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Biology Terms
infer
to derive by reasoning; conclude or judge from premises or evidence: They inferred his displeasure from his cool tone of voice.
prediction
an act of predicting.
theory
a coherent group of general propositions used as principles of explanation for a class of phenomena: Einstein's theory of relativity.
hypothesis
a proposition, or set of propositions, set forth as an explanation for the occurrence of some specified group of phenomena
conclusion
the end or close; final part.
organism
a form of life composed of mutually interdependent parts that maintain various vital processes.
homeostasis
the tendency of a system, esp. the physiological system of higher animals, to maintain internal stability, owing to the coordinated response of its parts to any situation or stimulus tending to disturb its normal condition or function.
hereditary
passing, or capable of passing, naturally from parent to offspring through the genes: Blue eyes are hereditary in our family
genetic
Biology. pertaining or according to genetics.
of, pertaining to, or produced by genes; genic.
ecosystem
a system formed by the interaction of a community of organisms with their environment.
balance
a state of equilibrium or equipoise; equal distribution of weight, amount, etc.
regulate
to control or direct by a rule, principle, method, etc.: to regulate household expenses.
population
the total number of persons inhabiting a country, city, or any district or area.
åpro·duc·er
–noun
a person who produces.
Economics. a person who creates economic value, or produces goods and services.
con·sum·er
–noun
a person or thing that consumes.
Ecology. an organism, usually an animal, that feeds on plants or other animals.
de·com·pos·er
–noun
a person or thing that decomposes.
Ecology. an organism, usually a bacterium or fungus, that breaks down the cells of dead plants and animals into simpler substances.
au·to·troph
–noun
any organism capable of self-nourishment by using inorganic materials as a source of nutrients and using photosynthesis or chemosynthesis as a source of energy, as most plants and certain bacteria and protists.
het·er·o·troph·ic
–adjective
capable of utilizing only organic materials as a source of food.
spe·cies
–noun
a class of individuals having some common characteristics or qualities; distinct sort or kind.
e·qui·lib·ri·um
–noun
a state of rest or balance due to the equal action of opposing forces.
struc·ture
–noun
mode of building, construction, or organization; arrangement of parts, elements, or constituents
sys·tem
–noun
an assemblage or combination of things or parts forming a complex or unitary whole: a mountain system; a railroad system.
func·tion
–noun
the kind of action or activity proper to a person, thing, or institution; the purpose for which something is designed or exists; role.
tis·sue
–noun
Biology. an aggregate of similar cells and cell products forming a definite kind of structural material with a specific function, in a multicellular organism.
or·gan·elle
–noun
a specialized part of a cell having some specific function; a cell organ.
or·gan
–noun
Biology. a grouping of tissues into a distinct structure, as a heart or kidney in animals or a leaf or stamen in plants, that performs a specialized task.
mol·e·cule
–noun
the smallest physical unit of an element or compound, consisting of one or more like atoms in an element and two or more different atoms in a compound.
mol·e·cule
–noun
Chemistry, Physics. the smallest physical unit of an element or compound, consisting of one or more like atoms in an element and two or more different atoms in a compound.
os·mo·sis
–noun
Physical Chemistry, Cell Biology.
the tendency of a fluid, usually water, to pass through a semipermeable membrane into a solution where the solvent concentration is higher, thus equalizing the concentrations of materials on either side of the membrane.
the diffusion of fluids through membranes or porous partitions.
or·gan·ic
–adjective
noting or pertaining to a class of chemical compounds that formerly comprised only those existing in or derived from plants or animals, but that now includes all other compounds of carbon.
in·or·gan·ic
–adjective
not having the structure or organization characteristic of living bodies.
pro·tein
–noun
any of numerous, highly varied organic molecules constituting a large portion of the mass of every life form and necessary in the diet of all animals and other nonphotosynthesizing organisms, composed of 20 or more amino acids linked in a genetically controlled linear sequence into one or more long polypeptide chains.
starch
–noun
a white, tasteless, solid carbohydrate, (C6H10O5)n, occurring in the form of minute granules in the seeds, tubers, and other parts of plants, and forming an important constituent of rice, corn, wheat, beans, potatoes, and many other vegetable foods.
lip·id
–noun
any of a group of organic compounds that are greasy to the touch, insoluble in water, and soluble in alcohol and ether: lipids comprise the fats and other esters with analogous properties and constitute, with proteins and carbohydrates, the chief structural components of living cells.
car·bo·hy·drate
–noun
any of a class of organic compounds that are polyhydroxy aldehydes or polyhydroxy ketones, or change to such substances on simple chemical transformations, as hydrolysis, oxidation, or reduction, and that form the supporting tissues of plants and are important food for animals and people.
pol·y·pep·tide
–noun
a chain of amino acids linked together by peptide bonds and having a molecular weight of up to about 10,000.
pol·y·mer
–noun
a compound formed from two or more polymeric compounds.
amino acid
–noun
any of a class of organic compounds that contains at least one amino group
simple sugar
–noun
monosaccharide.
syn·the·sis
–noun
the combining of the constituent elements of separate material or abstract entities into a single or unified entity
nu·tri·ent
[noo-tree-uhnt, nyoo-] Show IPA
–adjective
1.
nourishing; providing nourishment or nutriment.
vac·u·ole
[vak-yoo-ohl] Show IPA
–nounBiology.
1.
a membrane-bound cavity within a cell, often containing a watery liquid or secretion.
nu·cle·us
–noun
a central part about which other parts are grouped or gathered; core
hor·mone
–noun
Biochemistry. any of various internally secreted compounds, as insulin or thyroxine, formed in endocrine glands, that affect the functions of specifically receptive organs or tissues when transported to them by the body fluids.
Gene
–noun
the basic physical unit of heredity; a linear sequence of nucleotides along a segment of DNA that provides the coded instructions for synthesis of RNA, which, when translated into protein, leads to the expression of hereditary character.
selective breeding
–the process of breeding plants and animals for a particular genetic trait.
Allele
one of two or more alternative forms of a gene that arise by mutation and are found at the same place on a chromosome.
chromosomes
a threadlike structure of nucleic acids and protein found in the nucleus of most living cells, carrying genetic information in the form of genes.
Trait
a distinguishing quality or characteristic, typically one belonging to a person
homologous
having the same relation, relative position, or structure, in particular
Biology (of organs) similar in position, structure, and evolutionary origin but not necessarily in function
homozygous
an individual having two identical alleles of a particular gene or genes and so breeding true for the corresponding characteristic.
dominant
relating to or denoting heritable characteristics that are controlled by genes that are expressed in offspring even when inherited from only one parent.
recessive
relating to or denoting heritable characteristics controlled by genes that are expressed in offspring only when inherited from both parents, i.e., when not masked by a dominant characteristic inherited from one parent
transcription
the process by which genetic information represented by a sequence of DNA nucleotides is copied into newly synthesized molecules of RNA, with the DNA serving as a template.
translation
the process by which a sequence of nucleotide triplets in a messenger RNA molecule gives rise to a specific sequence of amino acids during synthesis of a polypeptide or protein.
enzyme
a substance produced by a living organism that acts as a catalyst to bring about a specific biochemical reaction.
gamete
a mature haploid male or female germ cell that is able to unite with another of the opposite sex in sexual reproduction to form a zygote.
zygote
a diploid cell resulting from the fusion of two haploid gametes; a fertilized ovum.
chlorophyll
a green pigment, present in all green plants and in cyanobacteria, responsible for the absorption of light to provide energy for photosynthesis. Its molecule contains a magnesium atom held in a porphyrin ring.
glucose
a simple sugar that is an important energy source in living organisms and is a component of many carbohydrates. • A hexose; chem. formula: C 6 H 12 O 6.
virus
an infective agent that typically consists of a nucleic acid molecule in a protein coat, is too small to be seen by light microscopy, and is able to multiply only within the living cells of a host
ecology
the branch of biology that deals with the relations of organisms to one another and to their physical surroundings.
competition
interaction between organisms, populations, or species, in which birth, growth and death depend on gaining a share of a limited environmental resource.
niche
a position or role taken by a kind of organism within its community. Such a position may be occupied by different organisms in different localities, e.g., antelopes in Africa and kangaroos in Australia.
abiotic
physical rather than biological; not derived from living organisms.
devoid of life; sterile.
biotic
of, relating to, or resulting from living things, esp. in their ecological relations
food chain
a hierarchical series of organisms each dependent on the next as a source of food.
food web
a system of interlocking and interdependent food chains.
guard cells
each of a pair of curved cells that surround a stoma, becoming larger or smaller according to the pressure within the cells.
mutation
the changing of the structure of a gene, resulting in a variant form that may be transmitted to subsequent generations, caused by the alteration of single base units in DNA, or the deletion, insertion, or rearrangement of larger sections of genes or chromosomes.
engulf
to eat? wtf?
compound microscope
an optical instrument used for viewing very small objects, such as mineral samples or animal or plant cells, typically magnified several hundred times.
control group
a group or individual used as a standard of comparison for checking the results of a survey or experiment :
data
facts and statistics collected together for reference or analysis.
dependent variable
a variable that depends on something else
electrophoresis
the movement of charged particles in a fluid or gel under the influence of an electric field.
mass
a coherent, typically large body of matter with no definite shape :
metric
of or based on the meter as a unit of length; relating to the metric system
molecule
a group of atoms bonded together, representing the smallest fundamental unit of a chemical compound that can take part in a chemical reaction.
volume
the amount of space that a substance or object occupies, or that is enclosed within a container,
wet slide
a rectangular piece of glass on which an object is mounted or placed for examination under a microscope.
a mounted transparency, typically one placed in a projector for viewing on a screen :
herbivore
an animal that feeds on plants.
carnivore
an animal that feeds on flesh.
carrying capacity
the number of people, other living organisms, or crops that a region can support without environmental degradation.
predator
an animal that naturally preys on others :
prey
an animal that is hunted and killed by another for food
parasite
an organism that lives in or on another organism (its host) and benefits by deriving nutrients at the host's expense.
producer
an organism that is able to form nutritional organic substances from simple inorganic substances such as carbon dioxide.
consumer
one that uses other’s resources
ecological succession
the process by which a plant or animal community successively gives way to another until a stable climax is reached.
fossil fuel
a natural fuel such as coal or gas, formed in the geological past from the remains of living organisms.
aerobic
relating to or denoting exercise that improves or is intended to improve the efficiency of the body's cardiovascular system in absorbing and transporting oxygen.
anaerobic
relating to or denoting exercise that does not improve or is not intended to improve the efficiency of the body's cardiovascular system in absorbing and transporting oxygen.