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.
lens
The transparent structure lying between the aqueous humor and the vitreous humor that enables the eye to adjust its focus to different viewing distances.
ligament
(lig′ă-ment) Band or sheet of dense regular fibrous tissue that connects structures; usually bones.
limbic system
A group of structures, including those in the limbic lobe and Papez circuit, that are anatomically interconnected and are probably involved in emotion, learning, and memory.
Line-bond structure
An alternative name for a Kekulé structure, which represents a molecule by showing covalent bonds as lines between atoms.
lobe
(lōb) Subdivision of an organ, bounded by some structural demarcation.
loop of Henle
A structure in the kidney nephron, within the medulla, that connects the proximate convoluted tubule to the distal convoluted tubule.
Mechanical resistance
Morphological structures mediate resistance.
medial forebrain bundle
A large bundle of axons coursing through the hypothalamus carrying efferents from the dopaminergic, noradrenergic, and serotonergic neurons in the brain stem and fibers interconnecting the hypothalamus, limbic structures, and midbrain tegmental area.
Metastable structure
A structure that has not attained the lowest free energy state. (Chapter 4)
midbody
Structure formed at the end of cleavage that can persist for some time as a tether between the two daughter cells in animals.
midbrain
The region of the brain derived from the middle primary embryonic brain vesicle; also called mesencephalon. Midbrain structures include the tectum and the tegmentum.
Morphology
Study of the form of an organism; developmental history of visible structures and the comparative relation of similar structures in different organisms.
muscularis
(mŭs-kū-lā′ris) Muscular layer in the wall of a hollow organ or tubular structure.
nanotubes
Long, tubular structures consisting of interconnected C6 rings.
nuclear export signal
Sorting signal contained in the structure of molecules and complexes, such as nuclear RNPs and new ribosomal subunits, that are transported from the nucleus to the cytosol through nuclear pore complexes.
nuclear pore complex (NPC)
Large multiprotein structure forming an aqueous channel (the nuclear pore) through the nuclear envelope that allows selected molecules to move between nucleus and cytoplasm.
octet
The eight dots around atoms in a Lewis structure that signify a filled outer electron shell for s and p block elements.
optic chiasm
The structure in which the right and left optic nerves converge and partially decussate (cross) to form the optic tracts.
palpation
(pal-pā′shŭn) Using the sense of touch to identify or examine internal body structures.
Papez circuit
A circuit of structures interconnecting the hypothalamus and cortex, proposed by Papez to be an emotion system.
PDB (Protein Data Bank)
An international database (www.pdb.org) that archives the data describing the three-dimensional structure of nearly all macromolecules for which structures have been published.
phagophore
A crescent-shaped double-membrane cytoplasmic structure.
Phase III reactions
Follow-up reactions which may involve further metabolism of xenobiotic conjugates arising from phase II reactions, transport of xenobiotics and their metabolites (vacuolar deposition in plants’, removal from cells by excretion in other organisms), and incorporation of xenobiotic metabolites into plant cell wall structures.
phragmoplast
Structure made of microtubules and actin filaments that forms in the prospective plane of division of a plant cell and guides formation of the cell plate.
Platelet activation
A change in shape and membrane structure of platelets, accompanied by the release of various mediators.
plectonemic
Describes a structure in a molecular polymer that has a net twisting of strands about each other in some simple and regular way.
polarized
In epithelia, that the basal end of a cell, adherent to the basal lamina below, differs from the apical end, exposed to the medium above; thus, all epithelia and their individual cells are structurally polarized.
pulmonary system
A series of structures that work together to ventilate the body.
Quasiequivalence
The arrangement of structural units in a virus particle such that similar interactions among them are allowed. (Chapter 4)
raphe
(rā′fē) Line of union between two contiguous, bilaterally symmetrical structures; e.g., the raphe of the scrotum.
red phosphorus
An allotrope of phosphorus similar in structure to white phosphorus but in which one of the bonds between two phosphorus atoms in the tetrahedron is broken; red phosphorus is more stable than white.
Resonance forms
Individual structural forms of a resonance hybrid.
resonance structures
Two or more valid Lewis structures that are shown with double-headed arrows between them to indicate that the actual structure of the molecule is intermediate between them.
retinotopy
The topographic organization of visual pathways in which neighboring cells on the retina send information to neighboring cells in a target structure.
segment
Divisions of an insect body along its anteroposterior axis, each forming highly specialized structures, but all built according to a similar fundamental plan.
selectivity filter
The part of an ion channel structure that determines which ions it can transport.
sensory map
A representation of sensory information within a neural structure that preserves the spatial organization of that information established on the sensory organ. Examples are retinotopic maps in the superior colliculus, lateral geniculate nucleus, and visual cortex, where neurons in specific places respond selectively to stimulation of specific parts of the retina.
serosa
(se-rō′să) Outermost coat of a visceral structure that lies in a closed body cavity.
Silyl ether
A substance with the structure R3Si-O-R. The silyl ether acts as a protecting group for alcohols.
single-particle reconstruction
Computational procedure in electron microscopy in which images of many identical molecules are obtained and digitally combined to produce an averaged three-dimensional image, thereby revealing structural details that are hidden by noise in the original images.
spicule
One of two external structures on the male roundworm used to guide sperm.
spore
A reproductive structure formed by fungi and actinomycetes. See also endospore.
staining
Colorizing a sample with a dye to view through a microscope or to visualize specific structures.
Stamen
The elongated structure that bears the anthers in flowering plants.
stipe
A stemlike supporting structure of multicellular algae and basidiomycetes.
structural isomers
Molecules with the same molecular formula but different structures.
substitutional alloy
An alloy in which one metal atom substitutes for another in the crystal structure.
superior colliculus
A structure in the tectum of the midbrain that receives direct retinal input and controls saccadic eye movements.
Synaptinemal complex
A ribbonlike structure formed between synapsed homologues at the end of the first meiotic prophase, binding the chromatids along their length and facilitating chromatid exchange.
Synchrotron
A cyclic particle accelerator typically accelerating electrons producing electromagnetic radiation such as X-rays used for i.a. X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) X-Ray Absorption Spectrometry (XAS) Extended X-Ray Absorption Fine Structure (μEXAFS), and X-ray Absorption Near Edge Structure (μXANES) analysis.
synergist
(sin′er-jist) Structure, muscle, agent, or process that aids the action of another.
Tandem mass spectrometry
Coupling of two mass analyzers in one mass spectrometer serving for structural ana lysis; it is a key technique in proteomics approaches.
telencephalon
A region of the brain derived from the prosencephalon (forebrain). Telencephalic structures include the paired cerebral hemispheres that contain cerebral cortex and the basal telencephalon.
thallus
The entire vegetative structure or body of a fungus, lichen, or alga.
tonotopy
The systematic organization within an auditory structure on the basis of characteristic frequency.
training
A structured exercise program that is designed to develop specific performance characteristics related to sports performance.
transverse
(trans-vers′) Relating to a plane cutting a structure into a superior and inferior portion.
ultrasound
(ŭl′tră-sound) A medical imaging method that uses sound waves to visualize internal structures
ultrastructure
(ŭl-tră-strŭk′chūr) Cell structure viewable via the electron microscope.
Ultraviolet (UV) spectroscopy
An optical spectroscopy employing ultraviolet irradiation. UV spectroscopy provides structural information about the extent of p electron conjugation in organic molecules.
