| A | B |
|---|
| Aerobic | Pertaining to organisms that grow only in the presence of oxygen, as bacteria in a properly prepared compost. |
| Anaerobic | Living or active in the absence of free oxygen. |
| Anatomy | The branch of biology that deals with the structure of organisms. |
| Cell Membrane | Also called the plasma membrane, or plasmalemma. A selectively permeable, limiting membrane surrounding the protoplasm. |
| Cell | The ultimate functional unit of an organic structure, plant, or animal. It consists of a microscopic mass of protoplasm, which includes a nucleus surrounded by a membrane. In most plants, it is surrounded by a cell wall. |
| Apical Tissue | Relating to the apex or tip of shoots and roots. |
| Cell Wall | The membranous covering of a cell secreted by the cytoplasm in growing plants. It consists largely of cellulose, but may contain chitin in some fungi and silica in some algae. |
| Centrosome | A minute protoplasmic body sometimes held to be the dynamic center of mitotic activity. |
| Chloroplast | Minute objects within plant cells which contain the green pigment, chlorophyll. |
| Cytoplasm | The living substance within a plant or animal cell excluding the nucleus. |
| Dicot (dicotyledon) | Plant whose seeds have two cotyledons or seed leaves, such as beans. |
| Entoplasmic Reticulum | Structure extending throughout the cytoplasm of a cell. It functions in the transport of cell products and as a surface for protein synthesis by the ribosomes. |
| Epidermis Tissue | The cellular layer of an organism; the outer skin. |
| Eukaryote | Genetic information or DNA contained in the nucleus like most organisms. Ex: Plants and animals. |
| Golgi (apparatus) | Cell organelle, important for glycosylation and secretion in cells. |
| Lateral | A directional or positional term meaning away from the middle or toward the side. |
| Lysosome | An organelle bounded by a membrane and containing enzymes capable of breaking down proteins and other molecules. |
| Meristems | Plant tissue capable of cell division and therefore responsible for growth. |
| Metabolism | Physical and chemical processes in an organism by which living matter is produced, maintained, and destroyed, and by means of which energy is made available. |
| Mitochondria | Cell organelles composed of an outer membrane and a winding inner membrane. A series of chemical reactions that occur on the inner membrane convert the energy of oxidation into the chemical energy of ATP. |
| Monocotyledon | Plant having a single cotyledon or seed leaf such as corn. |
| Nucleolus | A spherical body found within the nucleus of a eukaryotic cell. |
| Nucleus | The central portion of the cell protoplast surrounded by a very thin membrane. It consists of nucleoplasm and includes within itself variously arranged chromatin, nuclear sap, and nutritive substances. |
| Organelle | The inside parts of a cell, such as the Golgi apparatus, nucleus, ribosomes, microtubles, and storage particles. |
| Parenchyma | Cells with thin cell walls and with large vacuoles. In leaves, parenchyma cells contain chloroplasts for photosynthesis. |
| Peroxisome | In the plant cell, use oxygen to carry out catabolic reactions. |
| Phloem | Inner bark; the principle tissue concerned with the translocation of elaborated food produced in the leaves, or other areas, downward in the branches, stems, and roots. |
| Photosynthesis | Process by which green plants, using chlorophyll and the energy of sunlight, produce carbohydrates from water and carbon dioxide, and release oxygen. |
| Prokaryotes | Cell with DNA not enclosed in a nucleus. |
| Protoplast | A unit of protoplasm in one cell. |
| Protoplasm | The gelatinous, colloidal material of plants and animals in which all life activities occur. |
| Respiration | A chemical process that takes place in living cells whereby food (fats, carbohydrates, and proteins) is “burned” (oxidized) to release energy and waste products, mainly carbon dioxide and water. Living things use energy produced through respiration to derive vital life processes, such as growth and reproduction. |
| Ribosome | A particle that lies along the endoplasmic reticulum and is composed of a protein portion and RNA. The site of protein synthesis. |
| Tissue | Groups of cells working together to carry out a common function, such as muscle tissue, connective tissue, and epithelial tissue. |
| Vacuole | A cavity that is within the cytoplasm, filled with a watery fluid, bound by a membrane, and considered to be nonliving. |
| Xylem | The “plumbing” system that conducts water and dissolved mineral up the stems from the roots. |
