RESPIRATION

A series of metabolic reactions controlled by

Cellular
enzymes that cause the oxidation of organic
respiration
compoundsto release energy as ATP

A type of oxidation that leads to the removal

Dehydrogenation
hydrogen from organic substances

Decarboxylation The removal of carbon from organic molecules

Glycolysis The oxidation of glucose to pyruvate

A cyclic process that is controlled by enzymes

involving a series of decarboxylation and
Kreb’s cycle
dehydrogenation reactions with little production of
ATP, alomg with reduced NAD and FAD

The formation of ATP from ADP and phosphate ions

Substrate level
catalyzed by enzymes. Involves glycolysis and
phosphorylation
Kreb’s cycle

The formation of ATP assisted by a membrane-

Oxidative
associated electron-transport chain and the
phosphorylation
creation of a proton motive force

The generation of a proton gradient by electron

Chemiosmosis transport, used to drive the synthesis of ATP by
oxidative phosphorylation

Respiratory The volume of carbon dioxide produced divided by

quotient the volume of oxygen used up during respiration

Excess oxygen that needs to be taken up after

Oxygen debt exercise to make up for the deficit that was
incurred during exercise
 The difference in the volume of oxygen between
Oxygen deficit
the ideal oxygen uptake and an actual uptake

PHOTOSYNTHESIS

A process by which plants, some algae and bacteria form complex

Photosynthesis organic molecules from carbon dioxide and water by using photons
(found in sunlight) as the source of energy

A process that produces ATP from ADP by using a proton gradient

Photophosphorylatio
created by the energy of photons. May be cyclic or non-cyclic and
n
occurs on the thylakoid membrane

The use of energy from photons to split water into its constituents i.e 1/2
Photolysis
O2 (g) , 2H+ and 2e

The process that utilizes the excitation of chlorophyll molecules to a

Photo activation higher energy state to cause the oxidation of chlorophyll due to the loss
of an electron

The light intensity at which the rate of photosynthesis is equal to the rate
Compensation point
of respiration

The factor that controls the rate of reaction if it is near its lowest value,
Limiting factor
even if other factors are at optimum level

HOMEOSTASIS

A control process in which a receptor detects a change in a factor stimulating a

Negative
series of corrective reactions that are carried out by the effectors restoring the
feedback
factor to its set point

Stimulus A detectable change in an internal or external variable

 Biological transducers that can detect changes in the internal and external
Receptors
environment

An organ, tissue or cell that receives and interprets information about changes in
Control center
the environment and generates homeostatic control signal information

A organ or gland that is responsible to carry out corrective measures to restore a

Effector
change in variable to its set point

Homeostasis A process that maintains a constant internal cellular environment

The removal of an amino group from an amino acid accompanied by the

Deamination
formation of ammonia

CONTROL AND COORDINATION

Cell body of a neuron that contains the nucleus and other

Soma
structures common to living cells

Stimulus A detectable change in an internal or external variable

A singular fiber that carries information away from the

Axon soma to the synaptic sites of other neurons (dendrites and
somas), muscles, or glands

They are short, branching fibers that extend from the cell
Dendrites
body or soma carrying information towards the cell body

Nodes of
Gaps formed between myelin sheath cells along the axons
Ranvier
Axon Part of the cell body that gives rise to the axon and is the
hillock site of Integration of incoming signals

INHERITANCE

A pair of chromosomes in a diploid cell that have the

Homologous
same structure as each and that pair together to form
Chromosome
a bivalent during the first division of meiosis

A length of DNA that codes for a particular protein or

Gene
polypeptide

Allele A particular variety of a gene

The position at which a particular gene is found on a

Locus
particular chromosome

A cell that possesses one complete set of

Haploid cell (n)
chromosomes eg. sperm or ovum

A cell that possesses two complete sets of

Diploid cell (2n)
chromosomes eg. somatic cell

The observable characteristics that occur due to the

Phenotype interaction between the environment and the
genotype

Genotype The alleles possessed by an organism

Homozygous Identical alleles of a gene

Heterozygous Different alleles of a gene

Mutagens Substances that can causes mutations

F1 generation The first generation of offspring from a genetic cross

The offspring produced when F1 individuals mate with

F2 generation
each other

SELECTION AND EVOLUTION

The process by which humans artificially select organisms with desirable

Selective breeding characteristics and breed them to produce offspring with desirable
phenotypes

The process by which the frequency of beneficial alleles gradually increases

Natural Selection
in a population’s gene pool over time

All of the different versions of genes (alleles) in the individuals that make up
Gene pool
a population

The gradual change in the allele frequencies within a population over time
Evolution
that occurs due to natural selection

Continuous A type of variation that cannot be categorized such as height and skin
variation colour. Multiple genes influence continuous variation

Discontinuous A type of variation that can be categorised such as blood group. One or two
variation genes influence discontinuous variation

Allopatric A form of speciation that occurs when two populations become

speciation geographically isolated due to a physical barrier
GENETIC ENGINEERING

Computer tools and software developed to organize and analyse unprocessed

Bioinformatics
biological data

Gel A form of chromatography that uses electric current to separate nucleic acid
Electrophoresis fragments or proteins

A therapeutic technique in which the faulty allele is replaced with a

Gene Therapy
functional one in order to treat or prevent a disease

A method by which the genome of an organism is modified by inserting the

Genetic
desirable gene of another organism enabling the formation of organisms with
Engineering
improved characteristics

Genetic
A test performed on individuals to detect specific genes or faulty alleles
Screening

Genome A method that helps determine the entire DNA nucleotide base sequence of
Sequencing an organism

Vector A vessel that is used to transfer a gene from one organism to another

Recombinant
A combination of DNA from two different organisms
DNA

BIODIVERSITY

Abiotic The non-living aspects of the ecosystem such as light, water, temperature, soil
Factors pH ad oxygen

The living aspects of the ecosystem such as pathogens, food, predators and other
Biotic Factors
species

Specie that is not native to the ecosystem and is introduced accidentally or

Alien Species
deliberately in the ecosystem
 A line along the sampled area over which quadrats are placed at intervals to
Belt Transect
determine the abundance and distribution of organisms in the ecosystem

Biodiversity The variety of genes, species and habitats within ecosystems or habitats

The maintenance of ecosystems and biodiversity by humans in order to preserve

Conservation
the Earth’s resources

Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and

CITES Flora. A treaty regulating the trade of plants and wild animals across
international borders

The community of biotic and abiotic components of an area and their

Ecosystem
interactions

A collection of genetic material extracted from organisms and preserved at very

Frozen Zoo
low temperatures

International Union for the Conservation of Nature. An international

organization that promotes the conservation of nature and sustainable use of
IUCN
natural resources through scientific research, management of field projects and
implementation of legislation

In vitro fertilization is an assisted fertilization technique which involves the

IVF collection of male and female gametes, their fusion in the laboratory and the
stimulation of embryo growth before embryo transfer

A statistical measure that can be used to estimate the population size of animal
Lincoln Index
species

Describes how an organism fits into an ecosystem and its role in the
Niche
environment

A square grid of known area used for sampling to determine the abundance of
Quadrat
organisms in a habitat. There are two types: point quadrats and frame quadrats

Random
A sampling technique to avoid bias
Sampling

Species A group of organisms that can successfully reproduce with another, producing
fertile offspring