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Science Key Terms 2
Chapter 1 Book 2
Term | Definition |
---|---|
cell | the basic unit of structure and function in an organism |
tissue | a group of similar cells that perform a specific function |
organ | a structure that is composed of different kinds of tissue |
adaptation | a characteristic that helps an organism survive or reproduce in its enviornment |
sexual reproduction | the process by which a new organism develops from the joining of two sex cells |
fertilization | the joining of an egg cell and a sperm cell |
asexual reproduction | the process by which a single organism produces a new organism identical to itself |
phylum | one of about 35 major groups in which biologists classify members of the animal kingdom |
vertabrate | an animal that has a backbone |
invertabrate | an animal that does not have a backbone |
larva | an immature form of an animal that looks very different from the adult |
cnidarin | invertebrates that have stinging cells and take food into a centeral body cavity |
polyp | a cnidarin body plan characterized by a vase-like shape and usually adapted for a life attached to an underwater surface |
medusa | a cnidarin body plan characterized by a bowl-like shape and adapted for a free-swimming life |
coral reef | a diverse environment named for the coral animals that make up its stony structure |
colony | a group of many individual animals |