Biology of Sex
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70 terms
Terms | Definitions |
|---|---|
 Adultery | voluntarily sexual intercourse in which one or both of the participants is married to someone else. |
| Alleles | alternative forms of the same gene. |
| Angiogenesis | the process of new blood vessel formation. |
| Apoptosis | orderly, intentional self-destruction of a cell; often referred to as "cellular suicide. |
| Benign tumor | an abnormal group of cells that does not spread beyond a certain boundary, nor which destroys normal cells in the immediate vicinity. |
| Biomarker | a protein whose presence is often indicative of the progression of a disease. |
| Carcinogen | any compound that causes cancer. |
| Carcinoma | cancer arising from an epithelial cell |
| Cell cycle | a cellular internal clock that regulates the growth and proliferation properties of cells. |
| Cervix | the lower, narrow canal-like portion of the uterus, which interfaces with the deepest region of the vagina. In Latin, the word "cervix" means neck. In another context, a person who injures that neck (whip-lash) might have to wear a cervical collar. |
| Chromatin | DNA and all of the proteins that bind to it. |
| Chromosomes | condensed structures with the cell consisting of DNA and bound proteins. |
| Coitus | the proper medical term for sexual intercourse. |
| Conjugal | of or related to the married state. |
| Contact inhibition | cessation of cell division that occurs when growing cells touch each other. |
| Copulation | to engage in sexual intercourse. |
| Diploid | cells that have two complete sets of chromosomes. The symbol for a diploid cell is "2n". For example in humans 2n = 46. |
| DNA | deoxyribonucleic acid. DNA is the genetic material of all living organisms. |
| Dominant trait | a trait which manifests itself when at least on copy of a dominant allele is present. |
| Dysfunction | an abnormality or functional difficulty. |
| Dyspareunia | Gential pain experienced during or immediately after intercourse. |
| Erectile dysfunction (ED) | inability to have or maintain an erection long enough to complete the act of intercourse. |
| Fallopian tubes | These are a pair of tubes (left and right side of the body) leading from the ovaries to the uterus, through which an ovum (egg) travels. Within the "tubes", as they are sometimes call, large numbers of cilia (hair-like structures) projecting from the from the surface of cells wave backward and forward to create currents which move the ovum toward the uterus. |
| Fornication | voluntarily sexual intercourse between participants who are neither married to each other or to a someone else. |
| Gametes | sex cells. |
| Genetics | the study of heredity and cellular continuity. |
| Genotype | the actual allelic makeup of an organism. |
| Gonads | sex organs. |
| Gynecologist | A doctor who specializes in the treatment of the female reproductive system. This term is derived from the Greek word "gynaikos" which means "woman". |
| Haploid | cells that have only one set of chromosomes. The symbol for a haploid cell is "n". For example, in humans n = 23. |
| Hemizygous | a condition in which a single copy of an allele is present, thereby dictating the resulting phenotype. This term is used most commonly when referring to X-linked genes in males. |
| Heterozygous | a genotype consisting of one copy of a dominant allele and once copy of a recessive allele. |
| Holandric genes | genes found on the Y chromosome. This tem literally means "wholly male". |
| Homeostasis | Internal constancy in the body by keeping the body functioning within a defined set of parameters. |
| Homozygous dominant | a genotype consisting of two copies of a dominant allele. |
| Homozygous recessive | a genotype consisting of two copies of a recessive allele. |
| Hysterectomy | an operation to remove the uterus. |
| Intromission | entry of the penis into the vagina. |
| Invasive growth | the spread of cancer cells from their site of origin into deeper regions of the tissue or organ, often destroying neighboring normal cells. |
| Karyotype | a graphical display of all of the chromosomes that a organism has. Karyotype analysis is widely used to look for chromosomal changes in either structure or number. |
| Labia | The fleshy lip-like portion of the external genitalia in females. The outer labia majora, when pushed back, reveal the inner labia minora. |
| Libido | sexual drive (desire to have sex). |
| Meiosis | cell division responsible for gamete production. |
| Metastasis | the traveling of cancer cells from the location where they are first formed to distant parts of the body. |
| Mitosis | somatic cell division. |
| Mutation | a permanent change in a DNA sequence. |
| Nucleotide | a building block of DNA, containing the base adenine, cytosine, guanine, or thymine. |
| Oncogene | a gene that promotes cell division. |
| Petting | sex play just short of intercourse. This term is often synonymous with foreplay. |
| Phenotype | the outward appearance of an organism, e.g., a brown cow, a red rose |
| Premature ejaculation | an ejaculation in the male that occurs prior to or immediately after penetration of the female genitalia. |
| Primary tissues | muscle tissue, nervous tissue, epithelial tissue, and connective tissue. |
| Progeny | your biological offspring, i.e., your children |
| Quiescence | a state in which cells are not actively progressing toward mitosis. Essentially resting state for cells, often referred to as G0. |
| Recessive trait | a trait that requires at least two copies of a recessive allele in order to be observed. |
| Sarcoma | cancer arising from a connective tissue cell. |
| Scrotum | the sack of skin that contains the testes, located just beneath the base of the penis. |
| Senescence | old age in cells that have reached the maximum number of cell divisions. |
| Sex-linked genes | genes found on the X chromosome. |
| Sexual intercourse | that action in which the male reproductive organ (the penis) enters the female reproductive tract. |
| Somatic cells | non-gamete cells. |
| Supercoiling | the process by which very long DNA molecules become packaged into a microscopic nucleus. |
| Testes | the male gonads. (testes, plural; testis, singular). |
| Testicles | another name for the testes. |
| Tumor | a disorganized mass of abnormal cells that forms in an organism as a result of loss of growth controls. |
| Tumor suppressor gene | a protective gene that limits cell proliferation. |
| Urologist | A doctor who specializes in treatment of the urinary tract and sex organs in males. |
| Uterus | A hollow, pear-shaped organ located in the lower abdomen tubes" are medically known as the Fallopian tubes. en of females. The lower region of the uterus is the narrow cervix while the wider, upper portion is known as the corpus. The uterus is often referred to as the womb. |
| Vagina | The canal which extends from the outside of the female body inward toward the uterus, for approximately six inches. The walls of the vagina are lined with mucus membranes and large number of small glands that produce essential vaginal secretions. The lower portion of the uterus, the cervix, protrudes slightly into the vagina. It is through the os, a small opening in the cervix, that sperm must travel in order to reach the internal reproductive organs as well as the ovum. |
| Vulva | Generic term that refers collectively to the external genitalia of the female. These structures included the labia majora, labia minora, clitoris, Bartholin's gland glands, and the vestibule (entrance) to the vagina. |
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