1.
active transport: the process of using energy to move
materials through a membrane
2.
algae: protists that live mostly in water and use
sunlight as a source of energy
3.
allele: an alternate form of a gene for a specific
trait or gene product
4.
Animalia: includes multicellular
organisms, from humans and lions to
insects and microbes, that rely on food
for energy
5.
Archaea: includes microscopic
single-celled organisms with a distinctive
cell structure that allows them to live in
extreme environments
6.
archaea: single-celled organisms without nuclei
that can survive in extreme environments;
archaea is a plural word; the singular is
archaean
7.
asexual reproduction: the process by which a single organism
produces offspring that have the same
genetic material
8.
autotroph: an organism that captures energy from
sunlight and uses it to produce energyrich
carbon compounds
9.
Bacteria: Kingdom includes microscopic
single-celled organisms found in many
environments
10.
bacteria: a large group of one-celled organisms
that sometimes cause disease; bacteria
is a plural word; the singular is bacterium
11.
behavior: an organism's action in response to a
stimulus
12.
binary fission: a form of asexual reproduction by which
some single-celled organisms reproduce
13.
binomial nomenclature: the two-part naming system used to
identify species
14.
cell cycle: the normal sequence of growth,
maintenance, and division in a cell
15.
cell membrane: the outer boundary of the cytoplasm, a layer
that controls what enters or leaves the cell
16.
cell wall: protective outer covering that lies just
outside the cell membrane of plant cells
17.
cellular respiration: a process in which cells use oxygen to
release energy stored in sugars
18.
chemical energy: energy that is stored in the chemical
composition of matter
19.
chemical reaction: process by which chemical changes occur
20.
chlorophyll: a light-absorbing chemical, a pigment,
that traps the energy in sunlight and
converts it to chemical energy
21.
chloroplast: an organelle in a plant cell that contains
chlorophyll, a chemical that uses the
energy from sunlight to make sugar
22.
chromosome: a structure formed when the DNA in the
nucleus of a eukaryotic cell condenses
before the cell divides
23.
classification: the systematic grouping of different
types of organisms by their shared
characteristics
24.
cloning: the process of using DNA technology to
produce an offspring that is genetically
identical to its one parent
25.
cytoplasm: a thick, gelatin-like material contained
within the cell membrane
26.
decomposer: an organism that feeds on and breaks
down dead plant or animal matter
27.
dichotomous key: a series of questions, each with only two
answers, that can be used to help identify
an organism's genus and species
28.
diffusion: the tendency of a substance to move from
an area of higher concentration to an
area of lower concentration
29.
DNA: the genetic material found in all living
cells that contains the information needed
for an organism to grow, maintain itself,
and reproduce
30.
domain: one of three divisions in a classification
system based on different types of cells
31.
dominant: describes the gene that determines the
phenotype of an individual when two
different copies are present in the genotype
32.
egg: a female reproductive cell that has just
a single copy of the genetic material of
the parent
33.
eukaryotic cell: a cell in which the genetic material is
enclosed within a nucleus, surrounded
by its own membrane
34.
fermentation: a chemical process by which cells release
energy from sugar when no oxygen is
present
35.
fertilization: part of the process of sexual reproduction
in which one male and one female
reproductive cell combine to make a new
cell that can develop into a new organism
36.
Fungi: includes multicellular
mushrooms and molds and singlecelled
yeasts
37.
gamete: a sperm or egg cell, containing half
the usual number of chromosomes
(one chromosome from each pair);
found only in reproductive organs
38.
gene: the basic unit of heredity that consists of a
segment of DNA on a chromosome
39.
genetic engineering: the scientific process in which DNA is
separated from an organism, changed,
and then reinserted into the same or a
different organism
40.
genome: all the DNA of an organism, including its
genes; the genetic material of an
organism
41.
genotype: the genetic makeup of an organism; all
the genes that an organism has
42.
genus: the first part of a binomial name that
groups together closely related species
43.
glucose: a sugar molecule that is a major energy
source for most cells, produced by the
process of photosynthesis
44.
heredity: the passing of genes from parents to
offspring; the genes are expressed in the
traits of the offspring
45.
heterotroph: an organism that consumes other
organisms to get energy
46.
hibernation: a sleeplike state in which certain animals
spend the winter
47.
host cell: a cell that a virus infects and uses to make
copies of itself
48.
hyphae: threadlike tubes that form the structural
parts of the body of a fungus; hyphae is
a plural word (singular, hypha)
49.
kingdom: one of six large groupings of living things
that have common characteristics
50.
meiosis: a part of sexual reproduction in which
cells divide to form sperm cells in a male
and egg cells in a female
51.
microorganism: a very small organism that can be seen
only with a microscope
52.
microscope: an instrument that uses glass lenses to
magnify an object
53.
migration: the movement of animals from one region
to another in response to changes in the
seasons or the environment
54.
mitochondria: organelles that release energy by using
oxygen to break down sugars
55.
mitosis: the phase in the cell cycle during which
the nucleus divides
56.
multicellular: a term used to describe an organism that
is made up of many cells
57.
mutation: any change made to DNA
58.
nucleus: the structure in a eukaryotic cell that
contains the genetic material
59.
organ: a structure in a plant or an animal that
is made up of different tissues working
together to perform a particular function
60.
organelle: a cell structure, enclosed by a membrane,
that performs a function
61.
osmosis: the movement of water through a
membrane from an area of higher
concentration to an area of lower
concentration
62.
parasite: an organism that absorbs nutrients from
the body of another organism, often
harming it in the process
63.
passive transport: The movement of materials through a
membrane without any input of energy
64.
pedigree: a chart that shows family relationships,
including two or more generations
65.
percentage: a ratio that states the number of times an
outcome is likely out of a possible 100 times
66.
phenotype: the observable characteristics or traits of
an organism
67.
photosynthesis: the process by which green plants and
other producers use simple compounds
and energy from light to make sugar, an
energy-rich compound
68.
plankton: mostly microscopic organisms that drift in
great numbers through bodies of water
69.
Plantae: includes multicellular
organisms, such as trees, grass, and moss,
that are capable of photosynthesis,
capturing energy from the Sun
70.
probability: the likelihood or chance that a specific
outcome will occur out of a total number
of outcomes
71.
producer: an organism that captures energy from
sunlight and transforms it into chemical
energy that is stored in energy-rich carbon
compounds
72.
prokaryotic cell: a cell that lacks a nucleus and other
organelles, with DNA that is not
organized into chromosomes
73.
Protista: includes mostly singlecelled
organisms with cells similar to
those of the Plantae, Animalia, and
Fungi kingdoms
74.
protozoa: animal-like protists that eat other
organisms or decaying parts of other
organisms
75.
Punnett square: a chart used to show all the ways genes
from two parents can combine and be
passed to offspring
76.
ratio: a comparison between two quantities,
often written with a colon, as 3 : 4
77.
recessive: describes a gene that is not expressed
when combined with a dominant form
of the gene
78.
regeneration: in some organisms, the process by which
certain cells produce new tissue growth
at the site of a wound or lost limb
79.
replication: the process by which DNA is copied before
it condenses into chromosomes
80.
selective breeding: the process of breeding plants and
animals with specific traits to produce
offspring that have these traits
81.
sexual reproduction: a type of reproduction in which male and
female reproductive cells combine to form
offspring with genetic material from both
82.
specialization: the organization of a cell that allows it to
perform a function
83.
sperm: a male reproductive cell that has just a
single copy of the genetic material of
the parent
84.
spore: a single reproductive cell that can grow
into a multicellular organism
85.
stimulus: something that causes a response in an
organism or a part of the body
86.
taxonomy: the science of classifying and naming
organisms
87.
tissue: a group of similar cells that are organized
to do a specific job
88.
unicellular: a term used to describe an organism that
is made up of a single cell
89.
virus: a nonliving disease-causing particle that
uses the materials inside cells to make
copies of itself
