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*Biology iGCSE course 🧠🥼🥽 > ALL YEARS – *Definitions For Key Words & Phrases* > Flashcards

ALL YEARS – *Definitions For Key Words & Phrases* Flashcards

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1
Q

What does the following term mean?

Abiotic factor

A

An abiotic factor is a non - living thing that affects the distribution of organisms.

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2
Q

What does the following term mean?

Accommodation

A

Accommodation is the process of the changing of the shape of the lens to focus on near or distant objects. For near objects the lens gets thicker, as this allows the rays to refract more strongly.

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3
Q

What does the following term mean?

Accuracy (of experimental results)

A

Accuracy is how close it is to the right results that you should be getting in an experiment.

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4
Q

What does the following term mean?

Acid rain

A

Acid rain is rain that is acidic (yep.), and can be damaging to wildlife. It is caused by heating hydrocarbon fuels (in cars) because there are sulfur impurities in the fuel. It also happens when the fuel heats up and heats nitrogen and oxygen together in the air. Sulfur dioxide and Nitrogen oxides mix with water vapour to form dilute sulfuric and nitric acids. This is then rained…

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5
Q

What does the following term mean?

Active site

A

The active site is the part of an enzyme that the substrate joins to, for it to be broken down. If the temperature or pH is increased it can become denatured and the enzyme will stop working.

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6
Q

What does the following term mean?

Active transport

A

Active transport is the movement of particles (dissolved molecules) into or out of a cell, through a partially permeable membrane, from an area of low concentration to an area of high concentration going up/against a concentration gradient. Due to this, it requires energy, that was released during respiration.

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7
Q

What does the following term mean?

Adaptation

A

An adaptation is a characteristic of an organism that improves its chances of survival/ reproduction.

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8
Q

What does the following term mean?

Adenosine triphosphate

A

Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) is energy carrying molecule used in cells because it can release energy very quickly. ???

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9
Q

What does the following term mean?

ADH

A

ADH stands for anti-diuretic hormone. ADH controls the reabsorption of water into the blood.

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10
Q

What does the following term mean?

Adrenal glands

A

Adrenal glands are the glands that produce adrenaline.

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11
Q

What does the following term mean?

Adrenaline

A

Adrenaline is a hormone that is produced by the adrenal glands. It is released at times of fear or stress, and targets vital organs, increases heart rate, boosts delivery of oxygen and glucose to brain and muscles and prepares the body for fight or flight.

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12
Q

What does the following term mean?

Aerobic respiration

A

Aerobic respiration need oxygen. It is the chemical reaction of turning glucose and oxygen into carbon dioxide and water.

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13
Q

What does the following term mean?

Agar

A

Agar is a jelly like substance that is used for some experiments, like diffusion, and for bacteria spreading.

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14
Q

What does the following term mean?

Algae

A

Algae is a broad term for a group of photosynthetic eukaryotic organisms. They lack true roots, stems, and leaves.

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15
Q

What does the following term mean?

Algal bloom

A

Algal bloom is the rapid increase of algae in an aquatic system. This can be bad as it can make the water toxic to humans and fish, cause illness and smells bad.

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16
Q

What does the following term mean?

Alleles

A

Alleles are variation all forms of the same gene. Eg. The gene for eye colour has an allele for blue eyes, green eyes and brown eyes.

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17
Q

What does the following term mean?

Alveoli (alveolus = singular)

A

Alveoli are the tiny air sacs in your lungs that allows gas to be exchanged during breathing. They give the lungs a large surface area, are moist and thin, and have lots of capillaries, which all help gas diffuse.

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18
Q

What does the following term mean?

Amino acid

A

An amino acid is what make up a protein.

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19
Q

What does the following term mean?

Amnion

A

An amnion is the bag around the fetus in the uterus that contains the amniotic fluid that cushions the fetus.

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20
Q

What does the following term mean?

Amniotic fluid

A

Amniotic fluid is found in the amnion, and is the fluid that protects and cushions the fetus.

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21
Q

What does the following term mean?

Amylase

A

Amylase is an enzyme that breaks down starch into maltose. Amylase is made in the salivary glands and used in saliva in the mouth.

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22
Q

What does the following term mean?

Anaerobic respiration

A

Anaerobic respiration is the use of glucose to produce energy and lactic acid. Anaerobic respiration happens with oxygen.

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23
Q

What does the following term mean?

Anther

A

Anther is the male part of the flower, which is held up by the filament. It produces male sex cells (pollen).

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24
Q

What does the following term mean?

Antibody

A

An antibody is a protein produced by a type of white blood cell, lymphocytes. When a pathogen infects the body (coated in antigens), the lymphocytes produce antibodies to attack them.

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25
Q

What does the following term mean?

Anticodon

A

Anticodon is a trinucleotide sequence that is complimentary to the shape of a codon in a messenger RNA sequence.

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26
Q

What does the following term mean?

Antigen

A

Antigen is the substances found on the surface of cells (including bacteria and pathogens).

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27
Q

What does the following term mean?

Anus

A

The anus is the part of the alimentary canal where faeces leaves the body.

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28
Q

What does the following term mean?

Arteriole

A

Arteriole is a small diameter blood vessel that extends and branches out from an artery and leads to capillaries.

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29
Q

What does the following term mean?

Artery (arteries = plural)

A

An artery is a blood vessel that takes blood (and oxygen) away from the heart to organs and body tissues. Arteries have narrow passageways, but thick muscular walls, allowing them to carry blood at high pressure.

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30
Q 
What does the following term mean?
Artificial insemination (AI)
A

Artificial insemination (AI) is a procedure where sperm is placed directly into the uterus so fertilisation can be achieved.

31
Q

What does the following term mean?

Artificial selection

A

Artificial selection is where humans breed plants or animals for particular genetic characteristics. Eg. Pugs for their flat face.

32
Q

What does the following term mean?

Asexual reproduction

A

Asexual reproduction is reproduction using only one parent. There is no joining of sex cells during fertilisation. Organisms produced by this are genetically identical, they are clones.

33
Q

What does the following term mean?

Assimilation

A

Assimilation is the movement of digestive food molecules into the cells in the body where they are used.

34
Q

What does the following term mean?

Atria (atrium = singular)

A

Atria is the upper chambers of the heart which receives blood from the body (right atrium) and from the lungs (left atrium).

35
Q

What does the following term mean?

Auxin

A

Auxins are plant hormones which control growth at the tips of shoots and roots.

36
Q

What does the following term mean?

Axon

A

Axon is the long part of a nerve cell that the electrical signals move quickly across.

37
Q

What does the following term mean?

Bacteria

A

Bacteria are single celled, microscopic prokaryotic organisms. They don’t have a nucleus, but have circular chromosomes of DNA and plasmids. Some can photosynthesise, and some are pathogenic. Most feed of other organisms - both living and dead.

38
Q

What does the following term mean?

Bacteriophage

A

A bacteriophage is a type of virus that infects bacteria.

39
Q

What does the following term mean?

Balanced diet

A

A balanced diet is a diet that contains all of the opponents in their correct amounts, needed to maintain health.

40
Q

What does the following term mean?

Base (in DNA)

A 
A base (in DNA) are the 4 chemicals that make up DNA:
- thymine, T
- adenine, A
- guanine, G
- cytosine, C
T-A    G-C
41
Q 
What does the following term mean?
Basement membrane (in Bowman’s capsule)
A

The basement membrane is what filters the blood in the kidneys. The basement membrane is found between the glomerus and Bowman’s capsule.

42
Q

What does the following term mean?

Beri-beri

A

Beri-beri is a disease that humans (and animals) get if they don’t have enough thiamine (vitamin B1)

43
Q

What does the following term mean?

Bicuspid valve

A

The bicuspid valve is the valve located between the left atrium and the left ventricle.

44
Q

What does the following term mean?

Bile

A

Bile is produced in the liver and stored in the gall bladder. Bile neutralises stomach acid as it enters the small intestines. It also emulsifies fats, giving them more surface area, making fats easier to break down.

45
Q

What does the following term mean?

Bile duct

A

The bile duct takes bile from the gall bladder to the first part f the small intestine.

46
Q

What does the following term mean?

Bioaccumulation

A

Bioaccumulation occurs when toxins build up or accumulate in the food chain. The animals at the top of the food chain are affected most severely.

47
Q

What does the following term mean?

Biodiversity

A

Biodiversity is the variation of different species of organisms on earth or within an ecosystem.

48
Q

What does the following term mean?

Biological control

A

Biological control is the alternative to using pesticides and involves using one species or biological agent to control the population size of another species.

49
Q

What does the following term mean?

Biomagnification

A

Biomagnification is when organisms at the top of the food chain suffer more than those at the lower end of a food chain due to bioaccumulation.

50
Q

What does the following term mean?

Biomass

A

Biomass is the total dry mass of one animal or plant species in a food chain/web.

51
Q

What does the following term mean?

Biotechnology

A

Biotechnology is the alteration of living organisms to make products that help humans.

52
Q

What does the following term mean?

Biotic factor

A

A biotic factor is a living organism that affects the population of another species in an ecosystem.

53
Q

What does the following term mean?

Bladder

A

The bladder is organ that stores urine before is is released by the urethra.

54
Q

What does the following term mean?

Blind spot

A

A blind spot is where the optic nerve leaves the retina so it lacks receptor cells.

55
Q

What does the following term mean?

Bowman’s capsule

A

Bowman’s capsule surrounds a ball of capillaries called the glomerulus. There the blood is put under lots of pressure. Ultrafiltration of the blood happens, in which water, ions ,glucose and other small molecules pass into the tubule (but not proteins or cells).

56
Q

What does the following term mean?

Bronchial tree

A

Bronchial tree is the pattern of bronchioles leading to alveoli.

57
Q

What does the following term mean?

Bronchioles

A

Bronchial are small tubes leading from the bronchi to the alveoli.

58
Q

What does the following term mean?

Bronchitis

A

Bronchitis is a condition where the bronchi become irate tend by pathogens and mucus, that isn’t swept away by the epithelial cells. It can also be caused by smoke.

59
Q

What does the following term mean?

Bronchi (bronchus = singular)

A

Bronchi are the big tubes that lead from the trachea to the bronchioles carrying gas.

60
Q

What does the following term mean?

Capillary

A

Capillaries are tiny, thin walled veins that form a network to carry oxygen through organs and tissues.

61
Q

What does the following term mean?

Capsule (of bacteria)

A

The capsule on a bacterium is a slime protection that also stops the bacterium from drying out.

62
Q

What does the following term mean?

Carbohydrase

A

Carbohydrase is an enzyme that breaks down carbohydrates polysaccharides and disaccharides into monosaccharides.

63
Q

What does the following term mean?

Carbohydrate

A

Carbohydrates are a food group consisting of mono/di/polysaccharides. Carbohydrates are used for energy but re stored in fat if eaten in excess. In plants carbohydrates are useful for photosynthesis.

64
Q

What does the following term mean?

Carbon monoxide

A

Carbon monoxide (CO) is a toxic gas. When it is breathed in, it binds with haemoglobin on red blood cells, which limits the amount of oxygen they can carry. It has no smell or colour, and makes no sound. It can be deadly.

65
Q

What does the following term mean?

Carboxyhemoglobin

A

Carboxyhemoglobin is formed when carbon monoxide (CO) and haemoglobin join.

66
Q

What does the following term mean?

Carcinogen

A

Carcinogen is a chemical (or other agent) that causes cancer.

67
Q

What does the following term mean?

Cardiac cycle

A

The cardiac cycle is the pattern of contraction and relaxation of the heart to complete a heartbeat.

68
Q

What does the following term mean?

Cardiac muscle

A

Cardiac muscle is the type of muscle found only in the heart.

69
Q

What does the following term mean?

Carnivore

A

A carnivore is an animal that only eats meat/ flesh.

70
Q

What does the following term mean?

Cartilage

A

Cartilage is soft, spongy, connective tissue.

71
Q

What does the following term mean?

Catalyst

A

A catalyst is a substance that changes the rate of a reaction but doesn’t get used up or changed in the reaction.

72
Q

What does the following term mean?

Cell

A

A cell is a simple building block that makes up plants and animals.

73
Q

What does the following term mean?

Cell membrane

A

Cell membrane is a selectively permeable membrane surrounding the cell that controls what comes in and out of the cell.

74
Q

What does the following term mean?

Cell wall

A

A cell wall is made from cellulose and strengthens the cell and supports the plant.

*Biology iGCSE course 🧠🥼🥽 (11 decks)

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