Unit 1: Biochemistry Ch1-5, 8

1. Cohesion: characteristic of identically structured molecules to stick to each other

2. Adhesion: tendency of certain dissimilar molecules to cling together due to attractive
forces. In contrast, cohesion takes place between similar molecules
3. Heat of Vaporization: amount of heat energy required to convert water from a liquid to a
gas
4. Specific Heat: heat required to raise the temperature of one gram of a substance one
degree centigrade
5. pH: measure of the acidity or alkalinity of a solution. It approximates but is not equal to
p[H], the negative logarithm (base 10) of the molar concentration of dissolved hydrogen
ions (H+)
6. buffers: an aqueous solution consisting of a mixture of a weak acid and its conjugate
base or a weak base and its conjugate acid. It has the property that the pH of the
solution changes very little when a small amount of strong acid or base is added to it
7. hydroxyl: compound containing an oxygen atom bound covalently with a hydrogen atom
8. carbonyl: Carbon-Oxygen double bond. A molecular group which can be created via
oxidation process
9. carboxyl: univalent functional group consisting of a carbonyl and a hydroxyl functional
group (-CO.OH); characteristic of carboxylic acids
10. amino: organic compounds and functional groups that contain a basic nitrogen atom with
a lone pair
11. sulfhydryl: sulfur atom bonded to a hydrogen atom is a sulfhydryl group. A sulfhydryl
compound contains one or more sulfhydryl groups. Examples include vitamin B-1, the
amino acid cysteine, and the triple amino acid reduced glutathione.
12. phosphate: a salt of phosphoric acid. Phosphates are extremely important in living cells,
particularly in the storage and use of energy and the transmission of genetic information
within a cell and from one cell to another
13. methyl: methyl group is a hydrophobic alkyl functional group named after methane (4). It
has the formula -3 and is often abbreviated -Me. Such hydrocarbon groups occur in
many organic compounds
14. adenosine triphosphate(ATP): important carrier of energy in cells, ATP is formed from
adenosine diphosphate (ADP) by an oxidation reaction in mitochondria, or by a photo
reaction in plants. Reactions in which it participates are often driven in the direction
leading to hydrolysis (reaction with water) of ATP
15. dehydration reaction: chemical reaction that involves the loss of water from the reacting
molecule
16. hydrolysis reaction: reaction that occurs when water is added to a compound. In the
case of a disaccharide, the molecule is broken up into monosaccharides with the
addition of water
17. monosaccharide: polyhydroxyl aldehydes or ketones with the empirical formula (CH 2 O)
18. disaccharide: sugar formed from two monosaccharides joined by a glycoside linkage
19. polysaccharide: Polysaccharides are complex carbohydrates, made up of multiple sugar
molecules. (cellulose, starch, and dextrin)
20. glycosidic linkage: covalent bond between two glycogin molecules
21. fatty acid: A long-chain carboxylic acid that is a component of the triglycerides which
constitute fat
22. glycerol: biological compound that has three carbons with three alcohol functional
groups. It is the backbone molecule of many fats when combined with fatty acids
23. phospholipid: esters of glycerol containing two fatty acids and a phosphate group Having
nonpolar tails and polar heads, they tend to form bilayers in aqueous solution
24. steroids: compounds with a skeleton of four rings of carbon to which various side groups
are attached; one of the three main classes of hormones
25. polypeptide: molecules built from some small starting unit and assembled into very long
chains, known as polymers
26. amino acid: building blocks of protein. Amino acids join together and form short chains
(peptides) or much longer chains (polypeptides)
27. peptide bond: a covalent bond that links two amino acids together to form a polypeptide
chain. A covalent bond between the amine end of one amino acid and the acid end of
another amino acid
28. primary structure: the linear sequence of units in a polymer
29. secondary structure: two or more consecutive, antiparallel, and nested base pairs
30. tertiary structure: all non-canonical (A:C, C:A, G:G, A:A, A:G, G:A, U:U, C:C, C:U, and
U:U) base-base interactions plus interactions not classified as a secondary base pair.
These include: lone (or single) pair - a single base pair not associated with a secondary
structure helix
31. quaternary structure: arrangement of multiple folded protein or coiling protein molecules
in a multi-subunit complex
32. denaturation: process in which proteins or nucleic acids lose their tertiary structure and
secondary structure by application of some external stress or compound, such as a
strong acid or base, a concentrated inorganic salt, an organic solven
33. DNA: nucleic acid that contains the genetic instructions used in the development and
functioning of all known living organisms and some viruses
34. RNA: Transfers the genetic "blueprint" that is stored in DNA during protein production.
RNA has a single-stranded linear structure and a slightly different chemical composition
from DNA
35. nucleotide: molecules that, when joined together, make up the structural units of RNA
and DNA
36. enzyme: acts as a catalyst by lowering the activation energy of a reaction
37. activation energy: amount of energy required to convert the substrate to the transition
state
38. active site: the specific portion of an enzyme that attaches to the substrate by means of
weak chemical bonds
39. substrate: a molecule upon which an enzyme acts
40. induced fit: the change in shape of the active site of an enzyme so that it binds more
snugly to the substrate, induced by entry of the substrate
41. competitive inhibition: form of enzyme inhibition where binding of the inhibitor to the
enzyme prevents binding of the substrate and vice versa
 42. noncompetitive inhibition: type of enzyme inhibition that reduces the maximum rate of a
chemical reaction without changing the apparent binding affinity of the catalyst for the
substrate
43. allosteric regulation: can increase or decrease the activity of an entire metabolic pathway
by altering the conformation of a single enzyme (feedback inhibition)

Unit 2: Ecology Ch 51-56

1. fixed action pattern: a fixed action pattern (FAP) is an instinctive behavioral sequence
that is indivisible and runs to completion
2. taxis: response toward or away from an external stimulus by a motile (and usually
simple) organism
3. kinesis: the response to the stimulus provided (such as gas exposure, light intensity or
ambient temperature) is non-directional.
4. pheromones: a chemical substance secreted externally by some animals (especially
insects) that influences the physiology or behavior of other animals of the same species
5. habituation: learned behavior in which an animal exhibits a lessened response with
repetition of a stimulus
6. imprinting: learning process in early life whereby species specific patterns of behavior
are established
7. classical conditioning: pairs a neutral stimulus with a stimulus that evokes a reflex; the
stimulus that evokes the reflex is given whether or not the conditioned response occurs
until eventually the neutral stimulus comes to evoke the reflex
8. operant conditioning: an operant response is brought under stimulus control by virtue of
presenting reinforcement contingent upon the occurrence of the operant response
9. optimal foraging model: model that aims at understanding how foragers optimize the
gathering of food
10. inclusive fitness: fitness individuals derive from increasing the survival of their relatives'
offspring; the young of their relatives share some percentage of their genes and by
helping them to survive they are increasing the opportunity for those genes to continue
to be passed on
11. biotic: living factors of the environmen
12. abiotic: nonliving, inanimate, characterised by the absence of life; Of inorganic matter
13. density: amount per unit size
14. dispersion: spatial or geographic property of being scattered about over a range, area, or
volume
15. survivorship curve: graph showing the number or proportion of individuals surviving at
each age for a given species or group (e.g. males/females)
16. exponential growth: constant rate of increase per unit of time; can be expressed as a
constant fraction or exponent
17. logistic growth: growth rates regulated by internal and external factors that establish an
equilibrium with environmental resources
18. carrying capacity: amount of living matter an area will support indefinitely
19. K-selection:reproduce slowly. They produce altricial offspring requiring a long time to
mature
20. R-selected species: reproduce quickly and have many offspring
21. density independent factor: will affect the population no matter what the population size,
typically natural disasters such as floods
22. density dependent factor: limited resources whose rates of depletion depend on the
density of the population using them
23. age structure: the distribution of a population according to age, usually by five-year age
groups
24. competitive exclusion: use or defence of a resource by one individual that reduces the
availability of the resource to other individuals
25. ecological niche: relational position of a species or population in its ecosystem to each
other
26. predation: predation describes a biological interaction where a predator (an organism
that is hunting) feeds on its prey, (the organism that is attacked)
27. cryptic coloration: Patterning or color to camouflage or conceal
28. aposematic coloration: conspicuous coloration or markings of an animal serving to warn
off predators; "a skunk's aposematic coloration"
29. batesian mimicry: when a non-poisonous species has markings similar to a non-related
poisonous species and gains protection from this similarity. Since many predators have
become sick from eating a poisonous animal, they will avoid any similar looking animals
in the future
30. mullerian mimicry: two or more species with a similar appearance, each has
characteristics unpleasant to predators
31. herbivory: an animal that is adapted to eat plants
32. symbiosis: relation between two different species of organisms that are interdependent;
each gains benefits from the other
33. parasitism: relation between two different kinds of organisms in which one receives
benefits from the other by causing damage to it (usually not fatal damage)
34. mutualism: relation between two different species of organisms that are interdependent;
each gains benefits from the other
35. commensalism: relation between two different kinds of organisms when one receives
benefits from the other without damaging it
36. species richness: scores are simple counts of the actual number of species in a given
area. The areas considered richest are those with the most species
37. biomass: total mass of living matter in a given unit area
38. invasive species: species that has been introduced to an environment where it is not
native, and that has since become a nuisance through rapid spread and increase in
numbers, often to the detriment of native species
39. keystone species: predator at the top of a food web, capable of consuming organisms of
more than one tropic level beneath it and strongly affecting community structure
40. primary succession: development of biotic communities in a previously uninhabited and
barren habitat with little or no soil
41. secondary succession: one of the two types of ecological succession of plant life. As
opposed to primary succession, secondary succession is a process started by an event
(e.g. forest fire, harvesting, hurricane) that reduces an already established ecosystem
 42. gross primary production(GPP): Total amount of organic matter in an ecosystem
including above ground (leaves and stems) and below ground (roots) biomass
43. net primary production (NPP): part of the gross primary production that remains after
deducting the amount released by plant (autotrophic) respiration. It is the amount of
energy that is stored in plant tissues and is often expressed as the amount of carbon or
dry organic matter (biomass) produced over the time period
44. eutrophication: waters rich in mineral and organic nutrients that promote a proliferation of
plant life, especially algae, which reduces the dissolved oxygen content and often
causes the extinction of other organisms
45. biological magnification: process whereby certain substances such as pesticides or
heavy metals move up the food chain, work their way into rivers or lakes, and are eaten
by aquatic organisms such as fish, which in turn are eaten by large birds, animals or
humans. The substances become concentrated in tissues or internal organs as they
move up the chain
46. greenhouse effect: holding of heat in Earth's atmosphere by certain gases such as
carbon dioxide (CO 2 ), methane (CH4), and nitrous oxide (N2O)

Unit 3 Cells Ch6,7,11-13

1. chromatin: complex combination of DNA and proteins that makes up chromosomes. It is
found inside the nuclei of eukaryotic cells
2. chromosomes: threadlike strand of DNA in the cell nucleus that carries the genes in a
linear order
3. smooth ER: lacks ribosomes
4. rough ER: an eukaryotic organelle that forms an interconnected network of tubules,
vesicles, and cisternae within cells
5. golgi apparatus: organelle in the cytoplasm that packages proteins and carbohydrates
into vesicles for export from the cell
6. lysosomes: contain enzymes that break down many chemicals into their component
parts
7. mitochondria: organelle containing enzymes responsible for producing energy
8. chloroplasts: containing chlorophyll and other pigments; in plants that carry out
photosynthesis
9. vacuoles: spaces in cells surrounded by a single membrane that are used storage
10. microtubules: small tubes made of protein and found in cells and is part of the
cytoskeleton
11. microfilaments: very fine (thin) filamen
12. centrioles: one of a pair of small cylindrical cell organelles near the nucleus in animal
cells; composed of nine triplet microtubules and form the asters during mitosis
13. tight junctions: closely associated areas of two cells whose membranes join together
forming a virtually impermeable barrier to fluid
14. gap junctions: areas of contact between cells through which small molecules and ions
can pass from one cell to the next
15. desmosomes: structural unit that functions in the adhesion of cells to form tissue
16. isotonic: having the same or equal osmotic pressure
17. hypertonic: having a higher osmotic pressure than a comparison solution
18. hypotonic: having a lower osmotic pressure than a comparison solution
19. plasmolysis: process in plant cells where the plasma membrane pulls away from the cell
wall due to the loss of water through osmosis
20. facilitated diffusion: movement of specific molecules across cell membranes through
protein channels
21. Na/K pump: Na+/K+-ATPase (also known as the Na+/K+ pump, sodium-potassium
pump, or simply sodium pump, for short) is an enzyme located in the plasma membrane
(specifically an electrogenic transmembrane ATPase) in all animals
22. phagocytosis: process by which one cell engulfs another cell or large particle
23. cell cycle: series of events that takes place in a cell leading to its division and duplication
(replication). In cells without a nucleus (prokaryotic), the cell cycle occurs via a process
termed binary fission
24. sister chromatids: Chromatids joined by a common centromere and carrying identical
genetic information (unless crossing-over has occurred
25. centromere: region of a eukaryotic chromosome where the kinetochore is assembled
26. interphase: phase of the cell cycle in which the cell spends the majority of its time and
performs the majority of its purposes including preparation for cell division
27. mitosis: nucleus divides into nuclei containing the same number of chromosomes
28. cytokinesis: organic process consisting of the division of the cytoplasm of a cell following
karyokinesis bringing about the separation into two daughter cells
29. cleavage: repeated division of a fertilised ovum
30. cell plate: eginning of the formation of a cell wall
31. cyclin: family of proteins which control the progression of cells through the cell cycle by
activating cyclin-dependent kinase (Cdk) enzymes
32. Cdk (cyclin dependent kinase
33. MPF: complex of a B-type cyclin Cks1, and cyclin-dependent kinase 1, which is also
referred to as Cdc2 or p34, depending on the species. This is the main enzyme that is
responsible for entry into M phase in both meiosis and mitosis
34. growth factor: naturally occurring substance capable of stimulating cellular growth,
proliferation and cellular differentiation. Usually it is a protein or a steroid hormone.
Growth factors are important for regulating a variety of cellular processes
35. metastasis: spreading of a disease (especially cancer) to another part of the body
36. gametes: mature sexual reproductive cell having a single set of unpaired chromosomes
37. diploid: organism or cell having the normal amount of DNA per cell; i.e., two sets of
chromosomes or twice the haploid number
38. haploid: cell or organism having a single set of chromosomes
39. zygote: diploid cell resulting from the union of a haploid spermatozoon and ovum
(including the organism that develops from that cell)
40. fertilization: creation by the physical union of male and female gametes; of sperm and
ova in an animal or pollen and ovule in a plant
41. homologous chromosomes: chromosomes in a biological cell that pair (synapse) during
cell division during the creation of gametes (meiosis)
 42. sex chromosomes: sex-determination system is a biological system that determines the
development of sexual characteristics in an organism
43. autosomes: a chromosome that is not a sex chromosome – that is to say there are an
equal number of copies of the chromosome in males and females
44. crossing over: interchange of sections between pairing homologous chromosomes
during the prophase of meiosis

Unit 4 Energy Ch 9,10

1. NADH: nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) carrying two electrons and bonded with
a hydrogen (H) ion; the reduced form of NA
2. glycolysis: metabolic pathway that converts glucose, C6H12O6, into pyruvate,
CH3COCOO− + H
3. glucose: A 6-carbon sugar that plays a major role in cell metabolism
4. pyruvate: formed when sugar is broken down for energy in the presence of oxygen
(aerobic metabolism)
5. citric acid cycle: chemical cycle involving eight steps that completes the metabolic
breakdown of glucose molecules to carbon dioxide; occurs within the mitochondrion; the
second major stage in cell respiration
6. substrate level phosphorylation:a smaller amount of ATP is formed directly in a few
reactions of glycolysis and the citric acid cycle by a mechanism
7. oxidative phosphorylation: the production of ATP using energy derived from the redox
reactions of an electron transport chain
8. acetyl coA: acetyl coenzyme A; the entry compound for the citric acid cycle in cellular
respiration, formed from a fragment of pyruvate attached to a coenzyme
9. ATP synthase: cluster of several membrane proteins found in the mitochondrial crista
(and bacterial plasma membrane) that function in chemiosmosis with adjacent electron
transport chains, using the energy of a hydrogen ion concentration gradient to make
ATP
10. chemiosmosis: process in which energy stored in the form of a hydrogen ion gradient
across a membrane is used to drive cellular work
11. alcohol fermentation: biological process in which sugars such as glucose, fructose, and
sucrose are converted into cellular energy and thereby produce ethanol and carbon
dioxide as metabolic waste products
12. lactic acid fermentation: biological process by which sugars such as glucose, fructose,
and sucrose, are converted into cellular energy and the metabolic byproduct lactate
13. mitochondrial matrix: Space enclosed by the mitochondrial inner membrane, which
contains enzymes that mediate fatty-acid oxidation and the tricarboxylic-acid cycle
14. mitochondrial inner membrane(cristae): mitochondrial inner membrane forms internal
compartments known as cristae, which allow greater space for the proteins such as
cytochromes to function properly and efficiently
15. intermembrane space: the region between the inner membrane and the outer
membrane of a mitochondrion or a chloroplast. The main function of the intermembrane
space is oxidative phosphorylation.
 16. chlorophyll: any of a group of green pigments found in photosynthetic organisms; there
are four naturally occurring forms
17. stroma: supporting tissue around or beneath an epithelium
18. thylakoid: membrane-bound compartment inside chloroplasts and cyanobacteria
19. NADPH: Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADP+, in older notation
triphosphopyridine nucleotide, TPN) is used in anabolic reactions, such as lipid and
nucleic acid synthesis, which require NADPH as a reducing agent
20. light reactions: light energy is converted into chemical energy, in the form of the energy-
carriers ATP and NADPH
21. Calvin cycle: second of the two major steps of photosynthesis (the other being the light
reactions). The cycle fixes CO2 and produces carbohydrates
22. wavelength: the distance (measured in the direction of propagation) between two points
in the same phase in consecutive cycles of a wave
23. spectrophotometer: photometer for comparing two light radiations wavelength by
wavelength
24. absorption spectrum: spectrum of electromagnetic radiation that has passed through a
medium that absorbed radiation of certain wavelengths
25. electromagnetic spectrum: means of charting the order of radio and television signals in
terms of their physical wavelength
26. photosystem II: uses light energy to oxidize water molecules, producing electrons (e - ),
protons (H + ), and molecular oxygen (O 2 ), and is only active in noncyclic transport
27. photosystem I: the second photosystem in the photosynthetic light reactions of algae,
plants, and some bacteria. Photosystem I is so named because it was discovered before
photosystem II
28. C3 plants: uses the Calvin cycle for the initial steps that incorporate CO2 into organic
material, forming a three-carbon compound as the first stable intermediate
29. C4 plants: one of three biochemical mechanisms, along with C3 and CAM
photosynthesis, functioning in land plants to "fix" carbon dioxide (binding the gaseous
molecules to dissolved compounds inside the plant) for sugar production through
photosynthesis
30. CAM plants: fix carbon dioxide during the night, storing it as the four carbon acid malate

Unit 5 Heredity/Genetics Ch14,15

1. trait: an identifying characteristic, habit or trend; In object-oriented programming, an
uninstantiable collection of methods that provides functionality to a class by using the
class’s own interface
2. allele: either of a pair (or series) of alternative forms of a gene that can occupy the same
locus on a particular chromosome and that control the same character
3. genotype: group of organisms sharing a specific genetic constitution
4. phenotype: appearance of an organism based on a multifactorial combination of genetic
traits and environmental factors, esp. used in pedigrees
5. monohybrid: hybrid produced by crossing parents that are homozygous except for a
single gene locus that has two alleles (as in Mendel's experiments with garden peas)
6. dihybrid: hybrid produced by parents that differ only at two gene loci that have two
alleles each
7. incomplete dominance: dominance in genetics is a relationship between different forms
(alleles) of a gene at a particular physical location (locus) on a chromosome
8. codominance: condition in which both alleles of a gene pair in a heterozygote are fully
expressed, with neither one being dominant or recessive to the other
9. multiple alleles: existence of more than two alleles at a locus in a population
10. pleiotropy: phenomenon whereby a particular gene affects multiple traits
11. epistasis: condition whereby the proximity of a gene to others in the genome affects its
activity on the phenotype
12. polygenic traits: Inheritance of quantitative traits or polygenic inheritance refers to the
inheritance of a phenotypic characteristic that varies in degree and can be attributed to
the interactions between two or more genes and their environment
13. pedigree: chart, diagram or list that depicts an individual's ancestors, used in genetics to
analyze patterns of inheritance
14. dominant disorders: classic dominant inheritance, an affected person has a parent with
the same disorder
15. recessive disorders: genetic disorder is an illness caused by abnormalities in genes or
chromosomes
16. sex-linked disorders: any disease or abnormality that is determined by the sex hormones
17. X-chromosome inactivation: one of the two X chromosomes in each cell from a female
mammal becomes condensed and inactive
18. linked genes: tendency of certain loci or alleles to be inherited together
19. linkage maps: map of the relative positions of genetic loci on a chromosome, determined
on the basis of how often the loci are inherited together
20. map units: coordinate units in which a geographic data set is stored. Map units can be
inches, centimeters, feet, meters, or decimal degrees
21. monosomy: chromosomal abnormality consisting of the absence of one chromosome
from the normal diploid number
22. trisomy: presence of three copies, instead of the normal two, of a particular chromosome
of in an organism
23. polyploidy: an organism or cell having more than twice the haploid number of
chromosomes
24. deletion: a mutation (a genetic aberration) in which a part of a chromosome or a
sequence of DNA is missing
25. duplication: any duplication of a region of DNA that contains a gene; it may occur as an
error in homologous recombination, a retrotransposition event, or duplication of an entire
chromosome
26. inversion: a kind of mutation in which the order of the genes in a section of a
chromosome is reversed
27. translocation: a chromosome translocation is a chromosome abnormality caused by
rearrangement of parts between nonhomologous chromosomes