| A | B |
|---|
| DNA | deoxyribonucleic acid |
| photosynthesis | the process by which green plants and some other organisms use the energy of sunlight and simple chemicals to produce their own food |
| herbivores | organisms that eat only plants |
| carnivores | organisms that eat only organisms other than plants |
| omnivores | organisms that eat both plants and other organisms |
| autotrophs | organisms that are able to make their own food |
| heterotrophs | organisms that depend on other organisms for their food |
| asexual reproduction | reproduction accomplished by a single organism |
| sexual reproduction | reproduction that requires two organisms |
| hypothesis | an educated guess that attempts to explain an observation or answer a question |
| theory | a hypothesis that has been tested with a significant amount of data |
| microorganisms | living creatures that are too small to see with the naked eye |
| prokaryotic cell | a cell that has no distinct, membrane-bounded organelles |
| eukaryotic cell | a cell with distinct, membrane-counded organelles |
| taxonomy | the science of classifying organisms |
| binomial nomenclature | naming an organism with its genus and species name |
| matter | anything that has mass and takes up space |
| element | a collection of atoms that all have the same number of protons |
| molecules | chemicals that result from atoms linking together |
| physical change | a change that affects the appearance but not the chemical makeup of a substance |
| chemical change | a change that alters the makeup of the elements or molecules of a substance |
| phases of matter | One of three forms - solid, liquid or gas |
| diffusion | the random motion of molecules from an area of high concentration to an area of low concentration |
| concentration | a measurement of how much solute exists within a certain volume of solvent |
| semipermeable membrane | a membrane that allows some molecules to pass thru but not others |
| osmosis | the tendency of a solvent to travel across a semipermeable membrance into areas of higher solute concentration |
| catalyst | a substance that alters the speed of a chemical reaction but is not used up in the process |
| chlorophyll | a pigment necessary for photosynthesis |
| organic molecule | a molecule that contains only carbon and any of the following: hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, sulfur and/or phosphorous |
| isomers | two different molecules that have the same chemical formula |
| monosaccharides | simple carbohydrates that contain 3 to 10 carbon atoms |
| disaccharides | carbohydrates that are made up of two monosaccharides |
| polysaccharides | carbohydrates that are made up of more than two monosaccharides |
| dehydration reaction | a chemical reaction in which molecules combine by removing water |
| hydrolysis | breaking down complex molecules by the chemical addition of water |
| hydrophobic | lacking any affinity to water |
| saturated fat | a lipid made from fatty acids that have no double bonds between carbon atoms |
| unsaturated fat | a lipid made from fatty acids that have at least one double bond between carbon atoms |
| peptide bond | a bond that links amino acids together in a protein |
| hydrogen bond | a strong attraction between hydrogen atoms and certain other atoms in specific molecules |
| pathogen | an organism that causes disease |
| cell wall | a rigid structure on the outside of certain cells, usually plant and bacteria cells |
| saprophyte | an organism that feeds on dead matter |
| parasite | an organism that feeds on a living host |
| aerobic organism | an organism that requires oxygen |
| anaerobic organism | an organism that does not require oxygen |
| exponential growth | population growth that is unhindered because of the abundance of resources |
| logistic growth | population growth that is controlled by limited resources |
| conjugation | a temporary union of two organisms for the purpose of DNA transfer |
| plasmid | a section of extra DNA that confers one or more traits to a bacterium |
| transformation | the transfer of a DNA segment from a nonfunctional donor cell to that of a functional recipient cell |
| transduction | the process by which infection by a virus results in DNA being transferred from one bacterium to another |
| endospore | the DNA and other essential parts of a bacterium coated with several hard layers |
| Gram-negative | bacteria that look red after the Gram stain |
| Gram-positive | bacteria that look blue after the Gram stain |
| strains | organisms from the same species that have markedly different traits |
| psuedopod | a temporary, foot-like extension of a cell, used for locomotion or engulfing food |
| nucleus | the region of a eukaroytic cell that contains the cell's main DNA |
| vacuole | a membrane-bounded "sac" within a cell |
| ectoplasm | the thin, watery cytoplasm near the plasm membrane of some cells |
| endoplasm | the dense cytoplasm found in the interior of many cells |
| flagellate | a protozoan that propels itself with a flagellum |
| pellicle | a firm, flexible coating outside the plasma membrane |
| chloroplast | an organelle containing chlorophyll for photosynthesis |
| eyespot | a light-sensitive region in certain protozoa |
| symbiosis | a close relationship between two or more species where at least one benefits |
| mutualism | a relationship between two or more organisms of different species where all benefit from the association |
| commensalism | a relationship between two organisms of different species where one benefits and the other is neither harmed nor benefited |
| parasitism | a relationship between two organisms of different species where one benefits and the other is harmed |
| cilia | hairlike projections that extend from the plasma membrane and are used for locomotion |
| spore | a reproductive cell with a hard, protective coating |
| plankton | tiny organisms that float in the water |
| zooplankton | tiny floating organisms that are either small animals or protozoa |
| phytoplankton | tiny floating photosynthetic organisms, primarily algae |
| cellulose | a substance (made of sugars) that is common in the cell walls of many organisms |
| holdfast | a special structure used by an organism to anchor itself |
