 | Term | Definition |
| |
protein |
A molecule made up of amino acids that are needed for the body to function properly |
| |
carbohydrates |
1/3 main food groups |
| |
fats |
Help the body use some vitamins and keep the skin healthy |
| |
joule |
unit of energy |
| |
kilojoules |
unit of energy (10^3 joules) |
| |
metabolism |
chemical process that breaks down substances into energy |
| |
photosynthesis |
water + carbon dioxide --> energy + chlorophyll --> oxygen + glucose (carbohydrates) |
| |
autotrophs |
organisms which supply their own energy - primary producers (plants) |
| |
producers |
plants that photosynthesise, provide food for consumers |
| |
consumers |
animals - primary (herbivorous), secondary/tertiary (carnivorous) |
| |
heterotrophs |
organisms requiring organic compounds (produced by others) as an energy source |
| |
cellular respiration |
process where chemical energy in food is converted into energy for cells |
| |
aerobic respiration |
chemical process where oxygen is used to make energy from carbohydrates (sugars) |
| |
anaerobic respiration |
chemical process where glucose is used to produce lactic acid for energy (no oxygen) |
| |
basal energy requirement |
energy that is required to keep the body working in the resting state |
| |
enzymes |
proteins that regulate chemical reactions in the body |
| |
mitochondria |
aerobic production takes place in this part of the cell |
| |
glucose |
molecule obtained from breaking-down of food (sugar - carbon + hydrogen + oxygen) |
| |
oxygen |
absorbed through moist lining of lungs, transported to cells via blood |
| |
diffuse |
widely spread |
| |
concentrated |
solution with a large amount of solute |
| |
chlorophyll |
green, light-absorbing pigment necessary for photosynthesis |
| |
food chain |
transfer of food energy from plants to one or more animals |
| |
first-order consumer |
animal that eats producer |
| |
second-order consumer |
animal that eats first-order consumer |
| |
third-order consumer |
animal that eats second-order consumer |
| |
fourth-order consumer |
animal that eats third-order consumer |
| |
ecological footprint |
indicator of your impact on the planet |
| |
scavenger |
animal that feeds on dead organisms |
| |
decomposer |
organism that feeds on and breaks down organic substances |
| |
transpiration |
evaporation of water from plants |
| |
nitrogen-fixing |
only organisms capable of absorbing nitrogen and turning it into nitrates |
| |
nitrifying bacteria |
its proteins break down and ammonia is formed |
| |
nitrites |
chemicals that contain a nitrogen and oxygen atom (from nitrates) |
| |
nitrates |
water soluble and mobile in the environment (nitrogen-containing compound) |
| |
de-nitrifying bacteria |
turns nitrates back into nitrites, ammonia and nitrogen gas |
| |
agriculture |
farming - produces food, feed, fiber, fuel and other goods |
| |
artificial |
made by man, but working like the natural thing |
| |
monocultures |
large areas in which only one plant grows (corn, wheat) |
| |
herbicides |
chemicals used to kill plants |
| |
fertilisers |
chemicals used to make plants grow faster |
| |
insecticides |
chemicals used to kill insects |
| |
fossil fuels |
non-renewable substances (coal) |
| |
ABO blood groups |
to do with antigens and antibodies (A, B, O, AB +/-) |
| |
DNA |
material inside the nucleus of cells that carries genetic information |
| |
DNA translation |
deoxyribonucleic acid |
| |
dactyloscopy |
study of fingerprints |
| |
fingerprints |
whorls, loops, arches |
| |
eccrine glands |
associated with fingerprints |
| |
anthropometry |
measurement of the dimensions and other physical characteristics of people |
| |
forensic odontology |
field of forensics involving teeth (identification, weapon) |
| |
cheiloscopy |
study of lip prints |
| |
stereo microscope |
living or dead sample, small magnification |
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