Biology Definitions.

Question 1

ADH

Answer 1

Anti-diuretic hormone is released to signal to the kidneys to reabsorb water – in times of dehydration or low water in body

Question 2

Diuretic.

Answer 2

To produce urine.

Question 3

Dilation.

Answer 3

To open wider.

Question 3

Kleptothermy

Answer 3

To huddle for warmth.

Question 4

Constrict

Answer 4

To narrow.

Question 5

Vector.

Answer 5

An organism that spreads a disease from one organism to another – but does not suffer from the disease

Question 6

Metabolic.

Answer 6

Chemical reactions that produce heat or energy

Question 7

Physiological

Answer 7

An internal function of a system or organ

Question 8

Pathogen

Answer 8

Something that causes disease or damage

Question 9

Antibody

Answer 9

Proteins that are made by the immune system (B cells) to bind to pathogens and disable their pathogenic effect on the tissues or cells.

Question 10

Correlation

Answer 10

How a variable effects another variable – often seen in data displays, variables are usually found on the graph axes

Question 11

Antigen

Answer 11

Is a molecular marker on a pathogen or foreign particle, it causes a specific immune response as an antibody will bind to it to disable the pathogen.

Question 12

B cell

Answer 12

B cells are a type of white blood cell that makes infection-fighting proteins called antibodies.

Question 13

T cell

Answer 13

T cells are a type of white blood cell called lymphocytes. They help your immune system fight germs and protect you from disease.

Question 14

Behavioural

Answer 14

A physical movement of an organism in response to the environment eg. To seek shade on a hot day.

Question 15

Action potential

Answer 15

Occurs when a neuron sends information down the axon – away from the cell body. It is like a pulse of electrical energy moving down the axon.

Question 16

Mesophyte

Answer 16

Plant with many stomata, thin soft non-waxy leaves, these are adapted to moderate environments.

Question 16

Halophyte

Answer 16

Plant adapted to salty soil or conditions, adaptations include storing salt in the roots, extensive roots to increase potential water uptake, fewer and small stomata to reduce water loss.

Question 17

Hydrophyte

Answer 17

Plant adapted to living in water. These plants have thin leaves with air spaces in them for buoyancy, stomata on the upper surface, thin soft leaves with no waxy cuticle.

Question 17

Stomata.

Answer 17

Stomata are tiny openings or pores that enable gaseous exchange. Stomata are usually found in plant leaves, but they can also be found in some stems.

Question 18

Xerophyte

Answer 18

Plant that is adapted to dry hot conditions. Thick waxy cuticles, hard small leaves, few stomata, they can sometimes store water, have extensive root systems for uptake of water.

Question 19

Cuticle

Answer 19

The ‘skin’ of the leaf. This can be waxy to protect it from heat and water loss, or it can be soft when in aquatic or moderate environments.

Question 20

Immune Serum

Answer 20

Immune serum is a protein that is found in the plasma (in blood), it is contains antibodies and is used to provide passive immunity for a variety of diseases (hep A, measles).

Question 21

Booster

Answer 21

A vaccine to complement an initial or first vaccine. A booster is given after an initial vaccine to improve immunity.

Question 22

Antibiotic

Answer 22

A medication that combats bacteria.

Question 23

Permeability

Answer 23

The ability for a membrane to let substances through it (like a sieve).

Question 24

Vacuole

Answer 24

A storage vesicle inside a cell – in plant cells these store water.

Question 25

Synapse

Answer 25

The space in between the axon terminal of one neuron, and the dendrites of the neighboring neuron.

Question 26

Dendrite

Answer 26

The branch like endings that receive information from neighbouring neurons’ axon terminals.

Question 27

Axon

Answer 27

The long section between the neuron cell body and the axon terminals. It is made of Schwann cells and has an insulated myelin sheath so the electrical impulses (action potential) that travels down the axon is not interrupted.

Question 28

Myelin sheath

Answer 28

an insulated outer layer of fats, so the electrical impulses (action potential) that travels down the axon is not interrupted.

Question 29

Natural immunity

Answer 29

Immunity brought about naturally – can be passive (breastfeeding) or active (catching a cold). But both will increase immunity.

Question 30

Artificial immunity

Answer 30

Immunity brought about artificially – can be passive (blood serum treatment) or active (vaccination). Both increase immunity.

Question 31

MHC

Answer 31

Major Histocompatibility Complex, this is a special marker on the outside of a cell that helps the immune system recognize foreign substances (eg. A macrophage engulfs a bacteria, it partially digests it and then displays a marker on the outside to attract a T cell to come and destroy the pathogen), or to indicate that it is an uninfected healthy cell.

Question 32

Homeostasis

Answer 32

The maintenance of any system – it is controlled through negative feedback, where any change is reversed to bring the system back to balance.

Question 33

Effector

Answer 33

The control centre that receives and then processes information from a receptor. The effector will bring about an effect! Either reversing the change, or enhancing it.

Question 34

Receptor

Answer 34

A receptor is a sensor – it detects a change in the internal or external environment. Eg. Chemoreceptors detect changes in pH of blood.

Question 35

Phagocytic

Answer 35

The process of engulfing a particle and digesting it – can be a free-living single cell like an amoeba, or in the human body it can be a white blood cell (macrophage)

Question 36

Prostaglandin

Answer 36

A group of fats that are made at sites of tissue damage/resemblance of injury, they mediate the inflammatory process. They are pro-inflammatory.

Question 37

histamine

Answer 37

A molecule that is pro-inflammatory. It promotes or enhances blood vessel changes (permeability/leaky and dilation/opening) and tissue changes (increased temp and fluids arriving at tissue effected), it can attract other molecules like phagocytic cells.