Biology

AHSGE Numbered Flash Cards

Created by Lauderdale County School District

By Traci Jones and Kerri Young

1. Homeostasis

the ability of an organism or cell to maintain internal balance and stability by adjusting its physiological process.

2. Active transport-

the movement of a substance across a biological membrane against it concentration or electrochemical gradient with the help of energy input and specific transport proteins

3. Passive transport

the diffusion of a substance across a biological membrane

4. Osmosis

the movement of water across a selectively permeable membrane

5. Diffusion

the spontaneous tendency of a substance to move down its concentration gradient from a more concentrated to a less concentrated area

6. Exocytosisthe cellular secretion of macromolecules by the fusion of vesicles with the cell membrane

7. Endocytosisthe cellular uptake of macromolecules and particulate substances by localized regions of the cell membrane that surround the substance and pinch off to form an intracellular vesicle.

8. Mimicry

the resemblance of one organism to another or to an object in its surroundings for concealment and protection from predators

9. Camouflage

the method or result of concealing by disguise or protective coloration such that the organism appears to be part of the natural surroundings.

10. Migration

the process of changing location periodically especially by moving seasonally from one region to another.

11. Hibernation

the process of passing winter in an inactive or dormant state

12. Abiotic factors

an environmental factor that is not associated with the activities of living organisms

13. Acid rain

precipitation that has a pH below normal and has an unusually high concentration of sulfuric or nitric acids, often as a result of chemical pollution of the air from sources such as automobile exhausts and the burning of fossil fuels.

14. Adaptation (protective adaptation)

the process of becoming adapted to an environment; an anatomical , physiological, or behavioral change that improves a population’s ability to survive

15. Adenine

one of the four nitrogen-containing bases found in DNA that pairs with thymine

16. Aerobic

describes a process that requires oxygen

17. Agara complex polysaccharide derived from a marine alga and used a a solidifying agent in culture media

18. Alleleone of the alternative forms of a gene that governs a characteristic, such as hair color

19. Amino acidany one of 20 different organic molecules that contain a carboxyl and an amino group and that combines to form proteins

20. Ammonia

a small, very toxic molecule (NH3) produced by nitrogen fixation or as a metabolic waste product of protein and nucleic acid metabolism.

21. Amphibian- a vertebrate that, with some exceptions, lives in water as a larva and on land as an adult, breathes with lungs as an adult, has moist skin that contains mucus glands, and lacks scales and claws; examples are frogs, toads, salamanders, and caecilians

22. Anaerobic-describes a process that does not require oxygen

23. Angiosperms- a flowering plant that produces seeds within a fruit

24. Animalia- a kingdom of multicellular, eukaryotic, heterotrophs whose cells do not have cell walls.

25. Aquatic biomes-

freshwater biome-lakes, ponds, rivers, and streams, strongly connected to terrestrial (land) habitats; marine biome- saltwater habitats (oceans)

26. Archaebgacteria-a classification kingdom made up of bacteria that lkive in extreme environments; differentiated from other prokaryotes by various important chemical differences

27. Asexual reproduction- reproduction that does not involve the union of gametes and in which a single parent produces offspring that are genetically identical to the parent.

28. Assymetry-

irregular in shape; without symmetry

29. ATP

(adenosinetriphosphate)-

an organic molecule that acts as the main energy source for cell processes; composed of a nitrogenous base, a sugar, and three phosphate groups

30. Autotroph-

an organism that produces its own nutrients from inorganic substances or from the environment instead of consuming other organisms.

31. Bacteria-

domain of unicellular prokaryotes that have cell walls containing peptidoglycans

32. Behavioral adaptation-

the way an organism reacts to changes in its internal condition or external environment

33. Bilateral symmetry- a condition in which two equal halves of a body mirror each

other

34. Binomial nomenclature-

a system for giving each organism a two-word scientific name that consists of the genus name

followed by the species name.

35. Biodiversity-the number and variety of organisms

in a given area during a specific period of time

36. Biomes-a large region characterized by a specific type of climate and certain types of plant and animal communities

37. Biosphere-

part of Earth in which life exists including land and water; air or atmosphere

38. Biotic factors- an environmental factor that is associated with or results from the activities of living organisms

39. Bromeliads- Spanish moss; nonvascular plant with no vascular tissues to conduct water and minerals

40. Budding-asexual reproduction in which a part of the parent organism pinches off and forms a new organism

41. Carbohydrates-

any organic compound that is made of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen and that provides nutrients to the cells of living things

42. Carbon cycle-

carbon atoms are passed from producers to herbivores to carnivores and then passed to top carnivores, which eventually die and decay which eventually puts carbon atoms back into the soil for producers to use.

43. Carbon dioxide-

CO2- a by-product of cellular respiration and also the atmospheric gas necessary for photosynthesis

44. Catalyst-

substance that speeds up the rate of a chemical reaction

45. Cell-

in biology, the smallest unit that can perform all life processes; cells are covered by a membrane and have a nucleus and cytoplasm

46. Cell membrane-

a phospholipids layer that covers a cell’ surface and acts a s a barrier between the inside of a cell and the cell’s environment

47. Cell wall-

a rigid structure that surrounds the cell membrane and provides support to the cell

48. Cellular respiration-

the process by which cells produce energy from carbohydrates; atmospheric oxygen combines with glucose to form water and carbon dioxide

49. Chemical defense-

chemicals produced by plants to defend themselves against animals

50. Chloroplast-

an organelle found in plant and algae cells where photosynthesis occurs

51. Chromosomes-

in eukaryotic cells, one of the structures in the nucleus that are made up of DNA and protein; in a prokaryotic cell, the main ring of DNA

52. Cilia (cilium)-

a hair-like structure arranged in tightly packed rows that projects from the surface of some cells

53. Classification-

in order to study organisms, a system used to name and group organisms in a logical manner based on similarities

54. Clear-cutting-

method of harvesting trees in which all of the trees are removed from a land area, as opposed to selective cutting

55. Codominance-

a condition in which both alleles for a gene are fully expressed.

56. Cold-blooded (ectothermic)-

describes the ability of an organism to maintain its body temperature by gaining heat from the environment

57. Color-blindness- inherited by multiple genes; red and

green color blindness is X-linked recessive; blue color blindness is autosomal dominant

58. Combustion-

burning; puts carbon into the atmosphere

59. Commensalism-

a relationship between two organisms in which one organism benefits and the other is unaffected

60. Communities-

a group of species that live in the same habitat and interact with each other

61. Concentration gradient-

a difference in the number of molecules of a substance across a distance

62. Condensation-

process by which a gas changes to a liquid

63. Cone-

in animals, a photoreceptor within the retina that can distinguish colors and is very sensitive to bright light; in plants, a seed-bearing structure

64. Conservation-

process of sustaining biological diversity at all levels; making do with less; using materials and energy wisely

65. Consumers-

an organism that eats other organisms or organic matter instead of producing its own nutrients or obtaining nutrients from inorganic sources

66. Contractile vacuole-

a membranous sac that helps move excess water out of certain freshwater protests

67. Cotyledons-

the embryonic leaf of a seed

68. Crossing-over-

the exchange of genetic material between homologous chromosomes during meiosis; can result in genetic recombination

69. Cross-pollination-

in angiosperms, the transfer of pollen from an anther of a flower on one plant to the stigma of a flower on another plant of the same species.

70. Cystic fibrosis- a fatal genetic disorder in which

excessive amounts of mucus are secreted, blocking intestinal and bronchial ducts and causing difficulty in breathing

71. –cyte – suffix meaning cell

72. Cytoplasm-

the region of the cell within the membrane that includes the fluid, the cytoskeleton , and all of the organelles except the nucleus

73. Cytosine-one of the four nitrogen-containing bases found in DNA; it is complementary to guanine

74. Decomposers-

an organism that feeds by breaking down organic matter from dead organisms; examples include bacteria and fungi

75. Decomposition-

the process of organic substances being broken down into their elemental components and returned to the soil as nutrients

76. Deforestation-

destruction of forests

77. Deletion-

a deficiency in a chromosome resulting from the loss of a fragment through breakage; a mutational loss of one or more nucleotide pairs from a gene

78. Denitrification-

conversion of nitrates to nitrogen gas

79. Density dependent limiting factors-

variable affected by the number of organisms present in a given area; example food and water

80. Density independent limiting factors- a variable that affects a population

regardless of the population density; such as climate, weather, and natural disasters

81. Dependent variable-

in an experiment, the variable that is changed or determined by manipulation of one or more factors

82. Independent variable-

the factor that is deliberately manipulated in an experiment

83. Desert-

a biome that receives less than 10 inches of rainfall per year; occurs between 15o and 30o north and south latitude

84. Dichotomous key-

series of paired statements that describes physical characteristics of different organisms; used to identify organisms

85. Dicots- angiosperms who seed have two

cotyledons (seed leaves)

86. Dihybrid cross-

a Punnett square in which two factors (traits) are considered; the Punnett square will have 16 boxes

87. Diploid (2n)-

term used to refer to a cell that contains both sets of homologous chromosomes

88. Species diversity-

number of different species in the biosphere

89. Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA)-

nucleic acid that contains the sugar deoxyribose

90. Dominant allele- the allele that is always expressed in

a pair of alleles

91. Down syndrome- also called Trisomy 21; an extra copy

of a chromosome on the 21st pair of chromosomes; autosomal dominant

92.

refers to a condition in which the parts of a system are in continuous motion, but they move in opposing directions at equal rates so that the system as a whole does not change.

Dynamic equilibrium-

93. Ecological succession-

the replacement of one type of community by another at a single location over a period of time.

94. Ecosystem-

a community of organisms and their abiotic environment

95. Egg-

the female gamete

96. Embryo- an organism in an early stage of

development of plants and animals; in humans, a developing individual is referred to as an embryo from the second through the eighth week of pregnancy

97. Endoskeleton-a structural support located inside the body of an animal.

98. Energy pyramid- a triangular diagram that show an ecosystem’s

loss of energy through the ecosystem’s food chain; each row in the pyramid represent a trophic (feeding) level in an ecosystem, and the area of the row represents food chain (the pathway of energy transfer through various stages as a result of the feeding patterns of a series of organisms

99. Enzymes- a type of protein that speeds up metabolic reactions in plant and animals without being permanently changed or destroyed.

100. Estuary- wetlands formed where rivers meet

the ocean

101. Eubacteria- the classification kingdom that

contains all prokaryotes except

archeabacteria.

102. Eukaryotic cell (eukaryote)-

an organism made up of cells that have a nucleus enclosed by a membrane, multiple chromosomes, and a mitotic cycle; includes animals, plants, fungi but not bacteria and cyanobacteria

103. Evaporation-

process by which water changes from liquid into atmospheric gas.

104. Exoskeleton-a hard, external supporting structure that develops from the ectoderm.

105. Binary fission- type of asexual reproduction in which an organism replicates its DNA and divides in half, producing two identical daughter cells.

106. Flagella (flagellum)-

a long, hair-like structure that grows out of a cell and enables the cell to move

107. Food chain- the pathway of energy transfer through various stages as a result of the feeding patterns of a series of organisms.

108. Food web-

a diagram that shows the feeding relationships between organisms in an ecosystem.

109. Fossil fuels- organic substance such as coal, oil, and natural gas, found underground in deposits formed from the remains of organisms that lived millions of years ago.

110. Fruit-

wall of tissue surrounding an angiosperm seed.

111. Fungi-

kingdom composed of heterotrophs; many obtain energy and nutrients from dead organic matter.

112. Genes-

a segment of DNA that is located in a chromosome and codes for a specific heredity trait.

113. Genetic code-

the rule that describes how a sequence of three consecutive nucleotides (triplets) that correspond to specific amino acids, specifies the amino acid sequence of a protein.

114. Genetic variation-

different combinations of genes, which in turn produces various phenotypes.

115. Genus-

the level of classification that comes after family and that contains similar species

116. Glacial lake-

a lake formed by the melting of glacial ice

117. Glucose-

product of photosynthesis; food source for plants; heterotrophs take in glucose by eating foods and it is broken down by cellular respiration.

118. Golgi body (apparatus)-

cell organelle that helps make and package materials to be transported out of the cell.

119. Grassland-found in moderate climates half-way between the equator and the poles; prairies are grasslands; highly productive when converted to agriculture; roots penetrate deep into the soil; grazing herds dominated this biome

120. Groundwater-water that is beneath the Earth’s

surface.

121. Guanine-

one of the four nitrogen containing bases found in DNA and RNA; complementary to cytosine.

122. Gymnosperm-

a woody vascular seed plant whose seeds are not enclosed by an ovary or fruit.

123. Habitat-the place where an organism usually lives.

124. Haploid-describes a cell, nucleus, or organism that has only one set of unpaired chromosomes.

125. Hemophilia-

a human genetic disease caused by a sex-linked recessive allele resulting in the absence of one or more blood-clotting proteins; characterized by excessive bleeding following an injury.

126. Heterotrophs-

an organism that obtains organic food milecules by eating other organisms or their by products and that cannot synthesize organic compound from inorganic compounds

127. Heterozygous-

describes an individual that has two different alleles for a trait; Tt (where T= tall phenotype and t= short phenotypes in pea plants)

128. Homozygous-

describes an individual that has identical alleles for a train on both homologous chromosomes (TT or tt)

129. Hypertonic-

describes a solution whose solute concentration is higher than the solute concentration inside a cell.

130. Hyptonic -

when comparing two solutions, the solution with the lesser concentration of solutes

131. Incomplete Dominance –

situation where one allele is not completely dominant over another

132. Infiltration-

to permeate or enter

133. Insertion –

a mutation involving the addition of one or more nucleotide pairs in a gene

134. Interdependence

organisms living and depending on each other in an environment.

135. Inversion –

Change in chromosome structure in which a segment of a chromosome is turned around 180°; this reversed sequence of genes can lead to altered gene activity and abnormalities.