BIO - TERMS - STRUCTURE Flashcards
Alkyl group
The partial structure that remains when a hydrogen atom is removed from an alkane.
amphiphilic
Having both hydrophobic and hydrophilic regions, as in a phospholipid or a detergent molecule. amyloid fibrils Self-propagating, stable β-sheet aggregates built from hundreds of identical polypeptide chains that become layered one over the other to create a continuous stack of β sheets. The unbranched fibrous structure can contribute to human diseases when not controlled.
anatomy
(ă-nat′ŏ-mē) Study of structures in the human body.
apex
(ā′peks) Extremity of a conical or pyramidal structure; e.g., the inferior, conical end of the heart.
Asymmetric unit
The unit from which capsids or nucleocapsids of a virus particle are built. Also called protomer or structural unit. (Chapter 4)
axial filament
The structure for motility found in spirochetes; also called endoflagellum.
b-lactam
Core structure of penicillins.
black phosphorus
An allotrope of phosphorus with a structure similar to that of graphite; the most thermodynamically stable form.
blade
A flat leaflike structure of multicellular algae.
block training
A sequential approach to structuring training in which individual blocks of training (which contain a distinct focus) are linked together.
calcification
(kal′si-fi-kā′shŭn) Process in which structures in the body become hardened as a result of deposited calcium salts; normally occurs only in the formation of bone and teeth.
calyx
(kā′liks; pl., calyces or calices, kal′i-sēz) Cup-shaped cavity or structure.
cell plate
Flattened membrane-bounded structure that forms by fusing vesicles in the cytoplasm of a dividing plant cell and is the precursor of the new cell wall.
Character (contraction of the word characteristic)
One of the many details of structure, form, substance, or function that make up an individual organism.
Choline
Component of the primary membrane structural component phosphatidylcholine and the neurotransmitter acetylcholine; contributor to single-C metabolism; essential for normal growth and bone development in young poultry; can spare methionine in many animal species; and thus can be essential in diets that provide limited methyl groups.
cochle
A spiral bony structure in the inner ear that contains the hair cells that transduce sound.
collagen fibril
A higher-order collagen polymer of fibrillar collagens that assemble into thin structures (10–300 nm in diameter) many hundreds of micrometers long in mature tissues.
complex virus
A virus with a complicated structure, such as a bacteriophage.
cubic closest packing
A closest-packed arrangement in which the third layer of atoms is offset from the first; the same structure as the face-centered cubic.
Cytotoxic
A substance that is toxic to cells, i.e., damages cell structure or function.
Dipole
A structure with asymmetric distribution of electric charges.
endospore
A resting structure formed inside some bacteria.
epithelium (plural epithelia)
Sheet of cells covering the outer surface of a structure or lining a cavity.
face-centered cubic
A crystal structure that has a unit cell that consists of a cube with one atom at each corner and one atom in the center of every face.
fibril-associated collagen
Mediates the interactions of collagen fibrils with one another and with other matrix macromolecules to help determine the organization of the fibrils in the matrix. This collagen (including types IX and XII) has a flexible triple-stranded helical structure and binds to the surface of the fibrils rather than forming aggregates.
fibrillar collagen
Class of fibril-forming collagens (including type I collagen, the most common type and the principal collagen of skin and bone) that have long ropelike structures with few or no interruptions and which assemble into collagen fibrils.
flexure
(flek′sher) Bend in an organ or structure.
forebrain
The region of the brain derived from the rostral primary embryonic brain vesicle; also called prosencephalon. Forebrain structures include the telencephalon and the diencephalon.
glass
An amorphous form of silica with a randomly ordered structure.
Gram staining
A technique for classifying bacteria based on differences in the structure of the bacterial cell wall and outer surface.
Hammond postulate
A postulate stating that we can get a picture of what a given transition state looks like by looking at the structure of the nearest stable species. Exergonic reactions have transition states that resemble reactant; endergonic reactions have transition states that resemble product.
hernia
(her′nē-ă) Protrusion of a part through the structures normally surrounding or containing it.
hindbrain
The region of the brain derived from the caudal primary embryonic brain vesicle; also called rhombencephalon. Hindbrain structures include the cerebellum, pons, and medulla.
Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP MS)
Mass spectrometry technique for ultrasensitive detection and quantification of chemical elements. A hot argon plasma (ICP) of about 7000 K serves as ion source that destroys every chemical structure and produces simple element ions.
infundibulum
(in-fŭn-dib′ū-lŭm) Funnel-shaped structure or passage.
Inquilines
Organisms that commensally inhabit in a structure produced by another organism.
intraperitoneal
(in′tră-per′i-tō- nē′ăl) Location of a structure or organ that is completely covered with visceral peritoneum.
invaginate
(in-vaj′i-nāt) To infold or insert a structure within itself. ion (ı̄′on) An atom that has either lost an electron or electrons and developed a positive charge (cation) or has gained an electron or electrons and developed a negative charge (anion).
Kekulé structure
An alternative name for a linebond structure, which represents a molecule by showing covalent bonds as lines between atoms.
lateralization
(lat′er-al-ı̄-zā′shŭn) Process whereby certain asymmetries of structure and function occur.