Term | Definition |
photosynthesis | the process by which plants and some other organisms capture the energy in sunlight and use it to make food |
autotroph | an organism that makes its own food |
heterotroph | an organism that cannot make its own food |
pigment | a colored chemical compound that absorbs light |
chlorophyll | a green pigment found in the chloroplasts of plants, algae, and some bacteria |
stomata | small openings on the underside of a leaf through which oxygen an carbon dioxide move |
respiration | the process by which cells break down simple food molecules to release the energy they contain |
fermentation | provides energy for cells without using oxygen |
raw material of photosynthesis | carbon dioxide and water |
products of photosynthesis | oxygen and sugar |
raw material of respiration | oxygen and sugar |
product of respiration | carbon dioxide, water, and energy |
cell cycle | the regular sequence growth and division that cells undergo |
interphase | the stage of the cell that takes place before cell division |
replication | the process by which a cell makes a copy of the DNA in its nucleus |
mitosis | the stage of the cell cycle during which the cell's nucleus divides into two new nuclei and one copy of the DNA is distributed into each daughter cell |
chromosome | a double rod of condensed chromatin; contains DNA that carries genetic information |
cytokinesis | the final stage of the cell cycle, in which the cell's cytoplasm divides, distributing the organelles into each of the two new cells |
cancer | a disease in which some body cells grow and divide uncontrollably, damaging the parts of the body around them |
tumor | a mass of abnormal cells that develops when cancerous cells divide and grow uncontrollably |
mutation | a change in a gene or chromosome |
chemotherapy | the use of drugs to treat diseases such as cancer |