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Definitions Flashcards

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AP® Biology flashcards Biology 101 flashcards
1
Q

Organelle

A

Microscopic structure which does a particular job in a cell. E.g. the nucleus

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2
Q

Cell

A

Basic unit of life. Unicellular organisms only have one cell. Multicellular organisms have many cells.

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3
Q

Tissue

A

Group of cells of the same type doing a particular job. E.g. the blood

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4
Q

Organ

A

Group of tissues doing a particular job between them. E.g. the heart

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5
Q

Organ system

A

Group of organs doing a particular job between them. E.g. the circulatory system

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6
Q

diffusion

A

Molecules and ions diffuse from regions of higher concentration to regions of lower concentration

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7
Q

osmosis

A

Osmosis is the diffusion of water through a selectively permeable membrane.

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8
Q

selectively permeable

A

Something that selects or allows some things to pass through it and not others.

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9
Q

concentration gradient

A

Where two areas have different concentrations of the same thing.

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10
Q

mitosis

A

Produces copies of cells. Important in growth and repair.

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11
Q

replication

A

Exact copying of DNA.

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12
Q

meiosis

A

Cell division, which reduces (halves) the number of chromosomes. Meiosis separates the maternal and paternal chromosomes in a cell to produce four cells with half the usual number of chromosomes.

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13
Q

light energy

A

Photosynthesis needs light energy. It changes light energy into chemical energy.

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14
Q

glucose

A

This is the sugar made in photosynthesis. It is also found in fruits and in your blood. Both plant and animal cells use glucose as a source of energy.

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15
Q

sucrose

A

This is the sugar you use to sweeten your tea and to make jam. Sugar cane and sugar beet store sucrose instead of starch.

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16
Q

starch

A

Most plants store starch. They can turn starch back into glucose when they need it for respiration.

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17
Q

chlorophyll

A

This is the green chemical found in plant cells.

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18
Q

chloroplasts

A

These are tiny bodies found in plant cells. They are green because they contain chlorophyll.

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19
Q

carbon dioxide

A

We breathe this gas out, but plants breathe it in - they must have it for photosynthesis.

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20
Q

palisade mesophyll cell

A

This is the kind of mesophyll cell you need to know about. You should be able to label a diagram of a palisade mesophyll cell.

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21
Q

variegated

A

Some leaves have white bits as well as green bits; they are called variegated leaves. Photosynthesis does not happen in the white bits.

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22
Q

transpiration

A

This is the loss of water from leaves by evaporation. It is much faster when stomata are open than when they are closed.

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23
Q

transpiration stream

A

Water travels up xylem vessels from the roots to the leaves in the transpiration stream.

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24
Q

root hair cells

A

These are tiny hairs covering the ends of the smallest roots. They have a very large surface area. They absorb water and mineral salts from the soil.

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25
Q

xylem vessels

A

These are microscopic capillary tubes found in a plant’s veins. They carry water and mineral salts up a plant from its roots to its leaves.

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26
Q

stomata

A

Stomata are tiny holes in the epidermis (skin) of a leaf. They are usually found on the undersides of leaves. Each stoma is surrounded by two guard cells.

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27
Q

guard cells

A

Two guard cells surround each stoma. They can open and close the stoma.

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28
Q

auxin

A

This is a plant hormone.

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29
Q

hormone

A

This is a chemical messenger.

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30
Q

tropism

A

This is a growth movement towards or away from a stimulus such as light, gravity or moisture

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31
Q

phototropism

A

A response to or away from light.

32
Q

geotropism

A

A response to or away from gravity.

33
Q

epiglottis

A

This is a little flap on the back of the tongue; it closes the top of the trachea when we swallow so that food does not go down the wrong way. It does not always work properly; if food goes down the wrong way you cough to try to get the lump of food out of your windpipe.

34
Q

trachea

A

This is the proper name for the windpipe.

35
Q

bronchus

A

The trachea divides into two tubes called bronchi.

36
Q

bronchioles

A

Each bronchus divides into many smaller tubes called bronchioles.

37
Q

goblet cells

A

These are cells in the lining of the trachea and bronchi, which make mucus.

38
Q

gaseus exchange

A

This means oxygen getting into the blood and carbon dioxide going out.

39
Q

intercostal muscles

A

Intercostal means ‘between the ribs’. One set of intercostal muscles makes the ribcage bigger and another set makes it smaller.

40
Q

mucus

A

This is a white slimy protein, which traps germs and bits of dirt which get breathed in. This stops the delicate tissues of the lung from being damaged.

41
Q

cilia

A

These are tiny hairs which beat continuously to move the mucus up the bronchi and trachea.

42
Q

alveoli

A

These are the tiny air sacs in the lungs.

43
Q

large surface area

A

Added together, the alveoli have an enormous surface area through which gaseous exchange can happen.

44
Q

Red Blood Cells

A

These blood cells contain haemoglobin and carry oxygen.

45
Q

haemoglobin

A

This is the protein in red blood cells, which turns into oxyhaemoglobin in the lungs.

46
Q

white blood cells

A

These blood cells make antibodies and destroy “germs”.

47
Q

platelets

A

These are fragments of cells, which help to clot our blood when we cut ourselves.

48
Q

plasma

A

This is the liquid part of blood. It contains nutrients, hormones, antibodies, fibrinogen, and waste products.

49
Q

transport

A

This is the main job of the blood. Substances are carried around the body in our blood.

50
Q

artery

A

This is a thick walled muscular blood vessel. It carries blood away from the heart to other parts of the body.

51
Q

vein

A

This is a thin walled elastic blood vessel, which carries blood back to the heart.

52
Q

capillary

A

This is a very narrow thin walled blood vessel, which carries blood through our tissues.

53
Q

enzymes

A

These are the biological catalysts, which are needed to break down your food.

54
Q

saliva

A

Saliva contains an enzyme called salivary amylase which digests starch, and mucin which makes the food in your mouth slippery and easy to swallow.

55
Q

duodenum

A

This is the first part of the small intestine. Bile secreted by the liver makes the contents of the duodenum alkaline and helps to emulsify (break up) the fats and oils in our food.

56
Q

lleum

A

This is the longest part of the small intestine. Here food is completely digested. The products of digestion are absorbed by villi, which have a large surface area to speed up absorption.

57
Q

colon

A

This is the large intestine; it is where all the water in our food and drink is absorbed into the blood.

58
Q

absorption

A

This is the diffusion of useful substances into our blood and lymphatic systems.

59
Q

assimilation

A

This is when the absorbed food becomes a part of your body. It is either used to provide energy, or it is used to help growth and repair of tissues.

60
Q

aerobic

A

Requires oxygen.

61
Q

anaerobic

A

In the absence of oxygen.

62
Q

metabolism

A

The chemical processes in our cells.

63
Q

lactic acid

A

A toxic chemical produced in anaerobic respiration, it produces cramp.

64
Q

energy

A

Released in respiration & required for other activities.

65
Q

ATP

A

A high energy chemical used in cells as an energy store.

66
Q

CNS

A

The central nervous system consists of the brain and spinal cord.

67
Q

neurone

A

This is a nerve cell. It carries an electrical message or impulse when it is stimulated.

68
Q

sensory

A

Sensory neurones carry messages from sense organs into the CNS.

69
Q

motor

A

Motor neurones carry messages out of the CNS to effector organs.

70
Q

intermediate neurones

A

These nerve cells carry messages around the CNS.

71
Q

sense organ

A

For example, the eye, ear, taste buds, skin, nose.

72
Q

effector organ

A

A muscle or gland which has an effect when it is turned on by a motor neurone.

73
Q

reflex arc

A

A nerve pathway which produces an automatic response.

74
Q

stimulus

A

For example, light, heat, sound, gravity, smell, taste, or temperature.

75
Q

response

A

This is the effect produced by an effector organ, for example you salivate when you taste something.

76
Q

co-ordination

A

This means producing a sensible response when you are stimulated. For example, when you taste something nice you salivate, you don’t scratch your toe.

Biology (9 decks)

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