biology vocab Flashcards
autotrophic
describing plants when they create their own food for energy
heterotrophic
when animals obtain their food from a range of different sources
where is energy released from?
glucose
respiration
a chemical reaction where energy is transferred in the form of ATP
excretion
the removal of toxic materials and substances from organisms
geotropism
a plants response to gravity (which causes the roots to grow down into the soil)
phototropism
a plant’s response to light (which causes shoots to grow towards sunlight)
locomotion
the movement of an organism from place to place
homeostasis
where organisms control their internal environment in order to keep conditions within required limits
thermoregulation
control of body temperature
glucoregulation
control of blood glucose levels
osmoregulation
control of water levels
transpiration
type of homeostasis technique within plants. where water evaporates from the stomata on the underside of the leaf (leading to heat loss)
reproduction
process that produces more of the same kind of organism
sexual reproduction
involves the fusing of two gametes (male and female) to form a zygote that contains DNA from both parents.
asexual reproduction
only one parent cell required (an exact clone is produced)
what are the eukaryotic organisms?
animals, plants, fungi and protoctists
characteristics of a eukaryotic organism
can be multicellular or single-celled. contains a nucleus (DNA pouch)
what are the prokaryotic organisms?
bacteria
characteristics of a prokaryotic organism
always single-celled and do not contain a nucleus (instead, the nuclear material is found in the cytoplasm)
main features of fungi
most are multicellular, some can be single celled. contains a nucleus.
hyphae
multi cellular fungi with thread-like structures and contains many nuclei
main features of protoctists
mainly microscopic and single-celled. contains a nucleus
bacteria
a prokaryotic organism. microscopic single-celled organisms. lack a nucleus, mitochondria and other membrane organelles.
examples of bacteria
lactobacillus and pneumococcus.
pathogen
any microorganism that causes disease in another organism
examples of pathogens
bacteria, fungi, protoctists and viruses (all of these besides viruses are harmless)
meninges
the tissue that surrounds the brain and spinal cord
pathogenic bacteria
do not always infect the hosts of cells
pathogenic fungi
much more common in plants than animals and are very serious, causing damage and killing wide ranges of crops.
characteristics of a virus
small particles, they are parasitic and can only reproduce inside living cells. structured by a protein coat and contains either DNA or RNA.
unicellular
organisms are made from one cell
multicellular
organisms are made up of collections of cells. cells tend to be specialized to carry out specific functions. specialized cells form tissues, the tissues form organs, the organs form organ systems.
chloroplasts
assists in/needed for photosynthesis. provides food for plant. contains green pigment.
mitochondria
assists in/needed for aerobic respiration. provides energy for a cell.
ribosomes
assists in/needed for protein production for protein synthesis.
vesicles
used to transport substances from one cell to another.
adult stem cells
undifferentiated cells that replace and repair cells
cell differentiation
a process where cells develop the structure and characteristics needed to be able to carry out their functions
stem cell
an organism that is capable of dividing an unlimited number of times
benefits of using stem cells in medicine
less chance of organ rejection.
can cure a wide variety of diseases.
risks of using stem cells in medicine
as stem cells are grown in a lab, there is a chance it could get infected.
risk of mutations occuring that can lead to them developing into cancer cells.
tends to be expensive.
ethical issues, like the thought of using an embryo incorrectly (instead of making a baby)
how do you calculate the amount of energy in joules?
mass x delta temperature x 4.2
how do you calculate the amount of energy in joules per gram?
energy divided by mass
digestive enzymes
break down big molecules into smaller ones (to be able to pass through the walls of the digestive system)
what does bile do?
neutralizes substances high in acidity (as its an alkaline) also breaks (emulsifies) fat into tiny droplets
isotonic
when an external solution is the same as an internal solution
hypotonic
when an external solution is the lower than the internal solution
hypertonic
when an external solution is the higher than the internal solution
photosynthesis
process of making food (glucose) for the plant. occurs in the leaves of a plant.
word equation for photosynthesis
carbon dioxide + water –> glucose + oxygen
waxy cuticle
part of the leaf. helps to reduce water loss (by evaporation)
stomata
part of the leaf. little holes that let carbon dioxide diffuse directly into the leaf
what are limiting factors for photosynthesis?
light intensity, amount of carbon dioxide present, temperature
what four main mineral ions do plants need for growth?
nitrates (making amino acids and proteins, needed for cell growth) , phosphates (making DNA and cell membranes, needed for respiration and growth) , potassium (help the enzymes needed for photosynthesis and respiration) , magnesium (needed for making chlorophyll)
xylem tubes
carry water and mineral ions from the roots to the leaves
phloem tubes
transports food (sugars like amino acids) from the leaves to other parts of the plant. this is known as translocation
transpiration
loss of water from the plant. caused by evaporation and diffusion of water. mostly occurs at the leaves
what affects transpiration?
light intensity, temperature, wind speed and humidity
word equation for aerobic respiration
glucose + oxygen –> carbon dioxide + water
word equation for anaerobic respiration
glucose –> lactic acid ( + energy)
(glucose is partially broken down then lactic acid is produced)
word equation for anaerobic respiration in plants
glucose –> ethanol + carbon dioxide (+energy)
how are alveolis structured in order to perform gas exchange?
big surface area, moist thin lining, walls are permeable and they have a good blood supply
plasma
pale yellow liquid that carries everything needed around the body (like red and white blood cells, carbon dioxide etc)
platelets
cells that help blood clot. when there is a damaged blood vessel platelets clump together (with the help of fibrin) to plug the wound (blood clotting)
red blood cells
carries oxygen (from the lungs) around the body. they are small and have a large surface area due to their donut like shape (biconcave) , contain haemoglobin and dont have a nucleus.
pathogens
microorganisms that cause diseases (like bacteria and viruses)
phagocytes
a type of white blood cell. these ingest pathogens. they do this by detecting unfamiliar things and engulf them
lymphocytes
a type of white blood cell. these produce antibodies in order to clear pathogens. antibodies producedare specific to the type of antigen detected.
memory cells
produced when the same antigen enters the body again.
vaccinations
involves injecting dead or inactive pathogens into the body. this triggers an immune response so our lymphocytes can start producing antibodies. this is done so memory cells can be produced and will be able to fight off future pathogens.
arteries
a type of blood vessel. responsible for carrying blood away from the heart and is pumped at high pressures. walls are thick, strong and elastic (allowing walls to expand) . lumen is thick
capillaries
a type of blood vessel. responsible for the exchange of minerals. very tiny and have permeable walls (so that substances can diffuse in and out)
veins
a type of blood vessel. responsible for carrying blood to the heart. contain valves to help blood flow in the right direction. have a big lumen
what are the kidneys three main roles?
removal of urea (from the blood) , adjusts salt levels (in the blood) and adjusts water content (in the blood)
stimulus
changes in the internal or external environment
homeostasis
balancing and maintaining a constant internal environment.
auxins
plant hormones that control growth at the tips of shoots and roots
diploid
a human cell that has two copies of each chromosome in pairs
genome
the complete genetic material of an organism
alleles
different versions of the same gene
gene
a short section of DNA that codes for a particular protein
mitosis
involves one parent cell (so asexual reproduction) which means no variation (as there is only one parent cell) . when a cell reproduces itself by splitting to form two cells with identical sets of chromosomes. mitosis also occurs when needed to repair damaged tissue.
meiosis
involves two parent cells. this is where the mother and father produce gametes (sperm cells and egg cells) both fuse to make a zygote (with full set of 46 chromosomes) . then the zygote divides (cell division) and develops an embryo. there is genetic variation in meiosis. during meiosis, the cells divide twice.
haploid
half the number of chromosomes (23) in a normal cell (gametes)
stamen
male reproductive part in plant. consists of anther (containing pollen grains that produce sperm) and filament (stalk that supports the anther)
carpel
female reproductive part in plant. consists of ovary (contains eggs) , stigma (where pollen grains attach to) and style (rod structured that supports the stigma)
pollination
transfer of pollen from the anther to the stigma.
cross pollination
where pollen is transferred from the anther of one plant to the stigma of another. this type of reproduction relies on insects and the wind (to be able to transfer pollen)
how can plants be adapted to insect pollination?
bright colored petals, scented flowers and nectar, produce sticky pollen grains (so its easier to latch onto insects) and the stigma is also sticky so pollen is able to stick to it easily.
how can plants be adapted to wind pollination?
light and small pollen grains to be easily carried in the wind, long filaments (so that the anther sticks out and pollen grains are able to be blown away) and large stigma that sticks out (so pollen grains are able to attach to it)
what conditions are needed in order for a seed to germinate?
water (to activate enzymes) , oxygen (for respiration) and suitable temperature.
homozygous
when you have two alleles that are the same (eg : CC or cc )
heterozygous
when you have two alleles that are different (eg : Cc )
mutations
changes in genetic codes. they alter and change the DNA bases in a gene which produces a genetic variant (a different form of the gene)
habitat
the PLACE where an organism lives
population
ALL the organisms of ONE SPECIES in a habitat
community
all the DIFFERENT species in a habitat
ecosystem
all organisms and abiotic factors living in an area
name some abiotic factors
light, temperature, bioaccumulation and toxic chemicals
name some biotic factors
availability of food, predators present and competition
how do you work out mean? (in quadrats)
total number of organisms divded by number of quadrats
trophic level
the position of an organism in a food chain
decomposers
consume dead plants or animals. they release enzymes which catalyse the breakdown of dead material into smaller molecules. as they break down this material, they release carbon dioxide back into the air during respiration
when is carbon monoxide produced?
when fossil fuels are burnt without enough air supply
fermintation
when microorganisms break sugars down to release energy (usually by anaerobic respiration)
