A LEVEL BIOLOGY KEY TERMS Flashcards
What is aminoacylase?
Enzyme used to produce samples of L-amino acids
What are abiotic factors?
Non-living conditions in a habitat
What is abscission?
Fall of leaves
What is acetyl coenzyme A?
Molecule that enters Krebs cycle from glycolysis through linking reaction, coenzyme A combines with an acetyl group
What is acetylation?
Addition of acetyl group
What is an action potential?
Change in potential difference across the neurone membrane of the axon when stimulated (appox. +40mV)
What is activation energy?
Energy required to initiate a reaction
What is an active site?
Area of an enzyme complementary to a specific substrate, allowing enzyme to bird to a substrate with specificity
What is active transport?
Movement of particles across a plasma membrane against concentration gradient - energy is required
What is ADP?
- Nucleotide made of adenine, pentose sugar and 2 phosphate groups
- formed by hydrolysis of ATP, releasing a phosphate ion and energy
What is ATP?
- Nucleotide made of adenine, pentose sugar and 3 phosphate groups
- universal energy currency for cells
What are agglutinins?
Chemicals (antibodies) that cause pathogens to clump together so can be engulfed by pathogens easier
What is alcoholic fermentation?
Fermentation that results in production of ethanol
What are alkaloids?
Bitter-tasting compounds found in plant leaves that may affect metabolism of animals eating plant/poisoning them
What is an allele?
A version of a gene
What is allele frequency?
Relative frequency of a particular allele in a population at a given time
What is allopatric speciation?
Speciation that occurs as a result of a physical barrier between populations
What are amino acids?
Monomer used to build polypeptides and therefore proteins
What is ammonification?
Conversion of nitrogen compounds in dead matter or waste into ammonium compounds by decomposers
What are anabolic steroids?
Steroid drugs used by athletes to increase muscle mass
What does anabolic mean?
- Reactions of metabolism that construct molecules from smaller units
- reactions require envy from hydrolysis of ATP
What is anaerobic respiration?
Respiration in absence of oxygen
What are analogous structures?
Structures adapted to perform same function but have a different origin
What is anaphase?
3rd stage of mitosis where chromatids are separated to opposite poles of me cell
What are antibiotic resistant bacteria?
Bacteria that undergo mutation to become resistant to an antibiotic and then survive to increase in number
What are antibiotics?
A chemical or compand that kills / inhibits grown of bacteria
What are antibodies?
Y -shaped glycoproteins made by B cells of me immune system in response to antigen
What is ADH?
Hormone that increases permeability of distal convoluted tubule and collecting duct to water
What is an antigen?
Identifying chemical on surface of cell to trigger an immune response
What is an antigen-antibody complex?
Complex formed when an antibody and antigen bind
What is an antigen-presenting cell (APC)?
A cell that displays foreign antigens complexed with histocompatibility (tissue compatability) complexes on their surfaces
What is the antisense strand?
Strand of DNA that runs 3’ to 5’ and is complementary to sense strand
- acts as template stand during transcription
What are anti-toxins?
Chemicals (antibodies) that bind to toxins produced by pathogens so they no longer have an effect
What is apical dominance?
The grown and dominance of the main shoot as a result of the lateral shoots being suppressed by auxin
What is an apoplast?
The cell walls and intracellular spaces of plant cells
What is the apoplast route?
Movement of substances through cell walls and cell spaces by diffusion and into cytoplasm by active transport
What is apoptosis?
Programmed and controlled cell death important in controlling body form in removal of damaged or diseased cells
What is arrhythmia?
Abnormal rhythm of the heart
What are artefacts?
Objects/structures seen through a microscope that have been created during the processing of a specimen
What is artificial active immunity?
Immunity which results from exposure to a safe form of a pathogen e.g. Vaccination
What is artificial passive immunity?
Immunity that results from administration of antibodies from another animal against a dangerous pathogen
What is artificial twinning?
Process of producing monozygotic noons artificially
What are aseptic techniques?
Techniques used to culture microorganisms in stents conditions to they aren’t contaminated with unwanted microorganisms.
What is asexual reproduction?
Production of genetically identical offspring from a single parent
What are assimilates?
The products of photosynthesis that are transported around the plant e.g. Sucrose
What is atrial fibrillation?
Abnormal rhythm of heart when aria beat very fast and incompletely
What is the AVN?
Stimulates Vernice’s to contact after imposing slight delay to ensure atrial contraction is complete
What is an autoimmune disease?
Condition/illness resulting from autoimmune response
What is an autoimmune response?
Response when the immune system acts against is own sets and destroys healthy tissue in the body
What is the autonomic nervous system?
Part of the nervous system under subconscious control
What s autosomal linkage?
Genes present on the same non-sex chromosome
What is autotrophic?
Organisms that synthesise complex molecules via photosynthesis
What are auxins?
Plants hormones that control cell elongation, prevent leaf fall, maintain apical dominance, produce tropic responses and stimulate the use of ethene in fruit ripening
What is a B effector cell?
B lymphocytes that aided to form plasma clones
What are B lymphocytes (B cells)?
Lymphocytes which mature in the bone marrow that are involved in production of antibodies
What are baroreceptors?
Receptors which detect changes in pressure
What is batch fermentation?
Industrial fermentation that runs for a set time.
What sa belt transect?
2 parallel lines are marked along the ground and samples are taken of me area at specific points
What is Benedict’s reagent?
An alkaline solution of copper (ii) sulphate used in chemical tests for reducing and non-reducing sugars
- brick-red precipitate indicates positive result
What is a beta pleated sheet?
Sheet-like secondary structure of proteins
What is biodiversity?
Variety of living organisms living in on area
What are bioinformatics?
Development of software and computing tools needed to analyse and organise raw biological data
What is biomass?
Mass of living material
What is bioremediation?
Use of microorganisms to break down pollutants and containments in soil or water
What are biotic factors?
The living components of on ecosystem
What is the biuret test?
Chemical test for proteins, peptide bonds form violet coloured complexes with copper ions in alkaline solutions
What is the Bohr effect?
Effect of carbon dioxide concentration on uptake and release of oxygen by haemoglobin
What is the bowman’s capsule?
Cup-shaped structure containing glomerulus and is me site of ultrafiltration in the kidney
What is bradycardia?
Slow heart rate or below 60 bpm
What is breathing rate?
Number of breaths per min
What is bulk transport?
Form of active transport where large molecules are moved into/out of the cell by endo/exocytosis
What is the bundle of His?
Conducting tissue made of purkyne fibres that passes through septum of the heart
What is callose?
Polysaccharide containing ß1-3 and ß1-6 linkages between the glucose monomers that is important in plant response to infection
what is the calvin cycle?
cyclical light dependent reactions of photosynthesis
what is carbaminohaemoglobin?
compound formed when carbon dioxide combines with haemoglobin
what are carbohydrates?
organic polymers composed of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen
- also known as saccharides or sugars
what is carbonic anhydrase?
enzyme which catalyses reversible reaction between carbon dioxide and water to form carbonic acid
what is the cardiac cycle?
events of a single heart beat, composed of diastole and systole
what is a carrier?
a person who has one copy of an allele coding for a genetically inherited condition
what are carrier proteins?
membrane proteins that play a part in the transport of substances through a membrane
whare is carrying capacity?
maximum population size that an environment can support
what is cartilage?
strong, flexible connective tissue found in many areas of bodies of humans and other animals
