A | B |
asexual reproduction | process by which a single organism produces a new organism |
autotroph | organism that can make its own food |
coldblooded | having a body temperature that changes somewhat with the temperature of the surroundings |
contour feather | largest and most familiar feather that gives birds their streamlined shape |
down | short, fluffy feather that acts as insulation |
egg-laying mammal | warmblooded vertebrate with hair or fur that lays eggs; monotreme |
external fertilization | process in which a sperm joins with an egg outside the body |
exoskeleton | rigid outer covering in most arthropods |
feather | important characteristic of birds; helps to insulate the body and is used in flying |
gestation period | time the young of placental mammals spend inside the mother |
gill | feathery structure through which water dwelling animals breathe |
heterotroph | organism that cannot make its own food |
host | organism upon which another organism lives |
internal fertilization | process in which a sperm joins with an egg inside the body |
invertebrate | animal that has no backbone |
kingdom | large general classification group |
larva | second stage in metamorphos when an egg hatches |
metamorphosis | process by which an organism undergoes dramatic changes in body form in its life cycle |
migrate | to move to a new environment during the course of a year |
molting | process by which an arthropod's exo-skeleton is shed and replaced from time to time |
nematocyst | stinging structure used by a cnidarian to stun or kill its prey |
parasite | organism that grows on or in other living organisms |
pheromone | powerful chemical given off by an insect to attract a mate |
placenta | structure that develops in pregnant female placental mammals through which food, oxygen, and wastes are exchanged between young and mother |
placental mammal | warm- blooded vertebrate with hair or fur that gives birth to young that have remained inside the mother's body until their body systems are able to function independently |
pouched mammal | warmblooded vertebrate with hair or fur that gives birth to young that are not well developed; marsupial |
pupa | third stage in the metamorphosis of an insect |
regeneration | ability to regrow lost parts |
sexual reproduction | process by which a new organism forms {rom the joining of a female cell and a male cell |
spicule | thin, spiny structure that forms the skeleton of many sponges |
swim bladder | gas-filled sac that gives bony fishes buoyancy |
territory | area where an individual animal lives |
tube foot | suction-cuplike structure connected to the water vascular system of an echinoderm |
vertebrate | animal that has a backbone, or vertebral column |
warmblooded | having a body temperature that stays constant |
water vascular system | fluid-filled internal tubes that carry food and oxygen, remove wastes, and help echinoderms move |