| A | B |
|---|
| Adaptation- | Evolution of physical and behavioral traits that make an organism better suited to survive |
| Adaptive radiation- | Pattern of evolution-selection and adaptation lead to formation of new species |
| Air bladder- | An air-filled sac above the alimentary canal in most fishes that regulates buoyancy and, in some, aids in respiration. |
| Alleles- | form of gene |
| Amniotic egg- | the inner of the two membranes enclosing the embryo of a bird, reptile, or mammal and its surrounding fluid. |
| Amoeba- | single-celled organism |
| Angiosperm- | flowering plant |
| Antibiotic- | agent that destroys bacteria |
| Analogous- | Similar in function but not anatomical origin |
| Asexual reproduction- | reproduction in which there is no fusion of male and female sex cells |
| Asymmetrical- | not arranged in a symmetrical way |
| Autotrophy- | able to manufacture nutrients |
| Bilateral- | relating to or affecting both of two sides |
| Biodegradable- | able to decompose naturally |
| Biodiversity- | Variety of organisms, genes and communities |
| Biological magnification- | Process whereby substances such as toxic metals and chemicals are passed up the trophic levels of the food web at increasing concentrations |
| Bivalve- | mollusk with hinged shell |
| Bryophyte- | Plant w/out a vascular system |
| Carnivore- | flesh-eating animal |
| Carrying capacity- | number of animals land supports |
| Cartilage- | strong elastic tissue in body |
| Cephalization- | evolutionary development of head |
| Chitin- | Carb that makes up the cell wall of a fungi |
| Chloroplasts- | Structure used for photosynthesis in phytoplankton |
| Cilia- | a tiny projecting thread, found with many others on a cell or microscopic organism, that beats rhythmically to aid the movement of a fluid past the cell or movement of the organism through liquid |
| Climax community- | Plants and animals that result when an ecosystem reaches a stable state |
| Cnidocyte- | any marine invertebrate animal that has tentacles surrounding the mouth |
| Complete metamorphosis- | Metamorphosis which produces distinct larval, pupal, and adult stages |
| Conifer- | Bearing cones |
| Consumer- | an organism that feeds on other organisms, or on material derived from them |
| Continental drift- | Principle that species descended from common ancestors |
| Convergent evolution | Process by which unrelated species independently evolve superficial characteristics when adapting to similar environment |
| Decomposer- | an organism, especially a bacterium or fungus, that causes organic matter to rot or decay |
| Demographic transition- | Change in growth rate resulting from changes in birth rate |
| Detritus- | organic debris formed by the decomposition of plants and animals |
| Divergent evolution- | death rate high and birth rate low |
| Ecology- | study of organisms and the environment |
| Ectoderm- | outer layer of an embryo |
| Endoderm- | Food-rich tissue that surrounds embryo of the plant |
| Euglena- | single-celled freshwater organism |
| Eukaryote- | organism with visible nuclei |
| Exoskeleton- | hard protective covering of an organism |
| Exponential growth- | Rapid growth of a population whose living conditions are ideal |
| External fertilization- | Method of fertilizing in which eggs and sperm meet outside the organism’s body |
| Extracellular digestion- | Process in which food is digested outside the cells |
| Ferns- | Seedless Tracheophyte |
| Filterfeeder- | an aquatic animal such as a clam, sponge, or baleen whale that feeds on particles or small organisms that it filters from the water |
| Flagella- | Method of movement for Euglena |
| Fossil fuel- | Formed from the remains of prehistoric life |
| Genetic drift- | Random change in gene frequencies due to change |
| Genotype- | genetic makeup |
| Gills- | Enables fish to breathe |
| Global warming- | increase in world's temperatures |
| Greenhouse effect- | Retention of heat in earth's atmosphere due to the presence of CO2 gas |
| Gymnosperm- | naked seed |
| Herbivore- | animal that only eats plants |
| Hermaphrodite- | organism having both sexes |
| Heterotroph- | Organism that cannot manufacture its own food |
| Homologous- | Structures that have common origin but not necessarily a common function |
| Incomplete metamorphosis- | Metamorphosis which involves minimal changes |
| Internal fertilization- | Method of fertilization in which the eggs and sperm meet inside the body of the egg-producing individual |
| Intracellular digestion- | Process by which food is digested inside the internal cells of a simple multicellular animal |
| Larvae- | immature insect |
| Limiting factors- | factors that limit a species' reproduction |
| Mammary glands- | female milk-producing gland |
| Marsupial- | a mammal, for example, a kangaroo, wombat, opossum, or koala, having no placenta and bearing immature young that are developed in a pouch on the mother's abdomen |
| Medusa- | Free swimming stage in the life cycle of a cnidarian |
| Metabolism- | life-sustaining chemical activity |
| Molt- | lose feathers, fur, or skin |
| Monotreme- | egg-laying mammal |
| Mosses- | a simple non-flowering plant that has short stems bearing small spirally arranged leaves resembling scales and inhabits moist shady sites worldwide |
| Mutation- | Change in gene |
| Mutualism- | Relationship of 2 organisms that help each other |
| Natural selection- | Process in nature that the fittest survive to reproduce |
| Nonbiodegradable- | Not able to decompose naturally |
| Notochord- | a long flexible rod of cells that supports the body of chordates, for example, the lamprey, and vertebrate embryos and is in effect a primitive backbone |
| Nymph- | insect larva |
| Omnivore- | animal that eats anything |
| Operculum- | seal on a mollusk's shell |
| Oviparous- | producing eggs that hatch outside body |
| Ovoviviparous- | reproducing by eggs developed inside body |
| Ozone- | a gaseous form of oxygen with three oxygen atoms per molecule, formed by electrical discharge in oxygen |
| Paramecium- | a single-celled microscopic aquatic organism |
| Photosynthesis- | a process by which green plants and other organisms produce simple carbohydrates from carbon dioxide and hydrogen, using energy that chlorophyll or other organic cellular pigments absorb from radiant sources |
| Placenta- | the part of the ovary in a flowering plant that bears ovules |
| Polyp- | Sessile stage in the life cycle of a cnidarian |
| Precipitation- | rain, snow, or hail, all of which are formed by condensation of moisture in the atmosphere and fall to the ground |
| Producer- | organism that makes its food |
| Proglottids- | a segment of a tapeworm's body. Each segment contains a complete reproductive system |
| Prokaryote- | simple organism without nucleus |
| Protozoa | "First animal"-animal-like protists |
| Pseudopodia | "False feet" |
| Pupa- | developing insect inside a cocoon |
| Radial- | used to describe the arrangement of the bodies of invertebrate marine animals such as the starfish and sea anemone that have parts spreading out from a single center |
| Regeneration- | re-growth of an organ, limb, or other tissue that has been injured or shed |
| Retrovirus- | Virus containing an enzyme that copies its genes from RNA to DNA |
| Segmentation- | the structure of the body of an organism such as a worm or centipede that consists of a linear series of similar subunits |
| Sessile- | used to describe a leaf or flower that has no stalk but is attached directly to the stem |
| Sexual reproduction- | reproduction involving union of gametes |
| Slime mold- | organism that secretes slime |
| Speciation- | Development of new species |
| Spicule- | a small hard needle-shaped part, especially any of the calcium- or silicon-containing supporting parts of certain invertebrates such as sponges and corals |
| Succession- | Process by which one ecosystem is replaced by another |
| Sustainability- | Degree to which human activity is in harmony with the biosphere |
| Symbiosis | "Living together" |
| Tentacle- | a long flexible organ around the mouth or on the head of some animals, especially invertebrates such as squid, and used in holding, grasping, feeling, or moving |
| Tracheophyte- | plant with a vascular system |
| Trophic level- | a stage in a food chain that reflects the number of times energy has been transferred through feeding, for example, when plants are eaten by animals that are in turn eaten by predators. Plants and plant-eating animals occupy the first two levels, followed by carnivores, usually to a maximum of six levels |
| Univalve- | with single-piece shell |
| Variation- | a living organism that differs from the normal form for its kind |
| Vascular tissue- | plant tissue that is specialized for conducting sap. It comprises phloem, which conveys chiefly dissolved sugars, and xylem, which conveys water and dissolved minerals |
| Vertebrae- | Any of the individuals segments of bone that make up the backbone or vertebral column |
| Water Vascular System- | a system of water-filled vessels connecting the tube feet of echinoderms such as starfish |
| Yeast- | small single-celled fungus |
| Zero population growth- | balance between birth and death rates |
