Download AHSGE Science Vocabulary

AHSGE Science Vocabulary
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. Exocytosis- the cellular secretion of macromolecules by the fusion of vesicles with
the cell membrane
7. Endocytosis- the 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. Agar- a complex polysaccharide derived from a marine alga and used a a
solidifying agent in culture media
18. Allele- one of the alternative forms of a gene that governs a characteristic, such as
hair color
19. Amino acid- any 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 Xlinked 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 o
fproducing 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. Dynamic equilibrium- 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.
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
energythrough 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.
136.
Invertebrates – animal that does not have a backbone
137.
Isotonic – when the concentration of two solutions is the same
138.
Lichen – symbiotic association between a fungus and a photosynthetic
organism
139.
Lipids – macromolecule made mainly from carbon and hydrogen atoms;
includes fats, oils, and waxes
140.
Locomotion – ability to move
141.
Mammals - endothermic vertebrae characterized especially by the presence
of hair and mammary glands.
142.
Mass – amount of matter in an object
143.
Meiosis – type of nuclear division that occurs as part of sexual
reproduction, in which the daughter cells receive the haploid number of
chromosomes in varied combinations
144.
Mendel’s Laws – Law of Segregation-two alleles for a trait separate when
the gametes are formed; Law of Independent Assortment- states that the alleles for
different genes separate independently of one another during gamete formation.
145.
Metabolism – all of the chemical reactions that occur in a cell during
growth and repair
146.
Mitochondrion – membrane-bounded organelle in which ATP molecules
are produced during the process of cellular respiration
147.
Mitosis – process in which a parent nucleus produces two daughter nuclei,
each having the same number and kinds of chromosomes as the parent nucleus
148.
Monera – in the previous five-kingdom, the kingdom that included the
Archaebacteria and Eubacteria.
149.
Monocots – angiosperm whose seeds have one cotyledon
150.
Monohybrid Cross - cross between parents differ by one trait
151.
Multicellular – organism composed of many cells; usually has organized
tissues, organs, and organ systems
152.
Multiple Alleles – three or more alleles of the same gene
153.
Mutagens – a chemical or physical agent that interacts with DNA and
causes a mutation.
154.
Mutation- a change in the DNA sequence that affects genetic information.
155.
Mutualism- symbiotic relationship in which both species benefit from the
relationship; ants and aphids- ants take care of the aphids and the aphids produce
a sweet substance the ants use for food
156.
Native species- as opposed to exotic species is one that is original to a
particular region.
157.
Natural disasters- mud slides, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, tsunamis,
tornados, floods, forest fires, hurricanes
158.
Nitrogen cycle- the natural process by which nitrogen, either from the
atmosphere or from decomposed organic material, is converted by soil bacteria to
compounds that can be assimilated by plants. This incorporated nitrogen is then
taken in by other organisms and subsequently released, acted on by bacteria, and
made available again to the nonliving environment.
159.
Nitrogen oxide- a gas produced by many types of cells
160.
Non-native species (Invasive)- a species, often introduced by humans, that
takes hold outside its native range.
161.
Nonvascular plants- the three groups of plants (liverwort, hornworts and
mosses) that lack specialized conducting tissues and true roots, stems, and leaves.
162.
Nucleic acids- an organic compound, either RNA or DNA whose molecules
are made of one or two chains of nucleotides and carry genetic information
163.
Nucleolus- small, dense region within most nuclei (plural for nucleus) in
which the assembly of proteins begins.
164.
Nucleus- in a eukaryotic cell, a membrane-bound organelle that contains
the cell’s DNA and that has a role in processes such as growth, metabolism and
reproduction.
165.
Offspring- the product of reproductive processes in animals or plants
166.
Organ systems- one of the levels of organization with in living organisms;
made of organs and all organ systems make up the organism.
167.
Organelles- one of the small bodies that are found in the cytoplasm of a
cell and that are specialized to perform a specific function.
168.
Organism- any living thing
169.
Organs- a collection of tissues that carry out a specialized function of the
body
170.
Ovaries- in plants, a flower structure that contains one or more ovules
from which female gametophytes are produces; in animals, the female gonad that
produces eggs
171.
Oxygen cycle- the cycle whereby atmospheric oxygen is converted to
carbon dioxide in animal respiration and regenerated by green plants in
photosynthesis
172.
Ozone- O3; in the upper atmosphere; block the ultraviolet (UV) radiation
of the sun
173.
Parasite- a type of symbiont that lives in or on another organism.
174.
Parasitism- a symbiotic relationship in which one organism lives in or on
another organism (the host) and consequently harms it.
175.
Pedigree- chart that shows the relationship within a family.
176.
Peptidoglycan- a polymer that is composed of polysaccharide and peptide
chains and is found especially in bacterial cell walls.
177.
Permafrost- a layer of permanently frozen subsoil in the tundra.
178.
Permeable- having pores or openings that allow gases or liquids to pass
through.
179.
Impermeable- not permitting passage (as a gas or liquid) through a
substance.
180.
Phenotype- physical characteristics of an organism.
181.
Phenylketonuria (PKU)- an inherited metabolic disorder caused by an
enzyme deficiency resulting in accumulation of phenylalanine and its metabolites
in the blood causing usually severe mental retardation and seizures unless
phenylalanine is restricted from the diet beginning at birth
182.
Phosphorus- a nonmetallic element of the nitrogen family that occurs
widely especially as phosphates.
183.
Photosynthesis- process by which plants and some other organisms use light
energy to convert water and carbon dioxide into oxygen and high-energy
carbohydrates such as sugars and starches.
184.
Pistil- the stigma, style and ovary of a plant; female portion of a plant
185.
Plankton- tiny, free-floating organisms that occur in aquatic environments.
186.
Plantae- kingdom of multicellular photosynthetic autotrophs that have cell
walls containing cellulose.
187.
Pollination- transfer of pollen from the male reproductive structure to the
female reproductive structure of a plant.
188.
Populations- group of individuals of the same species that live in the same
area.
189.
Precipitation- a deposit on the earth of hail, mist, rain, sleet, or snow ; the
quantity of water deposited
190.
Predation- interaction in which one organism captures and feeds on
another organism.
191.
Predator- one that preys, destroys, or devours
192.
Prey- an animal taken by a predator as food
193.
Producers- an organism that can capture energy from sunlight or chemicals
and use it to produce food from inorganic compounds; also called autotrophs
194.
Product- element or compound that is produced by a chemical reaction
195.
Prokaryote- unicellular organism lacking a nucleus
196.
Propagation (vegetative propagation)- growing plants from seeds or other
vegetative parts
197.
Protein synthesis- process of making proteins by using DNA and mRNA and
takes place at the ribosome
198.
Proteins- a macromolecule that contains carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and
nitrogen; needed by the body for growth and repair and to make up enzymes
199.
Protista- kingdom composed of eukaryotes that are not classifies as plants,
animals, or a fungus
200.
Pseudopodia (pseudopod)- temporary projection of cytoplasm, or a “false
foot,” used by some protests for feeding or movement; amoebas use pseudopodia
to move
201.
Punnett Square- diagram showing the gene combinations that might result
from a genetic cross
202.
Radial symmetry- body plan in which body parts repeat around the center
of the body; characteristic of sea anemones and sea stars (echinoderms)
203.
Rainforest- a tropical woodland with an annual rainfall of at least 100
inches (254 centimeters) and marked by lofty broad-leaved evergreen trees
forming a continuous canopy —also called tropical rain forest
204.
Reactant- element or compound that enters into a chemical reaction
205.
Recessive allele- the allele that is masked by the dominant allele; only
expressed when each allele inherited from the parents is recessive; represented by
two lowercase letters (tt)
206.
Recombinant DNA- DNA produced from combining DNA from different
sources
207.
Regeneration- in sea stars, the ability to regrow a missing arm, as long as a
part of the central disk is present
208.
Replication- copying process by which a cell duplicates its DNA
209.
Reproduction- the process by which plants and animals give rise to
offspring and which fundamentally consists of the segregation of a portion of the
parental body by a sexual or an asexual process and its subsequent growth and
differentiation into a new individual
210.
Reptiles- any vertebrate that has dry scaly skin, lungs, and terrestrial eggs
(eggs laid on land) with several protective membranes (the amniotic egg)
211.
Ribosomal RNA- rRNA- type of RNA that makes up the major part of the
ribosome
212.
Ribosome- small particle in the cell on which proteins are assembled; made
of RNA and proteins
213.
Ribonucleic acid (RNA)- single-stranded nucleic acid that contains the sugar
ribose.
214.
Roots- underground organ in plants that absorbs water and minerals;
fibrous root-part of a root system in which roots branch to such an extent that no
single root grows larger than the rest (grasses have fibrous roots); taproot- primary
root found in some plants that grows longer and thicker than other roots (carrots
are taproots)
215.
Rough Endoplasmic Reticulum- internal membrane system in cells in which
lipid components of the cell membrane are assembled and some proteins are
modifies; it is called rough ER because ribosomes are attached to the surface of the
membrane
216.
Seed- embryo of a living plant that is encased in a protective covering and
surrounded by a food supply
217.
Self-pollination- the pollen (containing the sperm) of a plant fertilizes the
egg of the same plant; the offspring produced from self-pollination is genetically
identical copy of the parent; self-pollination does not increase genetic diversity
218.
Semi-arid- characterized by light rainfall; having about 10 to 20 inches of
annual rainfall
219.
Arid- excessively dry; not having enough rainfall to support agriculture
220.
Semi-permeable membrane (selectively)- a membrane that allows some
substances to cross and prevents other substance from crossing
221.
Sex-linked trait- a trait that is determined by agene found on one of the sex
chromosomes such as the X chromosome or the Y chromosome in humans
222.
Sexual reproduction- reproduction in which gametes from two parents
unite
223.
Sickle Cell Anemia- a recessive genetic disorder caused by a mutated allele
that produces a defective form of the protein hemoglobin
224.
Smooth Endoplasmic Reticulum- same definition as rough ER except
smooth ER does not have ribosomes attached to the membrane
225.
Solute- substance that is dissolved in a solvent to make a solution
226.
Solution- mixture of two or more substances in which the molecules of the
substances are evenly distributed
227.
Solvent- substance in which a solute is dissolved to form a solution
228.
Species- group of similar organisms that can breed and produce fertile
offspring
229.
Sperm- the male gamete (sex cell)
230.
Spontaneous generation- hypothesis stating that life could arise from
nonliving matter; this hypothesis has been disproven
231.
Spores- a reproductive cell or multicellular structure that is resistant to
environmental conditions and that can develop into an adult without fusion with
another cell; haploid reproductive cell
232.
Stamen- the male reproductive structure of a flower that produces pollen
and consists of an anther at the tip of a filament
233.
Stomata (stoma, singular form)- many openings in a leaf or a stem of a
plant that enable gas exchange to occur
234.
Succession- the replacement of a community by another at a single location
over a period of time
235.
Succulents- plants that have fleshy tissue that hold moisture; cacti are
examples of succulents
236.
Surface runoff237.
Symbiotic- a relationship in which two different organisms live in close
association with each other
238.
Body symmetry- the property of being symmetrical ; especially :
correspondence in size, shape, and relative position of parts on opposite sides of a
dividing line or median plane or about a center or axis; organisms can have radial
or bilateral symmetry; other organisms may be asymmetrical (no symmetry)
239.
Taiga (Coniferous forest)- biome in which the winters are cold but summer
are mild enough to allow the ground to thaw
240.
Taxonomy- the science of describing, naming, and classifying organisms; the
taxonomic grouping are kingdom, phylum, class, order, family genus, species
241.
Tay-Sachs Disease- a recessive genetic disorder that occurs in early
childhood; causes deterioration of the central nervous system and death; caused
by a defective form of a brain enzyme
242.
Deciduous forests- relatively mild climate and plentiful rain to promote the
grow of the forest; predominant trees are those that shed their leaves in the fall;
warm summers, cold winters and annual rainfall of 30 to 100 inches; commons
animals include deer, bears, beavers, and raccoons
243.
Terrestrial biomes- biomes that are found on land
244.
Testes- the primary male reproductive organ, which produce sperm cells
and testosterone
245.
Thymine- one of the four nitrogen-containing bases found only in DNA; it
is complementary to adenine
246.
Tissues- a group of similar cells that perform a common function
247.
Toxicity- containing or being poisonous material especially when capable
of causing death or serious debilitation
248.
Transcription- the process of forming a nucleic acid by using another
molecule as a template; particularly the process of synthesizing RNA by using one
strand of a DNA molecule as a template
249.
Translation- the portion of protein synthesis that takes place at ribosomes
and that uses the codons in mRNA molecules to specify the sequence of amino
acids in polypeptide chains
250.
Transpiration- the process by which plants release water vapor into the air
through stomata; also the release of water vapor into the air by other organisms
251.
Trophic levels- one of the steps in a food chain or food pyramid; examples
include producers, and primary, secondary , and tertiary consumers
252.
Tundra- characterized by a layer of permafrost; long, cold, dark winters;
low precipitation; musk ox, Arctic foxes, caribou, and small rodents are
characteristic animals; average temperature is -25oC to 5oC
253.
Turgor pressure- also called turgidity, is the main pressure of the cell
contents against the cell wall in plant cells. Turgid plant cells contain more water
than flaccid cells and exert a greater osmotic pressure on its cell walls; a force
exerted outward on a plant cell wall by the water contained in the cell. This force
gives the plant rigidity, and may help to keep it erect. Turgor can result in the
bursting of a cell.
254.
Unicellular- composed of only one cell
255.
Uracil- one of the four nitrogen bases that combines with sugar and a
phosphate group to form a nucleotide subunit of RNA; uracil is complementary to
adenine and found only in RNA
256.
Vacuole- cell organelle that stores materials such as water, salts, proteins,
and carbohydrates
257.
Variation (within species)- divergence in the structural or functional
characteristics of an organism from the species or population norm or average;
something (as an individual or group) that exhibits variation
258.
Vascular bundles- plant stem structure that contains xylem and phloem
tissue
259.
Vascular plants- plants that contain vascular tissues to transport water,
minerals and nutrients throughout the plant; contain xylem and phloem
260.
Venation- the arrangement of the veins in a leaf; net venation looks like a
road map (oak and maple leaves); parallel venation pattern the veins run parallel
to each other (Dogwood leaf)
261.
Vertebrates- animal with a vertebral column or a backbone
262.
Vesicle- a small cavity or sac that contains material in a eukaryotic cell;
forms when part of the cell membrane surrounds the materials to be taken into
the cell or transported within the cell
263.
Volume- amount of space occupied by an object
264.
Warm-blooded (endothermic)- describes the ability of an organism to
maintain body temperature by producing heat internally; mammals are
endothermic
265.
Water-cycle- the sequence of conditions through which water passes from
vapor in the atmosphere through precipitation upon land or water surfaces and
ultimately back into the atmosphere as a result of evaporation and transpiration
266.
Wetlands- ecosystem in which water either covers the soil or is present at
or near the surface of the soil for at least part of the year
Equation for photosynthesis…….takes place in the chloroplast in plants
LIGHT
6CO2 + 6 H2O -------> C6H12O6 + 6O2
(Reactants)
(Products)
Equation for Respiration………takes place in the mitochondria in plants and animals
C6H12O6 + 6O2 ------->
(Reactants)
6CO2 + 6 H2O
(Products)
Lemonade is a solution. Water is the solvent. Sugar and lemon juice are the solutes.
Ten Percent Rule:
Each level on an
energy pyramid only
has 10% of the
energy available
from the level below
it.
Tertiary
Consumer 0.1%
energy
Secondary Consumers
Carnivores
1 % of energy available
Primary Consumers
Herbivores
10% of energy is available
Producers/autotrophs
Use 100% of energy form the sun to produce food
Hawk
(quaternary consumer/carnivore)
Snake (tertiary consumer/carnivore)
Robin
(secondary consumer/carnivore)
Insects (primary consumer/herbivore)
Grass
(producer)