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biology > pearson textbook glossary > Flashcards

pearson textbook glossary Flashcards

1
Q

abiotic factor

A

physical or chemical factor affecting an ecosystem e.g. light intensity or temperature

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2
Q

accommodation

A

changes taking place in the eye which allow it to focus on objects at different distances

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3
Q

acid rain

A

rain with a pH less than 5.5, caused by pollutant gases such as sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides

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4
Q

active transport

A

movement of molecules or ions against a concentration gradient, using energy from respiration.

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5
Q

adaptation

A

feature of an organism that suits its structure to function

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6
Q

active site

A

area on the surface of an enzyme where the substrate attaches and products are formed.

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7
Q

amylase

A

enzyme that digests starch into maltose

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8
Q

anaerobic respiration

A

reaction that releases energy from food, without using oxygen. produces lactate in mammals, carbon dioxide and ethanol in yeast.

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9
Q

anther

A

part of the stamen where pollen grains are produced

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10
Q

antibody

A

protein produced by lymphocytes that binds with foreign antigens as part of the immune response

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11
Q

anticodon

A

group of three bases on a tRNA molecule that are complementary to a codon on the mRNA

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12
Q

anus

A

outlet of the gut where faeces is expelled from the body.

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13
Q

antigen

A

chemical ‘marker’ on the surface of a cell that identifies the cell as ‘self’ or ‘non-self’

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14
Q

antidiuretic hormone (ADH)

A

hormone released from the pituitary gland. controls the water content of the blood by increasing reabsporbsion of water from the collecting ducts of the kidney into the blood.

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15
Q

arteriole

A

small artery

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16
Q

adenosine triphosphate (ATP)

A

chemical present in all cells which act as energy “currency” ATP is made by respiration and used up by any process that needs a supply of energy.

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17
Q

adrenaline

A

hormone secreted by the adrenal glands. stimulates several organs in the “fight or flight” response.

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18
Q

adrenal glands

A

pair of endocrine glands situated above the kidneys. secretes adrenaline.

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19
Q

agar

A

jelly like substance used as a culture medium for growing microorganisms.

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20
Q

aerobic respiration

A

Reaction that releases energy from food. Uses oxygen and produces carbon dioxide and water.

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21
Q

algae

A

photosynthesis protoctists. mostly unicellular, some multicellular forms (seaweeds)

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22
Q

algal bloom

A

rapid increase in numbers of algal cells in an aquatic habitat. often caused by eutrophication.

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23
Q

alleles

A

different forms of a gene

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24
Q

amino acid

A

one of about 20 different molecules that form the building blocks of proteins.

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25
Q

alveoli (singular = alveolus)

A

microscopic air sacs in the lungs where gas exchange takes place.

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26
Q

amnion

A

membrane enclosing the embryo during pregnancy.

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27
Q

amniotic fluid

A

fluid secreted by the amnion that protects the embryo by acting as a shock absorber.

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28
Q

axon

A

long extention of a neuron that carries nerve impulses in a diection away from the cell body.

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29
Q

bacteria (singular = bacterium)

A

small single-celled organisms with no necleus

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30
Q

auxin

A

plant hormone involved with tropisms and other growth responses

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31
Q

atria (singular = atrium)

A

two upper chambers of the heart where blood enters the heart from the vena cava (right atrium) and the pulmonary vein (left atrium)

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32
Q

assimilation

A

manufacture of new substances in cells using the products of digestion.

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33
Q

asexual reproduction

A

reproduction that does not involve fusion of gametes. new organisms are produced by part of an organism seperating from a single parent.

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34
Q

artificial insemination (AI)

A

method of selective breeding, where semen is used to make an animal pregnant without sexual intercourse e.g using semen from prize bulls to inseminate cows.

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35
Q

artery (plural =arteries)

A

blood vessel with a thick muscular wall and a narrow lumen, carrying blood away from the heart.

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36
Q

carnivore

A

animal that feeds on other animals

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37
Q

cell

A

basic structural unit of living organisms

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38
Q

bladder

A

mucular bag that stores urine before its removal from the body

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39
Q

carbohydrase

A

enzyme that digests carbohydrates

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40
Q

biotic factor

A

biological factor affecting an ecosystem e.g food supply, predation

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41
Q

bowmans capsule

A

structure consisiting of a hollown cup of cells at the start of a kidney tubule, the site of ultrafiltration

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42
Q

blind spot

A

area of the retina where the optic nerve leaves the eye, contains no light-sensitive cells , so an image can not be detected.

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43
Q

centeral nervous system (CNS)

A

brain and spinal cord

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44
Q

chlorophyll

A

green pigment present in chloroplasts, which absorbs light energy during photosynthesis

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45
Q

chitin

A

substance that makes up the cell wall of fungi and the outside skeleton muscles.

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46
Q

cellulose

A

polysaccharide of glucose that forms plant cell walls

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47
Q

clone

A

groups of cells, or organisms, that are genetically identical

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48
Q

consumer

A

organism that eats other organisms

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49
Q

coronary arteries

A

small arteries supplying blood to the heart muscle

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50
Q

cornea

A

transparent ‘window’ at the front of the eye that allows light to enter . also (along with the lens) refracts the light as it enters the eye.

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51
Q

carbon monoxide

A

toxic gas present in car exhast fumes and cigarette smoke

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52
Q

carbohydrate

A

organic compound composed of one or more sugar molecules

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53
Q

carcinogen

A

something that causes cancer e.g. a chemical or radiation

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54
Q

cardiac cycle

A

sequence of events taking place in the heart during one heartbeat

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55
Q

bile duct

A

tube carrying bile from the gall bladder to the duodenum

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56
Q

biomass

A

total mass of organisms, e.g in an ecosystem

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57
Q

coronary heart disease (CHD)

A

disease caused by a blockage of the coronary arteries due to a build uo of fatty material. it can cut off the blood supply to the heart and result in a heart attack.

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58
Q

cervix

A

‘the neck’ of the uterus

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59
Q

colon

A

first part of large intestine, where water is absorbed from the waste material in the gut

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60
Q

chloroplasts

A

organelle found in some plant cells, the site of the reactions of photosynthesis

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61
Q

cholesterol

A

lipid substance present in the blood and linked to coronart heart disease.

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62
Q

balanced diet

A

diet containing all of the nessecary food types and in the correct amounts and proportions to keep the body healthy

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63
Q

bacteriophage

A

virus that infects bacteria, used as a vector in genetic engineering

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64
Q

cell wall

A

non-living layer outside the cell membrane of certain types of cell. made of cellulose (plants and algae), chitin (fungi) or peptidoglycan (bacteria)

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65
Q

cell membrane

A

thin surface layer around the cytoplasm of a cell. forms a partially permeable barrier between the cell contents and the outside of the cell.

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66
Q

catalyst

A

chemical that increases the rate of reaction but remains unchanged at the end of the reaction.

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67
Q

cartilage

A

tough tissue present in several places in the body, such as rings in the trachea and between the bones at a joint

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68
Q

cardiac muscle

A

specialised muscle making up the heart wall, able to contract rythmically without fatiguing,

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69
Q

cardiac centre

A

region in the medulla of the brain that controls heart rate

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70
Q

carboxyhaemoglobin

A

substance formed when carbon monoxide combines with haemoglobin, displacing oxygen from the haemoglobin

71
Q

bronchial tree

A

branching network of air passages in the lungs

72
Q

bronchioles

A

small air passages leading from the bronchi to the alveoli

73
Q

bronchitis

A

lung disease caused by irritation of the bronchial tree and infection from bacteria,resulting in breathing difficulties

74
Q

capillary

A

microscopic blood vessel that carries blood through organs and allows exchange of substances between the blood and the cells of the organ

75
Q

capsule (of bacteria)

A

slime layer covering some bacterial cells, protects the bacterium and stops it drying out

76
Q

bronchi (singular = bronchus)

A

tubes leading from the trachea to the lungs

77
Q

biotechnology

A

use of microorganisms to make useful products

78
Q

companion cell

A

specialised cell lying next to a sieve tube in the phoelm and controlling its activities

79
Q

coronary veins

A

small veins carrying blood away from the heart muscle

80
Q

corpus luteum

A

remains of an ovarian follicle after ovulation. secretes progesterone.

81
Q

cotyledons

A

seed leaves. may act as food store in seed.

82
Q

cross-pollination

A

transfer of pollen from an anther of one plant to a stigma of a different plant of the same species.

83
Q

cuticle

A

thin layer of waxy material covering the epidermis cells of a plant.

84
Q

dendrites

A

fine extentions of the dendrons of a neuron

85
Q

decomposer

A

organism that feeds by breaking down the dead remains of other organisms e.g. some bacteria and fungi

86
Q

denaturing

A

prosess where the structure of a protein is damaged by high temperatures (becomes denatured) If the protein is an enzyme, it will no longer catalyse its reaction

87
Q

cutting

A

method of producing new plants by taking a piece of a shoot and planting it in compost. an example of asexual reproduction.

88
Q

cytoplasm

A

jelly like material that makes up most of the cell

89
Q

decomposition

A

breakdown of the dead remains of other organisms, helping to recycle nutrients

90
Q

cortex (of kidney)

A

outer part of the kidney, containing kidney tubules and blood vessels

91
Q

cone (cell)

A

cell in the retina of the eye that is sensitive to different wavelengths of light and results in colour vision

92
Q

controlled variables

A

variables in an experiment other than the indipendent variable, which are kept constant by the person carrying out the experiment so that they do not affect the results.

93
Q

control

A

part of an experiment which is set up to show that other variables are not having an effect on the outcome of the experiment

94
Q

choroid

A

dark layer of tissue below the sclera of the eye. contains blood vessels and pigment cells.

95
Q

chromosome

A

thread like structure found in the nucleus of a cell, made of DNA and protien. contains the genetic information (genes)

96
Q

ciliary muscle

A

ring of muscle around the lens of an eye that alters the shape of the lens during accommodation

97
Q

chromatid

A

one of two thread like strands of a replicated chromosome. each chromatid contains an exact copy of the double helix of DNA. chromatids become visible at the start of mitosis and meiosis.

98
Q

community

A

all organisms of all species found in a particular area at a certain time

99
Q

cilia (singular = cilium)

A

microscopic hair like projections from the surface of some animal cells, such as those lining the trachea and bronchi. beating of cilia moves mucus and trapped particles towards the mouth.

100
Q

codon

A

triplet of bases on the mRNA molecule. different triplets code for different amino acids in a protein.

101
Q

coleoptile

A

protective sheath covering the first leaves of a cereal seedling. used in tropism experiments.

102
Q

collecting duct

A

last part of a kidney tubule, where water is reabsorbed before the final urine is produced.

103
Q

codominance

A

pattern of inheritance where neither allele of a gene is dominant over the other so that both alleles are expressed in the phenotype

104
Q

beri-beri

A

a cluster of symptoms caused primarily by thiamine (vitamin B1) dificiency.

105
Q

bioaccumulation

A

build up of pollutants such as insecticides in the fatty tissues of an organism

106
Q

biomagnification

A

increase in concentration of biooccumulated substances along a food chain

107
Q

biological control

A

use of another organism to control the numbers of a pest species

108
Q

base (in DNA)

A

one of the four nitrogen-containing groups in the DNA molecule, called adenine, thymine, cytosine and guanine. bases form complementary pairs linking the chains of the double helix.

109
Q

biscuspid valve

A

valve in the heart between the left atrium and left ventricle. prevents backflow of blood when the ventricle contracts.

110
Q

bile

A

green liquid made by the liver and stored in the gall bladder. causes lipids in the gut to form an emulsion, increasing their surface area for easier digestion by enzymes

111
Q

biodiversity

A

the amount of variation shown by organisms in an ecosystem. biodiversity is a measure of both numbers and abundance of each species

112
Q

ejaculation

A

release of semen during sexual intercourse

113
Q

ecosystem

A

community of living organisms together with their non-living environment

114
Q

effector

A

organ that brings about a response (a musle or gland)

115
Q

eukaryotic

A

cells that have a nucleus (the cells of all living organisms except bacteria)

116
Q

erythrocyte

A

red blood cell

117
Q

herbivore

A

animal that feeds on plants

118
Q

embryo

A

multicellular structure formed by division of a zygote

119
Q

endocrine gland

A

gland secreting a hormone into the blood stream

120
Q

enzyme

A

protein that acts as a biological catalyst

121
Q

dermis

A

middle layer of the skin containing many sensory receptors

122
Q

diabetes

A

disease where the blood glucose concentration cannot be properly controlled. caused by a lack of insulin.

123
Q

fibrin

A

protein in blood plasma that forms insoluble fibres during blood clotting

124
Q

gall bladder

A

organ that stores bile from the liver

125
Q

gametes

A

female and male sex cells, formed by meiosis

126
Q

habitat

A

place where an organism lives

127
Q

hepatic portal vein

A

blood vessel transporting the products of digestion from the ileum to the liver

128
Q

guard cells

A

pair of specialised cells surrounding a stoma in the epidermis of a leaf, they change shape to open or close the stoma

129
Q

glycerol

A

molecule that, along with fatty acids, is a component of lipids

130
Q

glucose

A

monosaccharide sugar, the main ‘fuel’ for respiration

131
Q

fructose

A

monosaccharide sugar found in fruits

132
Q

fertilisation

A

fusion of male and female gametes to form a zygote

133
Q

epidermis (in the skin)

A

outer layer of the skin, consisiting of dead cells

134
Q

epidermis (in plants)

A

outer layer of cells of a leaf or other non woody parts of a plant

135
Q

emphysema

A

lung disease where the walls of the alveoli break down and fuse together again, forming air spaces with a reduced surface area. results in breathing difficulties.

136
Q

dicot (dicotyledonous plant)

A

plant with two seed leaves

137
Q

grey matter

A

tissue in the middle of the spinal cord and outer part of the brain. consists of mainly nerve cell bodies.

138
Q

homeostasis

A

maintaining constant conditions in the body. maintaining a constant internal enviroment.

139
Q

glomerulus

A

ball of capillaries surrounded by the bowmans capsule at the start of the kidney tubule

140
Q

glucagon

A

hormone released by the pancreas. action of glucagon causes an increase in the concentration of glucose in the blood

141
Q

glomerular filtrate

A

fluid that passes through the bowmans capsule at the start of a kidney tubule

142
Q

fibrinogen

A

protein in blood plasma that forms insouble fibres of fibrin during blood clotting

143
Q

eutrophication

A

process where an aquatic habitat recieves large amount of minerals, either naturally or as a result of pollution by sewage or fertilisers

144
Q

nicotine

A

addictive drug present in tobacco and cigarette smoke

145
Q

optic nerve

A

nerve carrying impulses from the retina of the eye to the brain

146
Q

organelle

A

part of the cell with a particular function e.g. nucleus

147
Q

lymphocyte

A

type of white blood cells that produces antibodies

148
Q

neurone

A

nerve cell

149
Q

organ system

A

collection of different organs working together

150
Q

oviduct

A

tube leading from the ovary to the uterus, also known as the fallopian tube

151
Q

ovum (plural = ova)

A

female gamete

152
Q

kwashiorkor

A

disease caused by starvation, resulting in body protiens being metabolised

153
Q

menstrual cycle

A

monthly cycle of events preparing a womans uterus for the possible implantation of a fertilised egg. controlled by hormones from the pituitary gland.

154
Q

renal vein

A

blood vessel that takes blood away from a kidney

155
Q

renal artery

A

blood vessel that supplies blood to a kidney

156
Q

unicellular

A

composed of a single cell

157
Q

multicellular

A

composed of many cells

158
Q

lipase

A

enzyme that digests lipids

159
Q

producer

A

organism that makes its own food

160
Q

predator

A

animal that kills and eats other animals

161
Q

primary consumer

A

organism that feeds on producers

162
Q

sexual intercourse

A

insertation of the penis into the vagina, followed by the release of semen

163
Q

ventilation

A

movement of air in and out of the lungs

164
Q

style

A

part of the carpel of a flower. stalk connecting the stigma to the ovary, through which the pollen tube grows

165
Q

trophic levels

A

different feeding levels in a food chain

166
Q

sex chromosomes

A

pair of chromosomes that detemine sex in humans. XX in females, XY in males

167
Q

teritary consumer

A

organism that feeds on secondary consumers

168
Q

stimulus

A

change in the surroundings of an organism that produces a response

169
Q

tissue

A

collection of similar cells working together to perfrom a function

170
Q

duodenum

A

first part of the small intestine following the stomach

171
Q

hair erector muscle

A

muscle attached to the base of each hair in the skin. the muscle contracts to pull the hair upright

172
Q

nitrifying bacteria

A

bacterua in the nitrogen cycle that oxidise ammonia to nitrite and then nitrite to nitrate

173
Q

oestrogen

A

female sex hormone secreted by the ovaries. controls the development of the female secondary sex characteristics and the repair of the uterine lining during the menstural cycle

biology (11 decks)

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