Upgrade to remove ads
Only $2.99/month

Structure & Function Vocabulary

Terms in this set (125)

Active Transport
The process by which materials, using energy supplied by the cell, are moved across a membrane.
Adaptation
Any behavior or change in the structure of an organism that affects its ability to survive and reproduce.
Aerobic
Using oxygen.
Anaerobic
Not using oxygen.
Anthocyanin
A pigment producing red, purple or blue color in flowers.
Antibody
A substance produced by the body to fight disease.
Archaea
A domain of single-celled, prokaryotic organisms that survive in extreme environments, such as extreme heat, acid, or salt.
ATP (Adenosine Triphosphate)
A chemical in which energy is stored and from which energy is released to meet the body's needs.
Autotroph
An organism capable of synthesizing its own food using light or chemical energy.
Axon
A long, cylindrical projection of a neuron that typically conducts electrical impulses away from the neuron's cell body.
Carnivore
Any flesh-eating organism.
Carrier Protein
A protein that assists in the movement of substances across the cell membrane by passive or active transport.
Cell
The smallest organized unit in a living thing.
Cell Cycle
A series of events that take place in a cell leading to its division into two sister cells.
Cell Membrane
The outermost living layer of a plant or animal cell that regulates what enters and leaves the cell.
Cell Theory
A scientific theory that describes the properties of cells as the basic unit of structure and reproduction in all organisms.
Cellular Respiration
The process by which glucose combines with oxygen to release energy, carbon dioxide, and water.
Cell Wall
The outermost, rigid, nonliving layer of a plant cell.
Central Nervous System
The part of the nervous system that includes the brain and spinal cord.
Central Vacuole
A large structure found in plant cells whose function is to store materials and wastes.
Channel Protein
A protein that allows the transport of specific substances across a cell membrane using passive diffusion.
Chlorophyll
A green pigment that traps energy from the Sun.
Chloroplast
A chlorophyll-containing structure found in plant cells and some single-celled organisms; its function is to produce food for the organism through a process known as photosynthesis.
Cladogram
A branching diagram showing the relationships among a number of species or groups of organisms.
Cognition
The development of knowledge and understanding through thought, experience, and the senses.
Common Ancestor
An organism from which several organisms have directly descended.
Compound Light Microscope
A microscope that uses two lenses and light to make a specimen visible.
Coniferous
Trees or shrubs bearing cones and evergreen leaves.
Connective Tissue
A type of tissue that connects or separates different types of tissues and organs in the body.
Control
The part of the experiment that does not receive the variable and is used for comparison.
Cytoplasm
The jellylike material inside a cell and surrounded by a cell membrane.
Deciduous
Trees or shrubs that shed their broad leaves annually.
Decomposer
An organism that breaks down once-living material, such as dead plants or animals.
Dendrite
Branched projection of a neuron that receives an impulse from other cells.
Dermal Tissue
An epidermis, usually a single layer of cells, that covers the soft parts of a plant for protection.
Dermis
A thick layer of living tissue below the epidermis that contains blood vessels and glands in many animals.
Differentiation
The process by which cells become specialized to perform a particular function.
Diffusion
The process of moving substances from an area of high concentration to an area of low concentration.
DNA (Deoxyriboneucleic Acid)
Hereditary material that determines an organism's traits.
Embryo
The stage of an organism that follows fertilization and continues until birth or germination.
Endoplasmic Reticulum (ER)
A structure found in plant and animal cells that packages and moves materials around the cell, produces lipids, and breaks down different substances.
Endothermic
An organism that is able to generate heat internally to maintain a constant body temperature.
Energy
Usable power, usually kept in chemical bonds, that can be released to do work.
Epidermis
One or many layers of cells that form the protective outer covering of plants and animals.
Epigenetics
The study of changes in active and inactive genes and how cells read these genes.
Epithelial Tissue
A type of tissue that acts as a covering or lining of body surfaces and cavities.
Equilibrium
The state in which the concentrations of a diffusing substance in two areas become equal.
Eukaryotic
A type of cell or an organism whose cell(s) contains a nucleus; includes all plant, animal, fungus, and protist species.
Evolution
A theory that explains that modern organisms have arisen from a common ancestor. Changes in the ancestor's DNA that allowed them to better survive and reproduce in different situations or environments caused new species to occur over time.
Fermentation
A type of cellular respiration that occurs in some organisms that does not require oxygen.
Fibrin
A protein that acts as a blood-clotting substance.
Fibroplast
A type of cell that assists in hemostasis by creating fibrin-containing connective tissue to prevent loss of blood.
Gene
One of many portions of a DNA molecule that contains genetic instructions.
Glucose
A simple sugar that is used for energy.
Golgi Body
A folded, membrane-bound organelle that functions to transport or secrete materials out of the cell.
Ground Tissue
Tissue that makes up the majority of a plant's body and that carries out processes such as photosynthesis, storage, and support.
Guard Cell
Specialized leaf cell that works in pairs to control the opening and closing of the stomata in a plant.
Hemostasis
The process of stopping blood flow to prevent blood loss.
Herbivore
An organism that eats plant matter.
Heterotroph
An organism that obtains energy from taking in food, like plant or animal matter.
Hibernation
The act of being inactive or dormant during winter months.
Homeostasis
The ability to maintain a stable internal environment when faced with external changes.
Interneuron
A neuron found in the central nervous system that conveys messages between a motor neuron and a sensory neuron.
In Vitro Fertilization (IVF)
A procedure in which eggs are removed from a female's ovaries, fertilized with sperm, and returned to the female's uterus.
Lysosome
A cellular structure found primarily in animal cells that contains enzymes used to break down large molecules, protect against foreign invaders, and recycle old organelles.
Macroorganism
An organism that can be seen without magnification.
Mammal
An animal that is covered in hair and nourishes young with milk from mammary glands.
Matter
A physical substance that occupies space and possesses mass.
Memory
Stored information that can be later recalled.
Mesophyll
A tissue of plant dermis containing chloroplasts.
Metabolic Rate
The rate at which an organism uses energy.
Microorganism
An organism that cannot be seen without magnification.
Mitochondrion (pl. mitochondria)
A folded, membrane-bound organelle responsible for providing the energy to perform cellular functions.
Model Organism
A species that has been studied in great detail to understand specific phenomena in biology.
Motor Neuron
A nerve cell that transmits impulses from the brain or spinal cord to a muscle or gland.
Multicellular
Any organism composed of two or more cells.
Muscle Tissue
A type of tissue that assists with movement in animals.
Nervous Tissue
A type of issue that is responsible for information transmission and processing in animals.
Neuron
A specialized cell for transmitting nerve impulses.
Neuroscientist
An individual who studies tha anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, or molecular biology of the nerves and nervous tissue.
Neurotransmitter
A chemical substance released by a neuron into a synapse to trigger a nervous impulse in another neuron.
Nucleolus
A structure found inside the nucleus and is responsible for creating structures called ribosomes.
Nucleus
The command center of the cell; regulates cell functions and contains the DNA.
Offspring
A new organism that results from reproduction.
Olfactory Receptors
Specialized structures that are responsible for detection of odorants and the sense of smell.
Omnivore
An organism that eats both plants and animals.
Organ
A group of tissues working together to perform a specific function.
Organelle
One of many structures in a cell that performs a specific function.
Organ System
A group of organs that work together to perform one of more functions.
Organism
A living creature.
Osmosis
The diffusion of water through a semipermeable membrane.
Passive Transport
The process by which substances pass through a cell membrane from a place where they are more concentrated to a place where they are less concentrated, without using any energy from the cell.
Peripheral Nervous System
The part of the nervous system outside the brain and spinal cord.
Phloem
A tissue in the vascular system of plants responsible for moving sugar from the leaves to other parts of the plant.
Photoreceptor
A structure or pigment that is sensitive to light.
Photosynthesis
The process by which chlorophyll-containing cells use energy from the Sun to combine water and carbon dioxide to produce glucose and to release oxygen as a by-product.
Prokaryotic
A type of cell or an organism whose cell does not contain a nucleus; includes all bacteria and archaea species.
Proprioception
The ability to be unconsciously aware of body position, movement, and balance using internal stimuli.
Reflex
A reaction to a stimulus that does not require conscious thought.
Reflex Arc
A neural pathway that includes only a sensory neuron and motor neuron and does not require the central nervous system.
Regeneration
The process by which certain organisms produce new body parts.
Ribosome
A cellular structure found in large numbers that produces proteins for the cell.
Scientific Illustration
A visual representation of observations of the natural world that places emphasis on accuracy and detail.
Semipermeable
A material or membrane that allows certain substances to pass through, but not others.
Sensory Neuron
A nerve cell that transmits sensory information, such as sight, sound, and feeling.
Sensory Receptor
An organ that contains nerve endings and responds to stimulation.
Species
A group of interbreeding organisms that share similar characteristics.
Stem Cell
A cell of a multicellular organism that is able to develop into any one of the many types of cells.
Stimulus (pl. stimuli)
An internal or external event that causes a response in a cell, tissue or organism.
Stoma (pl. stomata)
The opening in the surface of a leaf through which water vapor and gases pass.
Synapse
A junction between two nerve cells where neurotransmitters diffuse.
Synaptic Pruning
The process in which connections between neurons are eliminated in order to increase efficiency of the nervous system.
Synthesize
To create something, usually through chemical means.
Tetrapod
Four-limbed vertebrate.
Tissue
A group of similar cells that work together to carry out a specific function.
Transpiration
The process of taking in water through roots and carrying it to the leaves where it is released as water vapor.
Trophic Level
The position an organism occupies in a food chain.
Unicellular
An organism composed of only one cell.
Vacuole
A cellular structure that stores materials and waste.
Vascular Tissue
Tissue responsible for moving materials in plants, specifically the xylem and phoem.
Vasoconstriction
The narrowing of blood vessels.
Vasodilation
The widening of blood vessels.
Wet-Mount Slide
Two microscope slides, or a slide and a coverslip, with a drop of liquid and/or a specimen between them.
Xylem
A tissue in the vascular system of plants responsible for moving water and minerals.
Zygote
The first new cell of an offspring, created when the sperm and egg combine.
THIS SET IS OFTEN IN FOLDERS WITH...