Biology EOC

• activation energy

  energy needed to start a chemical reaction; lowered by enzymes
• active transport


  movement of molecules across a membrane requiring energy to be expended by the cell
• adaptation


  inherited characteristic that increases an organism's chance of survival
• allele


  the different forms of a gene; could be dominant or recessive
• amino acid


  basic building blocks of proteins
• analogous structures


  structures that do not have a common evolutionary origin but are similar in form or function
• anaphase


  the third phase of mitosis, during which the chromosome pairs separate and move toward opposite poles
• antibiotic


  compound that blocks the growth and reproduction of bacteria
• antibody


  a substance produced by the body that destroys or inactivates a pathogen that has entered the body
• antigen


  substance (usually foreign) that stimulates the production of an antibody
• archaea


  domain of unicellular prokaryotes that have cell walls that do not contain peptidoglycan
• ATP


  a nucleotide that stores and transfers energy within cells
• autotroph


  organism that can capture energy from sunlight or chemicals and use it to produce its own food; also called a producer
• bacteria


  domain of unicellular prokaryotes that have cell walls containing peptidoglycans
• bacteriophage


  virus that infects bacteria
• base deletion


  mutation which results in the loss of nucleotide pairs in a gene; have a major effect on the resulting protein
• base insertion


  mutation which results in the addition of nucleotide pairs in a gene; have a major effect on the resulting protein
• base-pair substitution


  a type of point mutation where one nucleotide and its partner are replaced by another pair of nucleotides
• behavioral adaptation


  an inherited behavior that helps an organism survive; like escaping from predators or find a mate
• binary fission


  asexual reproduction in prokaryotes by which one cell divides into two identical cells
• fetus


  an unborn or unhatched vertebrate in the later stages of development showing the main recognizable features of the mature animal
• fever


  a rise in the temperature of the body
• fitness


  the ability of an individual to survive and reproduce in its specific environment
• food chain


  a series of steps in which organisms transfer energy by eating and being eaten
• food web


  a diagram that shows the feeding relationships between organisms in an ecosystem
• fossil

  the remains (or an impression) of a plant or animal that existed in a past geological age and that has been excavated from the soil
• gamete


  egg or sperm sex cell that contains a single set of chromosomes (haploid), one from each homologous pair
• gene


  sequence of DNA that codes for a protein and thus determines a trait
• binomial nomenclature


  Classification system in which each species is assigned a two-part scientific name including the genus and species
• biodiversity


  the variety of different species in a given area
• biogeochemical cycle


  process in which elements, chemical compounds, and other forms of matter are passed from one organism to another and from one part of the biosphere to another; like the carbon and nitrogen cycle
• biomass


  the total amount of living matter within a given trophic level
• capsid


  the outer covering of protein surrounding the nucleic acid of a virus
• carbohydrate

  organic compound used by cells to store and release energy; composed of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen
• carbon cycle


  the organic circulation of carbon from the atmosphere into organisms and back again
• carnivore


  a consumer that only eats other consumers
• catalyst


  substance that speeds up the rate of a chemical reaction; like an enzyme
• cell


  basic unit of life
• cell cycle


  the cycle of growth and reproduction of a cell, consisting of interphase (g1, s, g2) and mitosis (division of the nucleus-prophase, metaphase, anaphase, and telophase) and cytokinesis (division of cytoplasm)
• cell division


  the process by which a cell divides into two new daughter cells