Table Of Content-in
Suffix of a protein.
-ose
Suffix of a sugar.
5' cap
The 5' end of a pre-mRNA molecule modified by the addition of a cap of
guanine nucleotide.
10% rule
Only 10% of the total energy produced at each trophic level is available to the next level. The
amount of energy passed up to the levels of the food pyramid reduces as you go up.
abdominal cavity
Cavity housing intestines.
abiotic factors
Nonliving components of environment.
abscisic acid (ABA)
A plant hormone that slows down growth, promotes seed dormancy and
facilitates drought tolerance.
absorption spectrum
A graph plotting a pigment light light absorption.
acclimatization
Adjusting to a new range of environmental temperatures.
acetyl-CoA
Is formed when pyruvate first enters into the mitochondria via active
transport.
acetylcholine
Common vertebrate neurotransmitter, especially in neuromuscular junctions.
acquired immunity
Immunity that is present only after exposure and is highly specific.
Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome
(AIDS)
The most advanced, and fatal, stage of an HIV infection.
action potential
A neural impulse; a brief electrical charge that travels down an axon.
action spectrum
A profile of the relative performance of the different wavelengths in
photosynthesis.
activation energy
The amount of energy needed to push the reactants over an energy barrier.
activator
A protein that binds to DNA and stimulates transcription of a specific gene.
active immunity
A form of acquired immunity in which the body produces its own antibodies
against disease-causing antigens.
active site
A pocket or groove on the surface of the enzyme.
active transport
When a cell gets materials or excretes them by using its own energy, usually
through ATP; going against a concentration gradient.
actual evapotranspiration
Annual amount of water transpired by plants and evaporated from landscape.
actual range
Area an organism actually occupies.
adaptive radiation Evolution of many new species from a
common ancestor as a result of
introduction to new environments.
addition rule
Considering mutually exclusive events, the probability of both occurring is the
sum of the probabilities of each event.
adenylyl cyclase
Converts ATP to cyclic AMP in response to an extracellular signal.
adhesion
Water molecules sticking to other surfaces.
adipose tissue
Tissue that stores fat.
age structure
Relative number of individuals at each age.
aggregate fruit
A fruit derived from a single flower that has more than one carpel.
agonistic behavior
Competition that determines who wins a prize, such as food or mates.
alcohol fermentation
When pyruvate is converted to ethanol in 2 steps.
allele
One of the alternative forms of a gene that governs a characteristic, such as
hair color.
allele frequency
Proportion of an allele in a gene pool.
allometric growth
Proportioning that gives a body a specific form.
allopatric speciation
When a population is divided; leads to speciation.
allopolyploid
Sterile hybrid is changed to a fertile polyploid due to mutation; fertile with each
other, but not parent species.
allosteric regulation
When a protein's function at one site is affected by the binding of a regulatory
molecule to a separate site.
alpha glucose
Monomer for starch and glycogen.
alteration of generations
The alteration of two or more different forms in the life cycle of a plant or
animal.
alternative RNA splicing
Genes giving rise to two or more different polypeptides depending upon which
segments are treated as exons.
altruism
Behavior that benefits another without benefiting oneself.
aminocentesis
Prenatal diagnostic technique that involves inserting a needle to obtain a
sample of amniotic fluid that surrounds the fetus.
amphipathic
Molecules are said to be this when it has regions that are both hydrophilic and
hydrophobic.
anabolic pathways
Metabolic pathways that consume energy to build complicated molecules from
simpler ones.
anabolism
Metabolic pathways that construct molecules, requiring energy.
anaerobic
Occurs by fermentation, which generate ATP solely by substrate-level
phosphorylation.
analogy
Anatomical similarity due to convergent evolution.
anaphylactic shock
A severe reaction that occurs when an allergen is introduced to the bloodstream of an allergic individual. Characterized by
bronchoconstriction, labored breathing, widespread vasodilation, circulatory shock, and sometimes sudden death.
anatomy
Study of the structure of an organism.
aneuploidy
Abnormal number of chromosomes.
anther
In an angiosperm, the terminal pollen sac of a stamen, where pollen grains
containing sperm-producing male gametophytes form.
antibiotic resistance
Resistance evolving rapidly in many species of prokaryotes due to overuse of
antibiotics, especially in agriculture.
antibiotics
Interfere with production of peptidoglycan; harm bacteria but not eukaryotes.
antibodies
Protein that is produced by lymphocytes and that attaches to a specific antigen.
anticodon
Specialized base triplet at one end of a tRNA molecule that recognizes a
particular complementary codon on an mRNA molecule.
antigen
Any foreign molecule that is specifically recognized by lymphocytes and elicits
an immune response.
antigen presentation
The process by which an MHC molecule binds to a fragment of an intracellular protein antigen
and carries it to the cell surface, where it is displayed and can be recognized by a T cell.
apoptosis
Programmed cell death.
aposematic coloration
Bright warning colors in animals with a chemical defense.
aquaporin
A membrane protein, specifically a transport protein, that facilitates the
passage of water through channel proteins.
archaea
Domain of unicellular prokaryotes that have cell walls lacking peptidoglycan.
Like eukaryotes, DNA contains histone proteins.
artificial selection
Humans modifying species for desired traits through selective breeding.
asexual reproduction
One parent produces a genetically identical offspring by mitosis.
associative learning
The ability of animals to associate one feature with another.
asters
Microtubules and fibers that radiate out from the centrioles.
astrocytes
Provide structural and metabolic support for neurons.
ATP (adenosine triphosphate)
Composed of a sugar ribose, nitrogenous base adenine, and a chain of three
phosphate groups bonded to it.
ATP synthase
The enzyme that make ATP from ADPand inorganic phosphate.
autoimmune diseases
Diseases caused when the immune system loses tolerance for self and turns
against certain molecules in the body.
autonomic nervous system
The part of the nervous system of vertebrates that controls involuntary actions
of the smooth muscles and heart and glands.
autopolyploid
Having more than two sets of chromosomes from a single species.
autosomes
Chromosomes that are not directly involved in determining the sex of an
individual.
auxin
Indoleacetic acid (IAA), a natural plant hormone that has a variety of effects,
including cell elongation, root formation, secondary growth, and fruit growth.
avirulent
A term describing a pathogen that can only mildly harm, but not kill, the host
plant.
axon
Long nerve fiber that conducts away from the cell body of the neuron.
axon hillock
Cone shaped region of an axon where it joins the cell body.
B cell receptor
The antigen receptor on B cells: a Y-Shaped, membrane-bound molecule consisting of two identical heavy
chains and two identical light chains linked by disulfide bridges and containing two antigen-binding sites.
B lymphocytes (B cells)
Lymphocyte that matures in the bone marrow and secretes antibodies.
bacilli
Rod-shaped bacteria.
bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC)
An artificial version of a bacterial chromosome that can carry inserts of 100,
000 to 500, 000 base pairs.
bacteriophage
A virus that infects bacteria; also called a phage.
bacteriophages
A virus that infects bacteria; also called a phage.
barr body
A dense body formed from a deactivated X chromosome.
basal metabolic rate (BMR)
The metabolic rate of a nongrowing, resting, fasting, nonstressed endotherm.
basement membrane
Cells at the base of an epithelial layer are attached to this.
Batesian mimicry
Species mimics the appearance of an unpalatable or harmful.
behavior
The way an organism reacts to changes in its internal condition or external
environment.
behavioral isolation
Incompatible courtship rituals, pheromones, or bird songs.
beta glucose
Monomer for cellulose and chitin.
big-bang reproduction
Species that have only a single reproductive opportunity, such as agave and
salmon.
binary fission
A form of asexual reproduction in single-celled organisms by which one cell
divides into two cells of the same size.
bioenergenetics
The study of how organisms manage their energy resources.
bioenergetics
Flow of energy through an animal. Limits its behavior, growth, reproduction.
biogeographic realms
Broad patterns of distribution due to continental drift and barriers such as
deserts and mountain ranges.
biogeography
Geographic distribution of species.
biological augmentation
Uses organisms to add essential materials to degraded ecosystems.
biological clock
An innate mechanism in living organisms that controls the periodicity of many
physiological functions.
biological magnification
Toxins become more concentrated in successive trophic levels.
biological species concept
Species is a group of populations whose members have the potential to produce
fertile offspring.
biomanipulation
Technique for restoring eutrophic lakes that reduces populations of algae by
manipulating higher-level consumers.
Description:Interconnected neural cells that covers the cerebral hemispheres; the body's ultimate control and information-processing center. cerebral hemispheres.
