fertilised egg
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Other cards in this set

Card 2

Front

Region of enzyme where substrate binds

Back

Active site

Card 3

Front

Hormone which controls the amount of water reabsorbed in the kidney

Back

Preview of the back of card 3

Card 4

Front

Hormone released duriong stress. It causes changes which make the body ready for action

Back

Preview of the back of card 4

Card 5

Front

Process of transferring energy from glucose and oxygen

Back

Preview of the back of card 5
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