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B1 Glossary
acquired
characteristic
adaptation
addicted
(H) algae
allele
amphibians
antibacterial
antibiotic
antifungal
antiseptic
autotrophic feeding
auxin
axon
bacteria
biomass
birds
blackspot fungus
blood glucose
regulation
blood worm
body mass index
(BMI)
carbon cycle
carbon monoxide
carcinogen
cataracts
cell membrane
cell wall
central nervous
system (CNS)
characteristics
chemical defence
A characteristic that is changed by the environment rather than inherited
from your parents
Organisms have certain characteristics that allow them to survive in particular
places
When the body is dependent on a drug and doesn’t work properly without it
A group of organisms that can make food using photosynthesis but do not
have leaves or roots, like plants. These include seaweeds and some single
celled organisms
Every gene comes in different types called alleles. A gene for eye colour may
come in a “blue type” allele or a “brown type” allele
Vertebrates that have moist, permeable skin and lay jelly-coated eggs in water
Antibiotic that kills or slows the growth of bacteria
Substance that can kill or slow the growth of microorganisms
Antibiotic that kills or slows the growth of fungi
Substance that is used to stop the spread of pathogens
Make food from small molecules using an energy source, such as light in
photosynthesis
Plant hormone that affects the growth and elongation of cells in plants
The long extension of a neurone that carries an impulse away from the cell
body towards other neurones
Simple organisms consisting of one cell that does not contain a nucleus, some
of which are pathogens (singular: bacterium)
The total mass of living organisms, usually shown as the mass after drying
Vertebrates that have lungs, feathers and beaks, and lay hard-shelled eggs
Fungus that damages roses and is killed by sulphur dioxide in the air
The control of the concentration of glucose in the blood by the body
Aquatic species that is an indicator of polluted water
Estimate of how healthy a person’s mass is for their height
A sequence of processes by which carbon moves from the atmosphere,
through living and dead organisms, into sediments and into the atmosphere
again
A toxic gas (CO), it is found in tobacco smoke that replaces oxygen in the
blood, and so reduces the amount of oxygen carried around the body
Something that causes cancer, like the tar in cigarette smoke
When the lens of the eye becomes cloudy
Thin layer around a cell that controls what goes in and out
Outer stiff part of some cells that helps to support a cell. Plant cell walls are
made of cellulose
The spinal cord and brain. These two organs form the main part of the
nervous system, processing and controlling the transmission of electrical
impulses
The features of an organism
Preventing attack by the use of chemicals. For example, many plants produce
B1 Glossary
(H) chemosynthetic
bacteria
chloroplast
chordata
chromosome
cirrhosis
classification
cleaner fish
climate change
clinically obese
competition
consumer
(H) cutting
cystic fibrosis (CF)
cytoplasm
decay
decompose
decomposer
deforestation
dendrite
dendron
denitrifying bacteria
depressant
dermis
diabetes
digest
DNA
dominant allele
chemicals that taste unpleasant and this puts herbivores of eating them
Bacteria that get the energy they need to make their food from breaking
down food. They are producers
Green disc found in plant cells, which is used to make food for the plant using
photosynthesis
Animals that have a supporting rod along the length of their body. All
vertebrates belong to this group (also known as chordates)
A long thread of a molecule called DNA. Each chromosome contains a series of
genes along its length
Damage to the liver caused by drinking large amounts of alcohol over a long
time
The process of sorting organisms into groups based on their characteristics
Fish that eat dead skin and parasites from the skin of other fish
Changes to the earth’s climate or weather patterns on a global scale
When someone is very overweight to an extent that has been shown to cause
health problems. For adults this is defined as having a BMI of over 30
When organisms need the same resources as each other, they struggle against
each other to get those resources
An animal, because it consumes (eats) other organisms
Part of a plant normally a leaf or stem) from which a new plant can be grown
A genetic disorder caused by inheriting two copies of a recessive allele. It
causes thick mucus to collect in the lungs, making breathing difficult, and also
stops food being digested very well.
Jelly-like part inside a cell where the cell’s activities happen
Process in which complex substances in dead plant and animal biomass are
broken down by composers into simpler substances
To break down larger molecules into smaller ones
Organism that feeds on dead material, causing decay
The destruction of the world’s trees and forests
Many fine extensions of a dendron of a neurone that collect impulses from
other neurones or receptors
Extension of a neurone that carries the impulse to the cell body. It ends in
many dendrites and is usually shorter than an axon
Bacteria that break down more complex nitrogen compounds into simpler
ones, such as nitrates into nitrites, or nitrites into ammonia
Substance that slows down the activity of neurones in the brain
The layer of skin below the epidermis, where nerve endings, blood vessels and
other structures are found
Disease in which the body cannot control blood glucose concentration at the
correct level
Break down, as when our digestive system breaks up food into simpler
substances
Deoxyribose nucleic acid. Chemical that makes up genes and chromosomes;
the instructions for a cell’s growth and activity
Version of a gene (allele) that will always have an effect (as opposed to a
B1 Glossary
recessive allele, whose effect will not be seen if a dominant allele is present)
donor
Person who gives, such as the person who gives an organ for transplant to
another person
drug
A substance that changes the way the body works
effector
Muscle or gland in the body that performs an action when an impulse from
the nervous system is received
egg cell
Another term for ovum
endocrine gland
A gland that makes and releases hormones
environmental
Differences between the characteristics of organisms caused by the
variation
environment
erector muscle
Muscle in the dermis of the skin that raises the body hair
eutrophication
The addition of chemicals to water, such as nitrates and phosphates, which
encourage plant growth
evolution
Gradual change over a period of time
extinction
The dying out of a species so that it no longer exists
faeces
Waste material from food which was not absorbed by the body
family
A classification group that contains genera with similar characteristics
family pedigree chart A chart showing which members of a family suffer from a genetic disorder
feeding relationship
The relationship between two organisms where one eats the other
fertile
Able to produce offspring
fertiliser
Chemical compounds added by farmers to soil to increase the rate of growth
of crops
fish
Vertebrates that have wet scales, gills and lay jelly-coated eggs
food chain
A diagram that shows with arrows the flow of food and energy from a
producer to the animal that eats that producer, the animal that eats that
animal, and so on
food web
A diagram of interlinked food chains that show how the feeding relationships
in one habitat are independent
fossil
The remains or trace evidence of prehistoric living organisms
freshwater shrimp
Aquatic species that is an indicator of clean water
fungus
Organism that feeds on dead or decaying material
gamete
Cell that contains only half the normal number of chromosomes. It joins with
another sex cell during fertilisation, to produce a fertilised egg cell which
contains a full set of chromosomes
gene
A section of DNA that carries the instructions for a characteristic
genetic cross diagram Diagram showing how the alleles in two parents may form different
combinations in the offspring when the parents reproduce
genetic disorder
A disease cause by alleles
genetic variation
Variation in characteristics caused by the instructions within cells
genotype
The alleles for a certain characteristic that are found in an organism
genus
A classification group that contains species with similar characteristics (plural:
genera)
geotropism
Tropism in response to gravity
germinate
When a seed starts to grow a shoot and a root
gibberellins
Group of plant hormones that can cause seeds to germinate, and flowers and
B1 Glossary
gland
global warming
glucagon
glucose
glycogen
greenhouse effect
greenhouse gases
habitat
hallucinogen
heterotrophic
feeding
heterozygous
homeostasis
homeotherm
homozygous
hormone
host
hybrid
hydrothermal vent
hypothalamus
impulse
indicator species
infectious disease
inherited variation
inhibition
insulin
interbreed
interdependent
internal environment
fruits to form
A part of the body that makes substances and then releases them
The increase in the Earth’s average temperature likely to be caused by
increased amounts of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere
Hormone released by endocrine glands in the pancreas , which increases the
blood glucose concentration by causing cells, especially those in the liver, to
turn glucose to glycogen
A sugar, which is produced by the digestion of carbohydrates and is needed by
cells for respiration
A storage material made from glucose
When gases in the atmosphere trap heat energy and keep the Earth warm
Gases that help to trap heat in the atmosphere. They include carbon dioxide,
methane and water vapour
The place an organism lives in, for example woodland
Substance that distorts sense perception
Getting food by eating and digesting the tissues of other organisms
If both alleles for a characteristic are the same, the organism is heterozygous
for that characteristic
Controlling the internal environment of the body at stable levels
An animal that keeps its body temperature more constant than the
surroundings, and often warmer, by releasing heat from reactions in the body
If both alleles for a characteristic are the same, the orgasm is homozygous for
that characteristic
A substance that is made and released in one part of the body and that has an
effect on another part of the body (a chemical messenger)
Organism that provides food for a parasite
An organism that is the result of breeding together two different species. A
hybrid has characteristics from each species
Area on the seabed where hot gases and water are forced up from below, by
being heated up magma below the sea floor
Part of the brain that controls body temperature
Electrical signal transmitted along a neurone
Species that is particularly sensitive to or tolerant of pollution, so that its
presence or absence can be used as a measure of pollution
Illness that is caused by a microorganism and can be caught from an infected
person
Variation caused by genes
The feeling that you can’t or shouldn’t do something
Hormone released by endocrine glands in the pancreas, which decreases the
blood glucose concentration by causing cells, especially those in the liver, to
turn glycogen into glucose
Reproduce with other members of the same group
Depending on each other
The conditions inside the body
B1 Glossary
invertebrate
key
Animal with no backbone
Diagram containing a set of questions or statements that can be used to work
out the name of an organism
kingdom
The largest division in the classification of organisms
Kingdom Animalia
A large group of complex organisms that have nervous systems
Kingdom Fungi
A large group of organisms that cannot make their own food. They reproduce
using spores (rather than seeds) and live attached to their food source. They
include moulds, yeasts, mushrooms and toadstools
Kingdom Plantae
A large group of organisms that usually have cells containing chloroplasts and
can make their own food using photosynthesis
Kingdom Prokaryotae A large group of organisms that consist of one cell, which does not have a
nucleus. Bacteria are an example
Kingdom Protoctista A large group of organisms that do not fit into any of the other four kingdoms.
Algae are an example
kidney
An organ that is important in removing extra water and salts from the blood
by producing urine
(H) legume
Plant of the pea family, including peas and beans
lichen
Mutualistic relationship between a fungus and an alga; different species of
lichen are affected differently by air pollution, so they can be used as
pollution indicators
(H) malaria
A dangerous disease caused by a protest that causes serious fever, headaches
and vomiting and can lead to death
mammals
Vertebrates that have fur, lungs and produce milk on which they feed their
young
motor neurone
Neurone that carries impulses to effectors
(H) MRSA
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, a strain of bacterium that is
resistant to many kinds of antibiotics
mutation
A change in the DNA of a gene
mutualism
A relationship between organisms where both benefit
narcotic
A drug that makes you feel sleepy
natural selection
A process in which the organisms that are best suited to the conditions in
their habitats are more likely to survive
negative feedback
A control mechanism that reacts to a change in a condition (such as
temperature) by trying to bring the condition back to a normal level
negative tropism
Tropism in which the response is away from the stimulus
nerve
Bundle of neurones
nerve cell
Another term for neurone
nervous system
An organ system that includes the brain and nerves, which carries information
around an organism
neurone
A cell that transmits electrical impulses in the nervous system
neurotransmission
Impulses passing from neurone to neurone
neurotransmitter
Substance that diffuses across the gap between two neurones at a synapse,
and triggers an impulse to be generated in the neurone on the other side of
the synapse
nicotine
Stimulant in tobacco smoke which is addictive and makes it difficult to give up
B1 Glossary
nitrifying bacteria
nitrogen cycle
nitrogen-fixing
bacteria
osmoregulation
oviparous
ovum
painkiller
pancreas
parasite
parasitism
pathogen
pedigree analysis
phenotype
photosynthesis
phototropism
poikilotherm
pollen grains
population growth
positive gravitropism
predator
prey
primary consumer
producer
protozoan
Punnett square
pyramid of biomass
reaction time
receptor cell
recessive allele
smoking
Bacteria that make more complex nitrogen compounds from simpler ones,
such as nitrates from nitrites, or nitrites from ammonia
A sequence of processes by which nitrogen moves from the atmosphere
through living and dead organisms, into the soil and back to the atmosphere
Bacteria that can take nitrogen from the atmosphere and convert it to more
complex nitrogen compounds such as ammonia
Controlling the amount of water in the body
Offspring develop in eggs, as in birds
The female gamete in plants and animals (plural:ova)
Substance that blocks the transmission of pain responses via neurones in the
brain
Organ in the body that produces some digestive enzymes as well as insulin
and glucagon
Organism that lives on or in a host organism and takes food from it while it is
alive
A feeding relationship where one organism benefits and another is harmed
Microorganism that causes disease
When doctors study family pedigree charts to assess the probability that a
couple may have passed on a genetic disorder to their child
The characteristics that a certain set of alleles cause
Set of chemical reactions in plants that allow them to produce their own food
(glucose) using water and carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen as a waste
product. The process is powered by light from the sun
Tropism in response to light
An animal whose body temperature varies with the temperature of the
environment around it
The male gamete in plants
Increase in population size over time
Tropism in which the response is towards the stimulus
Animal that kills other animals to eat
An organism that is hunted and killed by a predator
An animal that eats producers (i.e. a herbivore)
Organism that makes its own food, such as a plant using photosynthesis
Type of one-celled protoctist that requires a source of food (i.e. it cannot
photosynthesise as some other protoctists can)
Diagram used to predict the different characteristics that will be present in
the offspring of two organisms with known combinations of alleles. You can
use the square to work out the probability that offspring will inherit a certain
feature
Diagram showing the biomass in each trophic level in a food chain
How long it takes to respond to a stimulus
Cell that receives a stimulus and converts it into an electrical impulse to be
sent to the brain and / or spinal cord
Version of an allele (gene) that will only have an effect if the other allele is
B1 Glossary
(H) reflex
(H) reflex arc
relay neurone
reptiles
resistant
respiration
response
ring species
root nodule
(H) rooting powder
saprophytic feeding
sebaceous glands
(H) selective
weedkiller
sense organ
sensory neurone
sex cells
sickle cell disease
skin cancer
sludgeworm
speciation
species
sperm cells
spinal cord
sterilise
also recessive
Response to a stimulus that does not require processing by the brain. The
response is automatic
Connection of a sensory neurone to a motor neurone(often via a relay
neurone) that allows reflex actions to occur
A short type of neurone, found in the spinal cord and brain, that link sensory,
motor and other relay neurones
Vertebrates that have lungs, dry and scaly skin and lay leathery-shelled eggs
An organism that has evolved so that it is not affected by substances that
would usually kill it. In the case of bacteria, no longer killed by an antibiotic. In
the case of rats, no longer killed by warfarin poison. Organisms may vary in
the range of their resistance, so that although some organisms may be killed,
others may be made very ill but recover, while a few may be unaffected
Process that takes in oxygen and releases carbon dioxide, which all living
things use to release energy from food for all their activities
Action that occurs due to a stimulus
A ring of populations, in which neighbouring populations that can interbreed
but the populations at the two ends of the chain cannot (despite the fact that
they might both live in the same area)
Small structure that legume plants make on their roots for nitrogen-fixing
bacteria to live in
Powder that contains plant hormones called auxins that help plant cuttings to
grow roots quickly
Getting food by digesting the tissues of other organisms outside the body and
absorbing the digested food
Glands at the base of skin hairs that release oil onto the skin surface, keeping
the skin lubricated and healthy.
Weedkiller that contains artificial plant hormones and will kill only certain
types of plants. Most selective weedkillers kill plants with broad leaves and
not those with narrow leaves
Organ that contains receptor cells
Neurone that carries impulses from receptors
Another term for gamete
A genetic disorder caused by inheriting two copies of a recessive allele. It
causes tiredness, shortness of breath and periods of extreme ain in the joints
A cancer or cancerous tumour on the skin
Aquatic species that is an indicator of polluted water
Formation of new species, such as when populations of a species are
separated geographically and evolve until they are no longer capable of
interbreeding
Each different type of organism is called a species. The members of a species
can reproduce with each other to produce offspring that will also be able to
reproduce
The male gamete in animals
Large bundles of nerves, leading from the brain and down the back
To kill microorganisms such as bacteria
B1 Glossary
stimulant
stimulus
stonefly larva
subcutaneous fat
survival of the fittest
sweat gland
synapse
tar
target organ
thermoregulation
transplant
trophic level
tropism
type 1 diabetes
type 2 diabetes
ultrasound scan
urea
urine
variation
(H) vasoconstriction
(H) vasodilation
vector
vertebra
vertebrate
virus
viviparous
Substance that increases the speed of transmission of nerve impulses across
synapses
Change in an environmental factor that is detected by receptors (plural:
stimuli)
Aquatic species that is an indicator of clean water
Layer of fat under the skin
See “Natural Selection”
A gland found in the skin that produces sweat.
Point at which two neurones meet. There is a tiny gap between two neurones
at a synapse, which cannot transmit an electrical impulse
Sticky black substance in tobacco smoke that contains carcinogens
An organ on which a hormone has an effect
The control of temperature inside the body by mechanisms in the body
Taking an organ from one person and putting it into the body of another
(often to save the life of that other person)
One level of a food chain, such as producer, herbivore, carnivore
A response to a stimulus in which an organism grows towards or away from
the stimulus
Type of diabetes in which the pancreas does not make insulin
Type of diabetes in which cells, especially those in the liver, do not respond to
insulin
A way of making an image of part of the body (usually a foetus) using
ultrasound waves reflected from parts of the inside of the body
A nitrogen-rich substance in urine
Fluid produced by the kidneys, which contains waste materials from the body,
such as water and salts
Differences between characteristics in different organisms
Narrowing of the blood vessels (capillaries)
Widening of the blood vessels (capillaries)
Organism that transfers a pathogen from one person to another, such as
Anopheles mosquito which spreads that protozoan that causes malaria when
it bites a human
Small bone in the backbone of a vertebrate
Animal with a backbone
A particle that can infect cells and cause the cells to make copies of that virus,
such as the influenza virus
Mother gives birth to live young, as in mammals