Glossary

Question 1

What are heterotrophs?

Answer 1

‘Hetero’ meaning ‘other’ or ‘different’
‘Troph’ meaning ‘nutrient’ - are organisms which are unable to synthesise organic carbon- based compounds, from inorganic substances so must consume matter containing organic molecules (such as proteins, carbohydrates and lipids) produced by other organisms.

Question 2

What is meant by polymerisation?

Answer 2

The process by which small molecules joint up to make long molecules, called polymers.

Question 3

What is the difference between Archaea and Bacteria and also their similarities?

Answer 3

Archaea is a taxonomic group of simple organisms (thermophiles, halophiles, methanobacterium). Bacteria is a taxonomic group which displays some structural diversity (Cyanobacteria, chlamydia, green suffer and green non-sulfur bacteria). Together they are Prokaryotes.

Pro meaning ‘before’ and karyote meaning ‘kernal’. I.e no nuclear membrane.

Question 4

What is meant by ‘in vivo’?

Answer 4

If and organism is studied in vivo, is it studied in its natural biological context.

Question 5

What is meant by ‘in vitro’?

Answer 5

If an organism is studied in vitro, it is studied outside the normal biological context; for example animal cells in a solution.

Question 6

What does heterozygous mean?

Answer 6

Having two alleles which are different.

Question 7

What does homozygous mean?

Answer 7

Is pair of matching alleles.

Question 8

What is phosphorylation?

Answer 8

Phosphorylation is the addition of a phosphate group to a molecule.