Introductory Biology vocabulary
Introductory Unit 0 - Becoming a Young Professional
1) teamwork: working together effectively as a group
2) respectful: valuing the feelings of others and treating them with honor
3) responsible: dependable, reliable, trustworthy
4) body language: postures, movements, gestures, and facial expressions that communicate attitudes and feelings
5) prepared: to be ready for a task with all of the necessary supplies
6) productive: making, creating or building something of importance
7) professional: a highly skilled individual with attitudes, actions, and beliefs that lead to success
8) plagiarism: taking and using someone else’s published materials and passages as your own
9) integrity: honesty, virtue, and strength of character
10) cheating: doing something unfairly and dishonestly using trickery or deception
Unit 1 - Characteristics of Living Things
1) organism: any living thing
2) biology: the study of life
3) observe: to watch carefully and attentively for a scientific purpose, using all 5 senses
4) categorize: to classify, place in a particular group or order based upon similarities
5) cell: is the smallest unit of life that is classified as a living thing, often called the building block of life
6) asexual reproduction: a single parent produces offspring that is identical to the parent
7) sexual reproduction: requires two parents to produce offspring that will share characteristics of both parents
8) offspring: a parent's biological child, the next generation
9) heredity: the passing of traits or characteristics from one generation to another
10) metabolism: chemical activities performed in an organism that include making food, breaking down food into energy, building cells, and moving materials in and out of the cells
11) homeostasis: the maintenance of a stable and constant internal environment within an organism
12) stimulus: a change in an organism’s environment that affects the activity or behavior of the organism
13) DNA (Deoxyribonucleic Acid): provides instructions for the organism and determines its traits and characteristics; passed from parent to offspring
14) biotic: living or alive
15) abiotic: non-living or never alive
Unit 2 - Microscopes
1) micro: small
2) scope: vision
3) specimen: a small sample to be studied, an example, a slide
4) arm: located on the side of the microscope, used to support it when carried
5) base: bottom part of the microscope, must be supported with hand while being carried
6) stage: flat surface where slides or specimens are placed
7) stage clips: holds slides in place on the stage so they do not move out of focus
8) disc diaphragm: adjusts the amount of light that shines through the specimen
9) lamp: projects light upwards through the diaphragm
10) coarse adjustment knob: moves the stage up and down to help get the specimen into view (only used with the low powered objective)
11) fine adjustment knob: moves the stage slightly to help sharpen or fine tune the view of the specimen (used with the medium and high powered objectives)
12) eyepiece: allows you to view the slide on the stage and contains the ocular lens (which has a magnification of 10x normal size)
13) revolving nosepiece: holds the objective lenses and is able to rotate to change the magnification
14) objectives: found on the nosepiece and range from low power (red = 4x), medium power (yellow = 10x), to high power (blue = 40x)
15) inclined head: allows you to rotate the eyepiece without moving the microscope
16) magnification: the process of enlarging the appearance of something to observe small details
17) Total magnification: multiply the magnification of the eyepiece x objective = total magnification
18) slide: rectangular glass plate that holds a specimen, can be bought already prepared, or created, when holding a slide, only touch the edges or the label
19) coverslip: small, square piece of glass used to protect and cover the specimen on a slide
20) dust cover: covers and protects the microscope from dust to keep the lenses and glassy areas clean
21) Anton Von Leeuwenhoek: Known as the "Father of Microscopy," scientist who built his own simple microscope, and discovered unicellular micro-organisms in pond water, sperm, sour milk, and blood
22) Robert Hooke: scientist who used compound microscopes to discover cells in a sample of cork from the bark of a tree, he named them cells which means "little rooms" in Latin
23) microscopy: the study of very small objects
24) compound microscope: microscope with 2 or more lenses, the type of microscope we use in class
Unit 3 - Levels of Organization
1) cells: Building block of all living organisms; Contain all items necessary to carry out life’s activities; Two main categories are plant and animal cells
2) unicellular organism: An organism made of only one cell, can survive as a single cell; Examples: bacteria, amoeba, paramecium, yeast
3) tissue: A group of the same type of cells working together to perform a specific job; Examples: skin, bone, and muscle tissue
4) organ: two or more types of tissues working together to perform a specific job; Examples: heart, stomach, intestine
5) organ system: two or more organs working together to perform a particular job, there are 11 organ systems in the human body; Examples: Immune, Integumentary, Cardiovascular, and Skeletal Systems
6) multicellular organism: A group of organ systems working together; An organism made from 2 or more cells and cannot survive as a single cell, not all cells look or act the same and have different jobs to do; the human body has over 200 different types of cells which work together to keep the human alive; Examples of multicellular organisms: human, rose, whale, redwood tree
7) levels of organization: A group of the same cells working together to perform a specific job form tissues. Different tissues working together to perform a specific job form an organ. Different organs working together to perform a particular job form organ systems. Organ systems working together complete an entire multicellular organism.
8) organelle: parts of a cell that work together to keep the cell functioning and alive; Examples: nucleus, cytoplasm, cell membrane
9) cytoplasm: jelly-like fluid, holds the organlles in place
10) cell membrane: protects the cell, and controls what enters and exists the cell
11) nucleus: brain and command center of the cell
Unit 4 - Parts of a Cell
1) nucleus - control center of the cell, stores deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) which contains information for making proteins, largest and most visible organelle
2) DNA (Deoxyribonucleic Acid) - in a prokaryotic cell, circular DNA is bunched and located in the cytoplasm (NOT in a nucleus), in a eukaryotic cell it is found in the nucleus, provides instructions for a cell's activities and determines an organism's traits and characteristics passed from parent to offspring
3) endoplasmic reticulum - cell’s delivery system, moves substances from one part of the cell to another through long tubes, some are covered with ribosomes which make proteins and send them directly for transport
4) vesicle - forms when a piece of the golgi complex or endoplasmic reticulum is pinched off, can form when the cell membrane engulfs an object, small storage center
5) ribosome - protein factories, hook together amino acids to make proteins, proteins are needed for cell survival, smallest and most abundant organelle
6) golgi complex - cell’s packaging center, processes and ships proteins and materials out of the cell
7) lysosome - digests and destroys food particles, wastes, worn-out organelles, and foreign invaders
8) chloroplast - traps energy from the sun to make sugar in a process called photosynthesis, contains the chemical chlorophyll which is green, produces a sugar called glucose which is used by the mitochondria to make energy, found in PLANT cells only
9) vacuole - large, water storage containers, plants wilt when vacuoles are empty
10) cytoplasm - jelly like fluid, holds the organelles in place
11) cell wall - hard, protective outer layer of a plant cell or prokaryotic cell, allows food and wastes to pass through, provides strength and support, cell membrane is located right inside the cell wall
12) mitochondria - cell’s power plants, breaks down food into energy, needs oxygen to function
13) cell membrane - Soft protective layer, lets food and nutrients in and waste out, Keeps the cytoplasm contained inside the cell
14) organelles - parts of a cell that work together to keep the cell functioning and alive; Examples: nucleus, cytoplasm, cell membrane
15) prokaryotic cell - Known more commonly as bacteria, probably the first type of cell on Earth, oldest bacteria fossil is 3.5 billion years old
16) eukaryotic cell - “true nucleus” in Greek, all plant and animal cells have a nucleus and are eukaryotic cells, multicellular organisms with eukaryotic cells include plants, animals, fungi (molds, mushrooms). Unicellular organisms with eukaryotic cells include protists, amoebas, paramecium (found in pond water)
Unit 5 - Six Kingdoms of Living Things
1) animalia
2) plantae
3) protista
4) fungi
5) eubacteria
6) archaebacteria
Unit 6 - Kingdom Plantae
1) botanist - scientist who studies plants
2) botany - the study of plants
3) vascular plants - (tracheophytes) Plants with tissues like pipes or tubes that carry needed materials long distances within the plant body. Can be any size – large or very small, 2 main categories: no seeds, seed
4) non-vascular plants - Have no "plumbing" or pipes to transport water and nutrients. Depend on osmosis to deliver materials to the cell. Must be very small plants.
5) gymnosperm - Means “naked seed” in Greek. Non-flowering, vascular plant. Include 4 main groups: conifers (evergreens – most common), ginkgoes, cycads (tropical), gnetophytes (shrubs).
6) angiosperm - Vascular, flowering plant. Flowers produce fruits after fertilization. Most common group of plants (over 235,000 species – more than any other group combined). Provide animals with food.
7) osmosis and diffusion - Movement of materials across a thin membrane from an area of high concentration to low concentration. Difference between osmosis and diffusion: osmosis involves water, diffusion can be in air and involves substances other than water.
8) sporophyte - Stage in a plant’s life cycle where plants produce spores (tiny reproductive cells). Spores are unicellular and grow into new plants when they are carried to a suitable environment providing water, sun, and soil. Form of asexual reproduction.
9) gametophyte - Stage in a plant’s life cycle where plants produce sex cells (egg and sperm), also called gametes. These sex cells must join and fertilize each other before growing into a new plant. Form of exual Reproduction.
10) seed - develops after an egg and sperm cell unite which is called fertilization. Made of 3 parts: a young plant (sporophyte), stored food, and a tough seed coat which protects the young plant. Multicellular and well developed, easier to survive than a spore
11) germination - Process in which a seed starts to grow. The young plant uses the food stored in the seed, until it is ready to begin photosynthesis
12) cotyledon - Seed leaf found inside a seed. Monocots have one cotyledon, dicots have two.
13) pollination - pollen containing sperm from the anthers (male) is transferred to the stigma (female)
14) petal - broad, flat, and thin, vary in shape and color, attract insects or other animals
15) pistil - the female reproductive structure in a flower that consists of a stigma, style, and ovary
16) ovule - contains an egg and develops into a seed if fertilization occurs
17) ovary - rounded, base of the pistil, contains the ovules, develops into a fruit if fertilization occurs
18) style - long, slender part of the pistil (female part of the flower)
19) stigma - the tip of the pistil, often sticky to help collect pollen (female part of the flower)
20) sepal - leaf-like structures that cover and protect an immature flower
21) filament - long, thin stalk that connects the anther to the flower (male part of the flower)
22) anther - structures on the stamen that produce pollen grains
23) stamen - male reproductive organs of the flower, consist of the anther and filament
Unit 8 - Human Organ Systems
1) nervous system - collects information about the body’s outside environment (through the 5 senses) and responds to the important information with a reaction (organs - brain, spinal cord, nerves)
2) endocrine system - Makes hormones that control most of the body’s functions; examples of hormones include adrenaline, testosterone, estrogen, and progesterone (organs - testes, ovaries, adrenal gland, pituitary gland)
3) female reproductive system - produces eggs, prepares the female for producing offspring, and nurtures the unborn baby during pregnancy (organs - ovaries, uterus, fallopian tubes)
4) male reproductive system - produces sperm and prepares the male for producing offspring (organs - testes, penis, urethra, prostate gland)
5) digestive system - breaks down food and nutrients to create energy to keep the body running (organs - stomach, small intestine, large intestine, esophagus)
6) immune system - helps fight off sicknesses and infections (organs - thymus gland, white blood cells, bone marrow, spleen)
7) cardiovascular or circulatory system - pumps oxygen rich blood to all parts of the body and carries dirty blood (carbon dioxide) back to the heart to fill it with oxygen (organs - heart, veins, arteries, capillaries)
8) skeletal system - provides a strong frame for your body to stand tall and move, keep its shape, and protects internal organs (organs - bones, ligaments, tendons, cartilage)
9) muscular system - provides strength and the ability to move your body in many different positions (gluteus maximus, deltoids, biceps, triceps, rectus abdominus)
10) integumentary system - protects your body from illness and infection, maintains an internal body temperature, and traps moisture (organs - sweat gland, epidermis, dermis)
11) respiratory system - collects and absorbs oxygen from the air you breathe and releases carbon dioxide (organs - lungs, trachea, diaphragm)
12) excretory system - removes waste from the body in the form of feces (solid waste), urine, sweat, and carbon dioxide (organs - lungs, bladder, anus, sweat glands)
Unit 9 - Integumentary System
1) epidermis – “epi” (on top of) top layer of skin, paper thin, produces new skin cells and melanin, top visible layer made of dead cells and the protein Keratin
2) dermis – below the epidermis, is tough and stretchy, contains nerve endings, blood vessels, oil glands and sweat glands
3) subcutaneous fat – contains fat and hair follicles, traps heat and absorbs shocks
4) blood vessels – transport blood and regulate body temperature
5) nerve receptors – sensory organs that send messages to and from the brain and respond
6) hair erector muscle– muscle fibers that attach to a hair follicle and can make the hair stand up producing goosebumps
7) oil glands – release oil to keep hair flexible and the epidermis waterproof
8) sweat glands – release sweat to cool the skin and remove waste
9) melanocyte – produces melanin and protects skin from sunlight and provides color and pigment, located in the bottom of the epidermis and hair follicle
10) hair shaft - visible hair growing from body
11) root – thick section at the base of the hair, below the skin
12) hair bulb - tip of the root, round
13) hair follicle - round pit, holds the hair bulb in place, place where hair grows
14) nail root – skin below the nail, area where new cells are formed
15) nail plate – made of closely packed, dead skin cells and Keratin, looks pink due to blood vessels underneath
16) lunula – White crescent shaped area at the base of the nail
* 17) keratin - protein found in skin, hair, and nails which provides strength and helps to hold dead cells together
* 18) collagen - protein found in skin that provides elasticity
* 19) eczema – Hereditary allergy, itchy rash on the face, arms, chest and/or legs. Common in infants and young children but usually clears up.
* 20) contact Dermatitis – Allergic reaction to a substance (poison oak, perfumes, detergents, cosmetics). Clears up once substance is removed.
* 21) Cellulitus – Bacterial infection of the subcutaneous fatty layer. Result of a puncture, bite, or break in the skin. Skin becomes hard, warm and tender. May result in fever and redness. Cured by antibiotics.
* 22) Athlete’s Foot – Fungal infection of the feet. Skin between toes becomes flaky and itchy. Cured by over the counter creams.
* 23) viral skin Infections – Chicken pox, measels, herpes (cold sores), warts
* 24) melanoma- serious skin cancer that can spread to other parts of the body. Use sunscreen and hats regularly and have unusual moles checked by your doctor
* 25) acne - when dirt clogs a hair follicle, oil and sweat are trapped causing an infection, redness, and a pimple