Download Glossary - Queensland Museum

GLOSSARY
WORD
Acidophiles
Ahermatypic
( or azooxanthellate)
AIMS
Assay
Autotrophic
Biome
Bommie
Choanocytes
Commensalism
Decomposer
Detritus
Ecosystem
Eutrophication
Genotype
GBRMPA
Habitat
Hermatypic
(or zooxanthellate)
Heterotrophic
Queensland Museum 2009
MEANING
Microbes that can survive in highly acidic environments, of pH 2 or
less.
A type of coral that does not have zooxanthellae algae living amongst
its tissues.
Australian Institute of Marine Science.
A method to analyse or quantify a substance in a sample. It is done to
determine if a substance is present in a sample and if so, the amount
of that substance. It is also to determine the biological or
pharmacological potency of a drug.
Organisms that are autotrophic can make their own food. Some are
photosynthetic using light energy and others are chemosynthetic,
using chemical energy. These organisms are called autotrophs.
A broad natural grouping of plants and animals that share common
patterns of vegetation and climate. e.g. tundra biome, desert biome
etcetera.
Short for bombora. It is an indigenous Australian term for a shallow,
isolated piece of reef located a distance offshore. Here sea waves
break over the submerged rock shelves. They pose a danger to
boating as in good weather a bombora may not be easily seen if
waves are not breaking over it.
Special collar cells of sponges that work to set up water currents and
sieve food particles from the water.
An association in which one organism benefits and the other is not
affected. For example: a remora (or sucker fish) attached to the
underside of a shark. The remora is called a commensal.
An organism that breaks down dead matter and recycles nutrients
back into the ecosystem. For example: bacteria and fungi.
The organic debris produced during the decomposition of plants and
animals.
An integrated unit made up of the community of living organisms and
the physical environment in a specific area. It is the system through
which matter cycles and energy flows.
Excessive enrichment of rivers, lakes and seas by nitrate and
phosphate fertilisers, detergents and sewage. This leads to increased
bacterial and algal growth, which uses up the oxygen in the water,
thereby making it difficult for fish and other animal life.
The genetic make-up of an organism. It is the particular set of alleles
(variants of a gene) possessed by the organism. For example, round
and wrinkled alleles are variants of the gene for seed shape in pea
plants.
Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority.
The place where an organism lives and which provides for all, or
almost all, of its needs.
A type of coral that has zooxanthellae algae living amongst its
tissues.
Organisms that are heterotrophic cannot make their own food. They
must rely on others for food. Some are herbivores, eating plant
matter; others are carnivores eating meat or other animals; while
others still are omnivores eating both plant and animal matter.
GLOSSARY
WORD
MEANING
Hexacorals
These are the hard corals such as brain coral and staghorn coral.
Halophiles
These are aerobic micro-organisms that can survive in very salty
environments.
Chromosomes come in pairs that are the same shape and contain the
same type of genetic information. (Exception: the X and Y
chromosome pair that determine male gender in most organisms.)
These chromosomes are said to be homologous.
These are Archaea bacteria that produce methane gas as a
metabolic by-product in environments that lack oxygen. They are
common in wetlands and swampy areas.
These protein fibres define the shape of a cell by forming the
scaffolding for cilia. They also form the fibres of the spindle formed
during mitosis.
The process of cell division in which one cell divides into two. The
original cell and the two daughter cells have the same number of
chromosomes. Mitosis occurs in cells undergoing growth and repair.
An association in which both organisms benefit. For example: clown
fish and sea anemone; cleaner fish and giant groper fish.
These are the soft corals such as sea pens, blue corals, soft corals
and sea fans.
The physical expression of an organism’s genetic make-up in
combination with the effects of the environment.
Is a measure of the acidity or alkalinity of a solution and is measured
on a scale of 1 – 14. A number of 1 – 6 is acidic; 7 is neutral; and 8 –
14 is basic or alkaline.
An organism that eats dead animals. For example: vultures, files,
worms. After they have finished, decomposers complete the
breakdown process.
An association in which two organisms must live together to survive is
called symbiosis and the organisms themselves are called symbionts.
For example: zooxanthellae algae and hermatypic coral polyps; some
sponges and cyanobacteria.
Organisms that can thrive in relatively high temperatures of between
45°C and 80°C.
The ability of cells to change function as required.
Homologous
chromosomes
Methanogens
Microtubules
Mitosis
Mutualism
Octocorals
Phenotype
pH
Scavenger
Symbionts
Thermophiles
Totipotency
Trophic Level
Zooxanthellae
Queensland Museum 2009
The position occupied by a species in a food chain. Plants or
producers are at the first level; herbivores (or primary consumers) at
the next; and carnivores may be secondary (or higher) order
consumers.
Microscopic algae that live in the tissues of hermatypic corals and
produced food for the coral by photosynthesis.