abiotic
Non-living.
alleles
Any of the alternative forms of a gene that may occur at a given locus on a chromosome.
asexual reproduction
Involving or reproducing by reproductive processes (as cell division, spore formation, fission or budding) that do not involve the union of germ cells or egg and sperm.
biogeochemical cycles
Relating to the partitioning and cycling of chemical elements and compounds between the living and nonliving parts of an ecosystem.
biomass
The amount of living matter.
biotechnology
Biological science when applied especially in genetic engineering and recombinant DNA technology.
cell division
The formation of two daughter cells from one parent cell, mitosis.
cell respiration
Metabolic processes which break down nutrients into usable energy.
chemosynthesis
Synthesis of organic compounds (as in living cells) by energy derived from chemical reactions.
chromosome
A threadlike structure of nucleic acids and protein found in the nucleus of most living cells, carrying genetic information in the form of genes.
differentiation
The sum of the processes whereby apparently indifferent cells, tissues and structures attain their adult form and function.
ecological
The interactions and relationships between organisms and their environment.
emigration
A category of population dispersal covering one-way movement out of the population area.
eukaryotic
An organism composed of one or more cells containing visibly evident nuclei and organelles.
evolution (biological)
Changes in the genetic composition of a population through successive generations.
fermentation
An enzymatically controlled anaerobic breakdown of an energy-rich compound.
flagella
Long hair-like extensions from the cell surface whose movement is used for locomotion.
gene
A functional hereditary unit located at a particular point on a chromosome that controls or acts in the transmission of hereditary characteristics.
genetic drift
The process by which gene frequencies are changed.
homeostasis
A state of equilibrium between different but interrelated functions or elements, as in an organism or group.
mitochondria
Cell structure responsible for cellular respiration.
parasite
An organism living in, with or on another organism in which a parasite obtains benefits from a host that it usually injures.
photosynthesis
The chemical process by which chlorophyll-containing plants use light to convert carbon dioxide and water into carbohydrates, releasing oxygen as a byproduct.
physiology
The biological science of essential and characteristic life processes, activities and functions.
prokaryotic
A cellular organism (such as a bacterium or a blue-green alga) that does not have a distinct nucleus.
respiration
The physical and chemical processes by which an organism supplies its cells and tissues with the oxygen needed for metabolism and relieves them of the carbon dioxide formed in energy-producing reactions.
segregation
The separation of two alleles in a heterozygote when gametes are formed.