Biology Words
- Food chain A diagram showing the direction of energy flow when animals feed
- Food web A more complicated food chain - it shows what eats what in a habitat
- Fossil Remains of a plant or animal that died a long time ago
- Gamete A sex cell such as sperm, egg (ovum) or pollen
- Gene A short section of DNA that codes for a specific order of amino acids to make a protein
- Genetic engineering The process of inserting a gene from one organism into the DNA of another
- Genetic variation Variation in features due to genes
- Gibberellins Plant hormones that cause stem elongation, germination and seed dormancy
- Gland An organ that produces a useful chemical or hormone for the body
- Glucose The product of photosynthesis in plants and the molecule used in respiration
- Glycogen A molecule found in animals that acts as a store of glucose
- Habitat A place where an animal or plant lives
- Haemoglobin A protein in red blood cells that binds with oxygen
- Haploid Half the number of chromosomes needed by an organism to develop into an adult
- Heart An organ that pumps blood
- Herbicide A weedkiller
- Heterozygous When an individual has two different forms of a gene (alleles)
- Homeostasis Keeping internal conditions constant
- Homozygous When an individual has two of the same form of a gene (allele)
- Hormone Chemicals (released from glands in mammals) that travel around the body to target organs to bring about a response
- Huntington's disorder An inherited disorder of the nervous system
- Hypothermia When your body temperature falls below 35 degrees centigrade
- Immunity When your body stops you from catching an infection
- In vitro fertilisation (IVF) The process of fertilising an egg with a sperm in a laboratory before implanting into a female's uterus.
- Infection When your body catches a disease
- Inherited characteristic A characteristic that has been passed on by parents to their offspring through genes
- Inherited disease A disease that an organism inherits from their parents through the genes
- Insulin A hormone that lowers blood glucose levels
- Iris A part of the eye that controls the size of your pupil
- Kidney dialysis An artificial procedure where the blood is filtered outside of the body
- Lactic acid A product of anaerobic respiration in animal cells (and some plant cells).
- Leutenising hormone (LH) A hormone involved in menstruation
- Limiting factor Any condition that prevents the rate of a reaction from increasing
- Lipid A fat or oil
- Lymphocyte A type of white blood cell that can produce antibodies
- Malignant A type of tumour that can spread and cause harm
- Mass extinction A period of time in the Earth's history when large numbers of species die out
- Medulla (oblongata) A part of the brain that controls vital functions
- Meiosis A type of cell division that results in sex cells or gametes with half the number of chromosomes
- Menstruation The monthly process of loss of blood and tissue from the vagina - also known as periods
- Metabolism All chemical reactions taking place within an organism
- Mitochondrion A part of the cell (organelle) where respiration occurs
- Mitosis Cell replication that produces a genetic copy of the original cell, or clone
- Monoclonal antibodies Identical antibodies produced by clones of one cell
- Motor neurone A specialised cell that transmits electrical impulses to an effector
- Mutation A random change in DNA
- Natural selection A process that drives evolution by favouring only the best adapted individuals
- Negative feedback A change in the body that occurs in the opposite direction to a change in the internal or external environment
- Nephron Part of the kidney where water and ions are reabsorbed by the body
- Nucleotide The single component part of DNA
- Nucleus The part of a cell that controls what the cell does.
- Oestrogen A sex hormone produced in ovaries involved in puberty and menstruation
- Organelle A component found inside a cell
- Osmosis Movement of water molecules from an area of higher concentration to lower concentration, across a partially permeable membrane
- Oxygen debt The amount of oxygen required to break down lactic acid
- Palisade mesophyll tissue A tissue found near the upper surface of a leaf
- Partially permeable Referring to a membrane that will only let some particles through based on size
- Pathogen A microorganism that makes the body ill
- Phenotype Referring to the physical characteristics of an organism
- Phloem The living transport vessel in plants that transports sugars
- Photosynthesis The chemical reaction in plants that converts light energy into chemical energy
- Pituitary gland A gland in the brain that produces lots of hormones
- Placebo A fake drug used in drugs trials
- Population Total number of all organisms of the same species living within one area
- Producer The organism found at the first stage of a food chain or web
- Progesterone A female sex hromone
- Prokaryotic A type of cell that does not have the genetic material in a nucleus
- Protein A molecule made of amino acids
- Pyramid of biomass A diagram that shows the amount of living energy at each stage of a food chain
- Quadrat A piece of equipment used to measure the biodiversity of an area
- Receptor A specialised cell that detects a stimulus and transfers it to a sensory neurone
- Recessive Referring to an allele that will only be expressed if inherited from both parents
- Reflex arc A neuronal pathway that does not require the brain to bring about the response
- Relay neurone A neurone that connects two others
- Respiration The chemical process that occurs in most living cells to release energy
- Ribosome The site of protein synthesis inside a cell
- Selective breeding The process where humans select two individuals and get them to mate to produce offspring
- Sensory neurone A neurone that receives information from a receptor cell
- Sexual reproduction Occurs in species that produce gametes which fuse together during fertilisation
- Speciation The process of forming a new species
- Species The lowest level of classification
- Spongy mesophyll The tissue found in leaves where gas exchange takes place
- Stem cell An undifferentiated cell that can develop into any specialised cell
- Stent A device inserted into a coronary artery to keep it open
- Stomata The openings found on the underside of a leaf that allow gases into and out of the leaf
- Substrate The molecule(s) that bind with an enzyme's active site and convert to the product(s)
- Synapse The junction between two neurones
- Testosterone A male sex hormone
- Thyroid gland A gland that produces thyroxin
- Transcription The process of copying a DNA sequence to RNA
- Transect A line that can be used to measure biodiverity
- Translation The process of converting an RNA sequence into a chain of amino acids (protein)
- Translocation The movement of sugars to areas of the plant that need them
- Transpiration The diffusion of water vapour out a the leaves of plants
- Transplant Removal of an organ or tissue from one person (donor) and placement in another person (recipient)
- Trophic level A stage in a food chain represented by one organism
- Tubal Ligation Medical procedure in which the fallopian tubes/oviducts are cut or blocked to prevent the movement of an egg into the fallopian tube.
- Turgid When a plant cell is full of water
- Type I diabetes A condition caused by the body destroying its own insulin producing cells in the pancreas
- Type II diabetes A condition caused by the liver becoming insensitive to insulin