BIOLOGY TERMINOLOGY

Key Term on page 14

 Cell-The smallest structural unit of living organisms that is able to grow and reproduce independently.
 Cell Wall - the rigid structure that surrounds the plasma membrane of the plant cells
 Centriole - a pair of cylindrical structure s located just outside the nucleus
 Chloroplast - any of the chlorophyll-containing organelles in which photosynthesis take place
 Golgi Apparatus - an organelle within the cytoplasm that processes , packages and distributes
secretory products suc as enzymes and hormones
 Lysosome - a membrane bound sac which contain enzymes responsiblefor he digestion of
substances in food vacuoles
 Mitochondrion - an organelle which ATP molecule are produced during aerobic respiration
 Nucleus - the largestorganelle which contains genetic material
 Organ - a distinct part of an organism which consists of different tissues . An organ is specialized
to perform one or a number of functions.
 Organelle - A membrane –bound structure within a cell which carries out a particular function
 Plasma Membrane - the semi-permeable outer membrane of a cell which regulates the
movement of substances in and out of the cell
 Ribosome - a small spherical organelle within a living cell where protein are synthesised
 Rough Endoplasmic Reticulum-has ribosome attached to its surface
 Smooth Endoplasmic reticulum - does not have ribosome attached to its surface
 System - consists of several organ that work together to perform a common function
 Tissue - a group of cells with similar structure organised to perform one or more particular
functions
 Vacuole - a membrane-bound space within the cytoplasm of a cell that is filled with the cell sap

Key Term on page 41

 Active Transport - the movement of substances through membranes inliving cells , against a
concentration gradient ,within the aid of carrier proteins and energy from ATP
 Crenation - the shrinkage of animal cells that occurs when the surrounding solution is
hypertonic to the cytoplasm
 Desplamolysis - when water is taken up by osmosis and the flaccid cell become fully turgid
again.
 Facilitated Diffusion
  Flaccid - a shrinking of cytoplasm due to osmosis
 Haemolysis - the bursting of red blood cells
 Hydrophilic
 Hydrophobic
 Hypertonic - solution in which the concentrationof solutes in the solution is higher than the
concentration of solute within the cell
 Hypotonic - when the concentration of solute outside a cell is lower than the concentration of
solute inside the cell
 Isotonic - solution in which the solute concentration is equal to that of the cytoplasmic fluid
 Osmosis - a passive process similar to diffusion, but involves only water molecules
 Passive Transport - susbstance that move across the plasma membrane without any input of
energy by the cell
 Phospholipid - act as a barrier which isolates the two sides of the membrane
 Plasma Membrane - the membrane at the surface which encloses the content of a cell
 Plasmolysis - the shrinkage of cytoplasm from he cell wall of plant, as a result of loss of water by
osmosis
 Semi-permeable
 Simple diffusion - the net movement of molecules or ions from a region of higher concentration
to a region of lower concentration, thus, going down a concentration gradient
until an equilibrium is achieved
 Turgid - the vacuole gains water and the plasma membrane pushes against the rigid cell wall
 Wilting

Key Term on Page 57

 Active site
 Carbohydrates - any of group of organic compounds based on the general formula Cx(H2O)y .
Examples of carbohydrates include all sugars, starch, glycogen and cellulose .
 Catalyst
 Element
 Enzyme - Organic catalyst, usually a protein which speeds up biochemical reactions in living cells
 Inorganic molecule
 Lipids - a group of organic compounds which includes fats , oils, steroids and waxes
 Organic molecule
 Protein - large complex organic molecules which play diverse roles in living organisms
 Substrate
Key Term on Page 83

 Anaphase
 Cell cycle - the membrane-bound structure which must be performed by a cell in order to
replicate itself. The major stages involve cell growth, DNA replication and nuclear
division which is followed by cytoplasmic division.
 Cell division
 Chromatin - the substances which consists DNA and proteins that is dispersed throughout the
nucleus during interphase and condensed into chromosomes during mitosis and
meiosis.
 Chromosome - a thread-like structure composed of chromatin and carries genes in a linear
sequences which determines the invidual characteristics of an organism
 Cloning - a genetically identical descendent produced by asexual reproduction
 Cytokinesis - the divison of cytoplasm
 Daughter cell
 Diploid - describing a nucleus, cell or organism with two sets of chromosomes , one set being
derived from the male parent and the other from the female parent
 Genetic engineering
 Haploid
 Inheritance
 Interphase - the stage of a cell cycle during which DNA synthesis occursand he nucleus is not
actively dividing
 Metaphase - the stage of cell division during which is the centromeres attached the
chromosomes to the metaphase plate of the spindle
 Meiosis - a type of nuclear division that result in the product of four haploid daughter cell
 Mitosis - a type of nuclear division which result in two daughter cell, each having the same
number and kind of chromosomes as the parent cell
 Prophase - the first stage of cell division, during which chromosome become visible as
thickened, condensed threads
 Replication
 Sister chromatid
 Telophase - in mitosis, the final stage in which a nuclear envelop re-forms around each new
 daughter nucleus
Key Term on Page 101

 Absorption
 Aeroponics
 Assimilation
 Autotrophic nutrition - a process in whichorganisms synthesise organic substances from
inorganic sources
 Balanced diet - a diet consisting all of the nutrients in the correct proportions to meet the
requirements of the body
 Bile
 Breeding
 Chemosynthesis - the autotrophic synthesis of organic compounds by certain organisms which
uses energy derived from the oxidation of organic compounds
 Constipation
 Dark reaction
 Defaecation - the removal of faeces from the rectum dur to contractions of muscles in the rectal
wall
 Deficiency
 Digestion - the mechanical and chemical breakdown of food into small molecules which can be
absorbed and used by cells
 Digestive juices
 Heterotrophic nutrition - a type in which energy is derived from the intake and digestion of
organic substances
 Holozic nutrition -
 Hydroponics - a technique for growing crop plants in culture solutions rather than in soil
 Light reaction
 Limiting factor - any environmental factor that limit the growth, metabolic processes, or
distribution of organisms
 Macronutrient
 Parasitism - a symbiotic relationship in which one species (parasite) benefits to the harm of the
other species (host)
 Photosynthesis - the biochemical process through which light energy is absorbed by chlorophyll,
and its is used to fuel the synthesis of sugar molecules.
 Roughage/dietary fibrer
 saprophytism