chat gpt unit 5 Flashcards
What is an antigen?
A molecule or substance that triggers an immune response, usually found on the surface of pathogens or foreign cells
What is an antibody?
A protein produced by B cells that binds to a specific antigen, neutralizing or marking it for destruction.
What is phagocytosis?
The process by which phagocytes (e.g., macrophages) engulf and digest foreign particles, such as bacteria.
What is the role of T-helper cells in the immune system?
T-helper cells stimulate B cells to produce antibodies and activate cytotoxic T cells to destroy infected cells.
What do plasma cells do?
Plasma cells are differentiated B cells that produce large amounts of antibodies specific to a particular antigen.
What are memory cells?
Long-lived immune cells that “remember” a specific antigen, providing faster and stronger responses upon subsequent infections.
What is active immunity?
Immunity gained through the production of antibodies by the immune system in response to an infection or vaccination.
What is passive immunity?
Immunity acquired by receiving antibodies from an external source, such as from mother to baby through breast milk.
What is an antigen-presenting cell (APC)?
A cell (like a dendritic cell or macrophage) that processes and presents antigens on its surface to T-helper cells to activate the immune response.
What is clonal selection?
The process by which an antigen selectively binds to and activates a specific B or T cell, leading to the proliferation of identical clones.
What are immunoglobulins?
A group of proteins that function as antibodies in the immune system, including IgG, IgA, IgM, IgE, and IgD.
What is the role of the Golgi apparatus in immunity?
The Golgi apparatus modifies and packages antibodies into vesicles for secretion or transport within the cell.
What is photosynthesis?
The process by which plants, algae, and some bacteria convert light energy into chemical energy stored in glucose.
What is cellular respiration?
The process by which cells break down glucose (or other organic molecules) to produce ATP, the primary energy currency of the cell.
What is glycolysis?
The anaerobic breakdown of glucose into pyruvate, producing small amounts of ATP and NADH in the process.
What is the function of a chloroplast?
The organelle in plant cells where photosynthesis occurs, containing chlorophyll which captures light energy.
What is the Krebs cycle?
A series of reactions in the mitochondria that generates high-energy electron carriers (NADH, FADH₂) and ATP, while releasing CO₂ as a byproduct.
What happens in the electron transport chain?
High-energy electrons from NADH and FADH₂ are passed along proteins, generating a proton gradient used to produce ATP through chemiosmosis.
What is DNA profiling?
A technique used to identify and analyze the unique DNA patterns in individuals, often used in forensic science or paternity testing.
What is a photosystem?
A complex of proteins and pigments in the chloroplasts that capture light energy for photosynthesis.
What is the Hardy-Weinberg principle?
A principle stating that allele frequencies in a population remain constant if no evolutionary forces (such as mutation, migration, selection) are acting on the population.
What is the Hardy-Weinberg equation?
p² + 2pq + q² = 1, where p and q are the allele frequencies of two alleles (dominant and recessive) in a population.
What is genetic drift?
The random fluctuation in allele frequencies due to chance events, often affecting small populations.
What is gene flow?
The movement of alleles between populations due to migration, leading to genetic mixing.
What is allopatric speciation?
Speciation that occurs when populations are geographically isolated, preventing gene flow and leading to genetic differences over time.
What is speciation?
The process by which new species are formed due to reproductive isolation and genetic divergence over time.
What is sympatric speciation?
Speciation that occurs without geographical isolation, often due to ecological or behavioral differences within the same habitat.
What is stabilizing selection?
A form of natural selection that favors the average phenotype and reduces variation in a population.
What is directional selection?
A form of natural selection where one extreme phenotype is favored, leading to a shift in the population’s traits.
What is disruptive selection?
A form of selection that favors both extreme phenotypes over the average, potentially leading to speciation.
