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AP biology words, pronounciation and difinition 1

words of biology, pronounciation and definition

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abiotic components The nonliving players in an ecosystem,

such as climate and nutrients.

abscisic acid Plant hormone that inhibits cell growth,

prevents premature germination, and stimulates closing of the stomata.

achondroplasia Autosomal dominant form of dwarfism

seen in one out of 10, 000 people.

ACTH See adrenocorticotropic hormone.

active site Part of the enzyme that interacts with the

substrate in an enzyme–substrate complex.

active transport The movement of a particle across

a selectively permeable membrane against its concentration gradient. This movement requires the

input of energy, which is why it is termed “active” transport.

adaptation A trait that, if altered, affects the fitness of the organism. Adaptations are the result of natural

selection and can include not only physical traits such as eyes and fingernails but also the intangible

traits of organisms, such as lifespan.

adaptive radiation A rapid series of speciation events

that occur when one or more ancestral species invades a new environment.

ADH See antidiuretic hormone.

adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) A hormone

that stimulates the secretion of adrenal cortical hormones, which work to maintain electrolytic

homeostasis in the body.

aerobic respiration Energy-producing reactions in animals that involve three stages: glycolysis, the

Krebs cycle, and oxidative phosphorylation. Requires oxygen.

age structure Statistic that compares the relative

number of individuals in the population from each age group.

agonistic behavior Behavior that results from a conflict

of interest between individuals; often involves intimidation and submission.

alcohol Organic compound that contains a hydroxyl

(—OH) functional group.

alcohol fermentation Occurs in fungi, yeast, and

bacteria. Pyruvate is converted in two steps to

ethanol, regenerating two molecules of NAD+.

aldehyde Carbonyl group in which one R is a hydrogen

and the other is a carbon chain. Hydrophilic and polar.

aldosterone Released from the adrenal gland, this

hormone acts on the distal tubules to cause the

reabsorption of more Na+ and water. This increases blood volume and pressure.

allantois Transports waste products in mammals

to the placenta. Later it is incorporated into the umbilical cord.

allele A variant of a gene for a particular character.

allopatric speciation Interbreeding ceases because

some sort of barrier separates a single population into two (an area with no food, a mountain, etc.).

The two populations evolve independently, and if they change enough, then, even if the barrier is

removed, they cannot interbreed.

alternation of generations Plant life cycle, so named

because during the cycle, plants sometimes exist as

a diploid organism and at other times as a haploid organism.

altruistic behavior Behavior pattern that reduces the

overall fitness of one organism while increasing the fitness of another.

alveoli Functional unit of the lung where gas exchange occurs.

amines Compounds containing amino groups.

amino acid A compound with a carbon center surrounded

by an amino group, a carboxyl group, a hydrogen, and an R group that provides an amino

acid’s unique chemical characteristics.

aminoacyl tRNA synthetase Enzyme that makes sure

that each tRNA molecule picks up the appropriate amino acid for its anticodon.

amino group A functional group that contains

—NH2 and that acts as a base; an example is an amino acid.

amnion Structure formed from epiblast that encloses

the fluid-filled cavity that helps cushion the developing embryo.

amygdala The portion of the human brain that

controls impulsive emotions and anger.

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amylase Enzyme that breaks down the starches in the

human diet to simpler sugars such as maltose, which

are fully digested farther down in the intestines.

anaerobic respiration Energy-producing reactions,

known as fermentation, that do not involve oxygen.

It begins with glycolysis and concludes with the formation of NAD+.

anemia Illness in which a lack of iron causes red

blood cells to have a diminished capacity for delivering oxygen.

aneuploidy The condition of having an abnormal

number of chromosomes.

angiosperm Flowering plant divided into monocots

and dicots (monocotyledons and dicotyledons).

anion Ion with a negative charge that contains more electrons than protons.

anterior pituitary gland Structure that produces six

hormones: TSH, STH (or HGH), ACTH, LH, FSH, and prolactin.

anther Pollen-producing portion of a plant.

antheridia Male gametangia in bryophytes and ferns

designed to produce flagellated sperm that swim

to meet up with the eggs produced by the female gametangia.

anticodon Region present at a tRNA attachment

site; a three-nucleotide sequence that is perfectly

complementary to a particular codon.

antidiuretic hormone (ADH) A hormone produced

in the brain and stored in the pituitary gland; it

increases the permeability of the collecting duct to water, leading to more concentrated urine content.

antigen A molecule that is foreign to our bodies and

causes our immune systems to respond.

apical meristem Region at the tips of roots and

shoots where plant growth is concentrated and many actively dividing cells can be found.

apoplast pathway Movement of water and nutrients through the nonliving portion of cells.

aposematic coloration Warning coloration adopted

by animals that possess a chemical defense mechanism.

archaebacteria One of two major prokaryotic evolutionary

branches. These organisms tend to live in extreme environments and include halophiles,

methanogens, and thermoacidophiles.

archegonium Female gametangia in bryophytes, ferns, and gymnosperms.

archezoa Eukaryotic organism that allegedly most closely resembles prokaryotes.

arteries Structures that carry blood away from the heart.

artificial selection When humans become the agents

of natural selection (breeding of dogs).

ascospores Haploid meiotic products produced by certain fungi.

A site Region on protein synthesis machinery that

holds the tRNA carrying the next amino acid.

associative learning Process by which animals take

one stimulus and associate it with another.

atom The smallest form of an element that still

displays its unique properties.

ATP synthase Enzyme that uses the flow of hydrogens

to drive the phosphorylation of an adenosine

diphosphate molecule to produce adenosine triphosphate.

auditory communication Communication that

involves the use of sound in the conveying of a message.

autonomic nervous system (ANS) A subdivision of

the peripheral nervous system (PNS) that controls the involuntary activities of the body: smooth

muscle, cardiac muscle, and glands. The ANS is divided into the sympathetic and parasympathetic divisions.

autosomal chromosome One that is not directly involved in determining gender.

autotroph An organism that is self-nourishing.

It obtains carbon and energy without ingesting other organisms.

auxin Plant hormone that leads to elongation of

stems and plays a role in phototropism and gravitropism.

axon A longer extension that leaves a neuron and

carries the impulse away from the cell body toward target cells.

balanced polymorphism When there are two or more

phenotypic variants maintained in a population.

bare-rock succession The attachment of lichen to

rocks, followed by the step-by-step arrival of replacement species.

Barr bodies Inactivated genes on X chromosomes.

Batesian mimicry An animal that is harmless copies

the appearance of an animal that is dangerous as a

defense mechanism to make predators think twice about attacking.

behavioral ecology Science that studies the interaction

between animals and their environments from an evolutionary perspective.