biology

• acquired characteristic


  A characteristic that is changed by the environment.
• adaptation


  How organisms change in order to be more suited to their environment.
• addiction


  When someone is dependent on a drug and can't do without it.
• allele


  Alternative forms of the same gene. For each gene we have one allele from each parent in our cells.
• amphibians


  Vertebrates that have moist, permeable skin and lay jelly-coated eggs.
• Animalia


  One of the 5 kingdoms. They are multicellular and heterotrophic. Their cells have a nucleus.
• antibacterials


  Antibiotic that kills or slows the growth of bacteria.
• antibiotic


  Substance that can kill or slow the growth of microorganisms. Antibiotics are used to eliminate pathogens inside the body.
• antifungal


  Antibiotic that kills or slows the growth of fungi.
• antiseptic


  Chemical used eliminate pathogens. Antiseptics are used outside the body.
• autotrophic feeding


  To make food from small molecules using an energy source, such as light in photosynthesis.
• auxin


  Plant hormone that affects the growth and elongation of plant cells.
• axon


  The long extension of a neurone that carries an impulse away from the cell body towards other neurones.
• backbone


  A series of vertebrae extending from the skull to the pelvis. It supports the body.
• bacteria


  A type of microorganism. It consists of one cell that does not contain a nucleus. Some bacteria are pathogens (cause infection).
• bactericides


  Antibiotics that kill bacteria.
• binge drinking


  Consumption of large amounts of alcohol in a short period of time.
• binomial


  System of naming organisms using two Latin words.
• biomass


  The mass of an organism (or a population of organisms) when all of the water has been removed from their tissues.
• birds


  Vertebrates that have lungs, feathers and beaks, and lay hard-shelled eggs.
• blackspot


  Fungus that damages roses and is killed by sulphur dioxide in the air
• bloodworm


  Aquatic species that is an indicator of polluted water.
• BMI (body mass index)


  Estimate of how healthy a person's mass is for their height.
• brain


  An organ that coordinates the actions of your body.
• carbon cycle

  A sequence of processes by which carbon moves from the atmosphere, through living and dead organisms, into sediments and back to the atmosphere.
• carcinogen


  Something that causes cancer, such as tar in tobacco smoke.
• carnivore


  Animal that eats other animals.
• carrier

  A person whose cells have both a normal and a faulty allele. Symptomless carriers show no signs of the genetic disorder they are carrying.
• cell


  The basic 'unit of life', consisting of a nucleus and cytoplasm surrounded by a membrane.
• cell membrane


  Thin layer around a cell that controls what goes into and out of a cell.
• cell wall


  Outer stiff part of some cells that helps to support a cell. Plant cell walls are made out of cellulose.
• central nervous system (CNS)


  The brain and spinal cord. It processes and controls the transmission of electrical signals.
• characteristic


  A feature of an organism which can either be inherited or modified by the environment or both. For example, skin colour, number of petals, weight or blood group.
• chemical defences


  The body uses substances as a barrier against microorganisms or predators.
• chlorophyll


  Green substance found in chloroplasts (in plant cells). It is needed for photosynthesis.
• chloroplasts


  Green discs found in plant cells. Photosynthesis happens in them.
• Chordata (chordates)


  Animals with a supporting rod along the length of their body.
• chromosome


  A long thread of DNA. Each chromosome contains a series of genes along its length.
• cilia


  Tiny hair-like structures that move mucus out of the lungs and windpipe.
• cirrhosis


  Illness of the the liver caused by drinking big amounts of alcohol over a long period of time.