| A | B |
|---|
| adaptation | a genetic change in an organism in response to the environment |
| allele | alternate forms of a gene |
| antibiotic | chemical agent originating from a living organism that inhibits or prevents the growth of bacteria |
| ATP | energy transfer molecule of organisms |
| Big Bang Theory | the earliest event in widely held scientific model of the origin of the known universe |
| biochemistry | study of the composition of and reactions within organisms |
| bioethics | study of the social implications of biology |
| biogeochemical cycle | cycle which involved the movement of a nutrient between both biotic and abiotic components of the ecosystem |
| biological evolution | descent with modification of organisms from common ancestors |
| birth rate | number of organisms born during a given time in a defined area |
| carbon cycle | moving carbon in the environment from living to non-living components of the ecosystem |
| carrying capacity | the maximum population that can be sustained by the available resources |
| catalyst | chemical that changes the rate of a chemical reaction without being altered or used up |
| cell membrane | boundary of cells that act as a regulatory barrier |
| cellular respiration | chemical pathways that break down organic fuel for energy; aerobic respiration uses oxygen |
| chemosynthesis | process that converts inorganic substances to organic substances and that uses something other than sunlight as an energy source |
| chloroplast | an organelle found in plants that carried out photosynthesis |
| chromosomes | thread-like, gene-carrying molecule composed of DNA and associated proteins |
| codominant | genetic term for a condition in which both alleles of a gene are expressed |
| commensalism | relationship between 2 organisms in which one is benefited and the other is unaffected. |
| common ancestor | a previous species from which 2 evolutionary branches emerge |
| competition | interaction when 2 or more organisms try to utilize the same limited resource |
| DNA | the genetic material of living organisms providing a template for protein synthesis |
| destructive process | events that break down part of the Earth |
| diversification | an increase in the number, variety, and variability of organisms |
| DNA replication | process of making an identical copy of DNA, using an existing DNA strand as a template |
| dominant | genetic term for a gene that is expressed in the presence of another (recessive) gene |
| ecology | study of the interactions between organisms and their environment |
| ecosystem | organisms in a given area combined with the biotic and abiotic factors with which they interact |
| embryo | an individual in the early stages of development |
| emigration | movement of individuals out of an area |
| enzyme | protein that acts as a catalyst in biochemical reactions |
| eukaryotic cell | cell containing a nucleus and other membrane-bound organelles |
| exponential growth | growth in which a population increases by some multiplying factors |
| fertility rate | number of offspring per female in a given time |
| food web | diagram that illustrates the transfer of energy through a series of organisms in an ecosystem |
| fossil record | the collection of preserved organisms or their traces stored in the lithosphere providing an image of past life and conditions on Earth |
| gamete | sex cell that usually contains half of the genetic information of the individual and may combine with another gamete to produce a zygote |
| gene | the basic unit of hereditary; a sequence of nucleotides that codes for 1 or more products (usually RNA or proteins) |
| gene expression | process of producing a protein specified by a DNA sequence |
| genetic drift | change in frequency of alleles in successive generations |
| genome | nucleotide sequence of an individual or species |
| geologic time | the period of time that includes the physical formation of Earth through present day |
| homeostasis | processes that maintain a stable internal environment within an organism |
| immigration | movement of individuals into an area |
| invertebrates | organisms that don't have a backbone |
| mass extinction | loss of a majority of species due to a rare catastrophic event |
| migration | movement of organisms from 1 area to another usually in response to stimuli |
| mitochondria | organelle in a eukaryotic cell which converts digested food into cellular energy |
| mutation | a change in the nucleotide base pairs of DNA or RNA; mutations can be harmful, helpful, or cause no change in a phenotype |
| mutalism | relationship between 2 organisms in which both are benefited |
| natural selection | change in allele frequencies when individuals with beneficial traits generally survive to reproduce in greater numbers; survival of the fittest |
| nonrenewable resources | naturally occurring material which once consumed cannot easily be replenished |
| nucleotide | molecule made of 3 parts; linked together they are the building blocks of the nucleic acids (DNA & RNA) |
| nucleus | organelle surrounded by a membrane which contains DNA |
| organic compounds | class of compounds that contain carbon |
| parasitism | relationship between 2 organisms in which 1 (parasite) is benefited and the other (host) is harmed by not usually killed |
| photosynthesis | process that converts inorganic substances to organic substances and that uses light as an energy source |
| polygenic | inherited by multiple genes |
| population growth | change in number of a specific species in a particular area when compared over time |
| predator-prey | an interaction between 2 organisms in which one (predator) is benefited and the other (prey) is killed |
| radioactive decay | change over time in an atom due to loss of atomic particles and/or energy |
| recessive | genetic term used for a gene that isn't expressed in the presence of another (dominant) gene |
| replication | process of copying DNA or RNA |
| RNA | a single stranded unit for transferring hereditary information |
| somatic cells | all cells of the body of an organism, except sex cells (gametes) |
| specialized cells | cells that have expressed traits not found in the general parent cell |
| speciation | process by which one species gives rise to 2 separate species |
| symbiosis | any relationships between 2 organisms in which at least 1 is benefited |
| transcription | in the sequence of events where DNA codes for proteins, transcription uses DNA as a template to form RNA |
| translation | in the sequence of events where DNA codes for proteins, translation is the final step where the codon sequence in mRNA is used by ribosomes to assemble amino acids into a protein |
| unicellular | primitive organisms that remain one-celled and don't differentiate |
| vertebrates | animals that have an internal skeleton |
