vocab Flashcards
protist
any of a diverse taxonomic group and especially a kingdom
heterotroph
an organism deriving its nutritional requirements from complex organic substances.
eukaryote
an organism consisting of a cell or cells in which the genetic material is DNA in the form of chromosomes contained within a distinct nucleus.
decomposer
an organism, especially a soil bacterium, fungus, or invertebrate, that decomposes organic material.
parasite
an organism that lives in or on another organism its host and benefits by deriving nutrients at the host’s expense.
host
a person who receives or entertains other people as guests.
fungi
any of a group of unicellular, multicellular, or syncytial spore-producing organisms feeding on organic matter, including molds, yeast, mushrooms, and toadstools.
spore
a minute, typically one-celled, reproductive unit capable of giving rise to a new individual without sexual fusion, characteristic of lower plants, fungi, and protozoans.
lichen
a skin disease in which small pimples or bumps occur close together.
nonvascular plant
belong to the division Bryophyta, which includes mosses, liverworts, and hornworts.
vascular plant
a plant that is characterized by the presence of conducting tissue.
gymnosperm
a plant that has seeds unprotected by an ovary or fruit. Gymnosperms include the conifers, cycads, and ginkgo.
angiosperm
a plant that has flowers and produces seeds enclosed within a carpel.
phtosynthesis
the process by which green plants and some other organisms use sunlight to synthesize foods from carbon dioxide and water.
cellular respiration
The chemical process that generates most of the energy in the cell, supplying molecules needed to make the metabolic reactions of an organism run.
transpiration
is when a plant absorbs water in its roots. Licensed from iStockPhoto.
tropism
the turning of all or part of an organism in a particular direction in response to an external stimulus.
gravitropism
is the movement or growth of plants in response to gravity. The shoots or aerial parts of a plant grow away from gravity
phototropism
the orientation of a plant or other organism in response to light, either toward the source of light.
asexual reproduction
the production of new living organisms by combining genetic information from two individuals of diffrent types.
toxoplasmosis
a disease caused by toxoplasmas, transmitted chiefly through undercooked meat, or in soil or cat feces.
malaria
an intermittent and remittent fever caused by a protozoan parasite that invades the red blood cells.
giardia
is an intestinal infection marked by abdominal cramps, bloating, nausea and bouts of watery diarrhea.
