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Big Idea 4
AP Biology Vocabulary
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| 3' end | The end of a strand of nucleic acid that terminates at the hydroxyl group of the third carbon of the sugar ring of the DNA or RNA. |
| 5' end | The end of a strand of nucleic acid that terminates at the phosphate group attached to the fifth carbon in the sugar ring of the DNA or RNA. |
| abiotic interactions | Interactions between organisms and the nonliving components of their environment. |
| abundance | In ecology, a large number of individuals found per sample. |
| acid | A substance with a high hydrogen ion concentration that can react with a base. |
| age structure | The distribution of age groups of a population. |
| amine | A derivative of ammonia, where one or more hydrogens have been replaced by an alkyl or aryl group. In amino acids, the ______ formula is -NH2. |
| amino acids | A compound with an amine functional group, a carboxyl functional group, and a varying side chain known as an R-group. |
| aphotic | The portion of a body of water where there is little to no sunlight. |
| aquatic biome | All aquatic ecosystems, including lakes, wetlands, estuaries, oceans, coral reefs, and more. |
| atmosphere | The layer of gases above the Earth’s surface. |
| base | A substance with a low hydrogen ion concentration that can react with an acid. |
| benthic zone | The ecological region at lowest level of a body of water, including the sediment surface and layers beneath it. |
| benthos | Organisms that live in a benthic zone. |
| big-bang reproduction | A reproductive event in which many offspring are produced in a single instance. |
| biocomplexity | The complex structures and behaviors that arise from interactions between biotic and abiotic units, characterized by emergent properties. |
| biodiversity | The degree of variation of life forms in a single species or between multiple species in an ecosystem, biome, or planet. |
| biome | The major types of ecological associations that occupy broad geographic regions; they can be aquatic or terrestrial. |
| biosphere | The total sum of all ecosystems on Earth. |
| biotic interactions | Interactions between all living components in an environment. |
| carbohydrate | Monosaccharides or polysaccharides used for structure and short-term energy storage. |
| carbon cycle | The chemical cycle in which carbon is transferred between the atmosphere, the terrestrial biome, the aquatic biome, and the earth’s interior. |
| carboxyl group | A functional group consisting of a carbonyl and a hydroxyl. |
| carnivore | An organism that derives its nutrients and energy from animal tissue. |
| carrying capacity | The limit at which populations tend to stabilize. |
| cellulose | A type of carbohydrate used for structure in plant cells. |
| chaprral | A type of terrestrial biome, with annual precipitation ranging from 30 to 50 centimeters, with mild, wet winters and dry, hot summers. |
| chitin | A type of carbohydrate used for structure in arthropods and fungi. |
| circulatory system | An organ system that cycles blood throughout the body for the transport of nutrients, oxygen, carbon dioxide, and other cells. |
| class I MHC molecules | Molecules that bind peptides to be inserted into the plasma membrane of a cell; found on nucleated cells. |
| class II MHC molecules | Molecules that bind peptides, found only on antigen-presenting cells and lymphocytes. |
| climate change | Long-term changes in the distribution of weather patterns, temperature, precipitation, wind, etc. |
| clumped dispersion | A type of population dispersion in which individuals are found in patches, or small clusters. |
| coenzyme | Organic factors that are able to bind to an enzyme. |
| cofactor | Any non-protein factor that binds to an enzyme |
| cohort | A group of individuals of the same age in a population. |
| community | A diverse group of species inhabiting and interacting in a single area. |
| competitive inhibitors | Inhibitors with the same structure as a substrate that compete with the substrate for an enzyme’s active site. |
| conservation | A field of biology that aims to conserve and stabilize current biological diversity; not to be confused with “restoration.” |
| consumer | An organism that must obtain energy from other living organisms, often from producers. |
| cooperation | The benefit of one organism due to the behavior of another. |
| courtship | A set of mating behaviors between male and female organisms; this can include calls, postures, and aesthetic displays. |
| cyanobacteria | Bacteria that obtain energy through photosynthesis. |
| DNA synthesis | The creation of deoxyribonucleic acid. |
| dehydration synthesis | A reaction in which two molecules bond through the loss of H2O; __________ allows the creation of macromolecules. |
| demography | The study of birth rates and death rates and overall net population changes. |
| density-dependent factors | Factors that change in relation to the density of a population. |
| density-independent factors | Factors that change irrespective of the density of a population. |
| depletion | The use of a resource at a faster rate than its replenishment; the total consumption of a resource. |
| detritivore | Heterotrophs that obtain nutrients by consuming decomposing organic matter and waste. |
| distribution | The arrangement or aggregation of individuals of a population. |
| divergence | The process by which populations separate through genetic variations to the point that they are reproductively isolated and can no longer produce offspring, thus becoming separate species. |
| ecological footprint | The measure of a species’ demand on its environment; the land and water required for production and consumption of materials. |
| ecological pyramid | A representation of the trophic levels of an ecosystem to show total biomass. |
| ecological succession | The change in species structure of a community over time; generally refers to the change that occurs in the colonization or restoration of an area. |
| ecology | The interactions of organisms with each other and with their environment. |
| ecosystem | The combination of biotic and abiotic factors in a given area. |
| ecological stability | The ability of an environment or community to return to a previous state after disturbance, or the constancy of an environment. |
| emigration | The movement of individuals out of a population; the opposite of immigration. |
| environmental catastrophe | A drastic, and usually destructive change to an environment due to a natural disaster or human activity. |
| enzyme-mediated reaction | Any reaction where the activation energy is lowered by the presence of an enzyme in order to allow the reaction to take place. |
| estivation | A state of dormancy during summer periods in order to conserve energy. |
| estuaries | The transitional area between a river and a sea. |
| evaporation | Vaporization of a liquid; the process by which a liquid transforms into a gas. |
| exponential growth | Population growth in which numbers increase dramatically in a short period of time. |
| extinction | The disappearance of a species; the loss of reproductive mates to the point that a population is unable to continue. |
| extinction vortex | The downward spiral of a small population, often due to inbreeding and lack of genetic variation, until it becomes extinct. |
| food chain | A linear sequence of a food web, generally representing only a portion of a more complex system of producers and consumers. |
| food web | A representation of all producers and consumers in an environment, with multiple connections between each level. |
| gene duplication | The means through which new genetic material is created; can occur as an error, arising from unequal crossing-over in meiosis. |
| geosphere | The rock layers of the earth. |
| global warming | A global rise in temperature, often associated with a depleting ozone layer, deforestation, melting polar ice caps, etc. |
| glycogen | A type of carbohydrate used for energy storage in animal cells. |
| greenhouse effect | Similar to global warming; a rise in temperature due to the accumulation of CO2 and other gases in the earth’s atmosphere. |
| gross primary production | The total primary production of an ecosystem. |
| habitat | The area in which a particular species, population, or community lives and interacts. |
| hemoglobin | A protein that allows the transport of oxygen by red blood cells. |
| herbivore | An organism that derives its nutrients and energy from plant material. |
| hibernation | A state of dormancy generally during winter seasons in order to conserve energy. |
| hydrologic cycle | More simply known as the “water cycle,” the movement of H2O through the atmosphere and earth’s surface. |
| hydrolysis | A reaction in which two molecules are separated through the addition of H2O. |
| hydrosphere | The combined masses of water on earth and in the atmosphere. |
| immigration | The movement of individuals into a population; the opposite of emigration. |
| imprinting | A long-lasting behavioral response to a specific individual or object. |
| influx | An increase, or arrival. |
| interspecies competition | Competition between multiple species for resources. |
| intertidal zone | A type of aquatic biome that alternates between being under and above water due to tidal movements. |
| intraspecies competition | Competition between members of a single species for resources. |
| introduced species | A species moved from its native habitat to a new location. |
| invasive species | An introduced species that not only thrives in its new environment, but begins to take hold, sometimes causing major changes. |
| iteroparity | A reproductive strategy in which offspring are gradually produced over long periods of time, rather than all at once. |
| k-selection | Also known as “density-dependent selection,” natural selection that is affected by population density. |
| keystone species | A species that, if removed, has highly detrimental effects on its food web as a whole. |
| lakes | Fairly large bodies of water, with layers differing in temperature that turn over as seasons change. |
| landscape ecology | The array of ecosystems and their arrangement in a select region. |
| latitude | Coordinates that specify northern or southern positions. |
| life history | The events in an organism’s life that affect its reproduction and survival. |
| life tables | A statistical representation of mortality rates and numbers in a population. |
| limiting factor | Constraints that restrict growth of a population; _________ are what determine the carrying capacity of an ecosystem. |
| limnetic zone | The surface of bodies of water, above the profundal zone. |
| lipid | Macromolecules used for long-term energy storage; fats consist of three fatty acids and a glycerol joined through an ester linkage. |
| littoral zone | The area of a body of water close to the shore. |
| logistic growth | Population growth in which the population levels off as it reaches its carrying capacity. |
| longitude | Coordinates that specify eastern or western positions. |
| MHC proteins | Major histocompatibility complex proteins, which mediate the interactions of immune cells, activating responses against antigens. |
| macroclimate | Climate on a large geographic scale, such as a continent or country. |
| marine benthic zone | The lowest layers of a sea, including the floor. |
| mark and recapture | A method used to estimate the size of an animal population, in which a group of individuals is captured, marked, and released, and then a new group is captured, and the ratio of marked to unmarked is observed. |
| menstrual cycle | The physiological changes that occur in female primates for the purpose of sexual reproduction. |
| metapopulation | Different groups of the same population that, though geographically separated, can still interact on some level. |
| microclimate | Localized climate; the climate of only a small region. |
| migration | Movement of populations; can be seasonal or permanent. |
| monomer | A molecule that can bind to other molecules to form a more complex structure, called a polymer. |
| mortality rates | Death rates in a population. |
| mutualism | A relationship between two organisms in which both individuals benefit. |
| net primary production | The total primary production of an ecosystem minus the energy used by producers for respiration. |
| net reproductive rate | Found by taking the average number of daughters born to a female. |
| niche | The way of life of a species, including how the species deals with resources, competition, and reproduction. |
| nitrogen cycle | The process by which nitrogen is transferred through the atmosphere and the earth’s surface, including its use by plants. |
| northern coniferous forest | Mainly composed of evergreen trees, with long winters and moderate to high annual rainfall. |
| nucleotide | The monomers of nucleic acids, with a five-carbon sugar, a phosphate, and a nitrogen base. |
| nutrient cycle | The movement of organic and inorganic matter throughout a food web into the production of living matter. |
| oceanic pelagic zone | Open ocean water, with high oxygen levels and low nutrient levels; has an average depth of 4,000 meters. |
| omnivore | An organism that derives its nutrients and energy from both plant material and animal tissue. |
| organ | A collection of different types of tissue that serves a specific function in the body of an organism. |
| organ system | A group of organs that work together to allow an organism to live, grow, and reproduce. |
| ovulation | The phase during a female mammal’s menstrual cycle in which an egg is released into the oviduct. |
| parasite | An organism in a symbiotic relationship that benefits from harming another organism. |
| parasitism | A relationship between two organisms in which one individual benefits at the expense of another. |
| pedosphere | The outer layer of the earth, or the earth’s surface, composed of soil and other nutrients. |
| penis | A mammalian male reproductive organ and urine duct. |
| per capita offspring | The number of offspring per unit of a population; can sometimes refer to the number of offspring per person. |
| per capita death rate | The number of deaths per unit of a population. |
| permafrost | Soil that is at or below the freezing point, generally found in areas of high elevation. |
| pH | The measure of hydrogen ion concentration in a solution, used to measure its acidity; the _______ ranges from 0-14, where of 7 is neutral. |
| phospholipid | Unlike a normal lipid, __________ have only two fatty acids joined to a glycerol; one fatty acid is saturated, while the other is unsaturated. |
| photic zone | The surface layer of a body of water, where light penetrates and photosynthesis is able to occur. |
| physiological response | A change in an organism’s normal processes and functions in response to a stimulus. |
| phytoplankton | The autotrophic and heterotrophic organisms that live in the pelagic zones of bodies of water. |
| pollution | The deposit of harmful materials or disruptions into an environment; ________ can include chemicals, physical waste, sound, heat, and light. |
| polymer | A long molecule made of a combination of many monomers, often with emergent properties. |
| polypeptide | A polymer of many amino acids joined together through peptide bonds. |
| population | A localized group of a single species. |
| population density | The number of individuals per a given unit of area. |
| population size | The overall number of individuals in a localized group of the same species. |
| precipitation | The fall of condensed water vapor from the atmosphere to earth’s surface due to gravity. |
| predation | The act of one organism hunting another in order to eat it and thus gain nutrients and energy. |
| predator/prey relationship | The relationship between two organisms in which one is hunted while the other hunts. |
| primary consumer | An organism that eats producers, also known as an herbivore. |
| primary structure | The first level of structure in a protein, determined by the sequence of amino acids. |
| primary succession | Ecological succession in which a substrate lacking soil and vegetation is deposited, and an ecosystem slowly develops from that. |
| producer | An organism that produces organic matter from inorganic material such as carbon dioxide, usually through photosynthesis or chemosynthesis. |
| profundal zone | The deeper layers of a body of water, usually where light cannot penetrate. |
| protein | A macromolecule made of amino acids bonded through peptide bonds; proteins have four structures with differing characteristics. |
| quadrat | In ecology, a plot of land marked to study the animals and plant life within. |
| quaternary structure | The fourth and final level of structure in proteins, resulting from aggregation of two or more polypeptide units. |
| r-selection | Selection that favors the production of many offspring numerous times with little concern for individual offspring. |
| random dispersion | A type of population dispersion lacking a distinct pattern; individuals are located randomly in their habitat. |
| rate of increase | A rate that determines how much something increased per unit of time, found by dividing the total increase by the time interval. |
| relative species abundance | Calculated by dividing the number of species from one group by the total number of species from all groups. |
| resilience | The ability of an ecosystem to return to a previously undisturbed state. |
| resource partitioning | The differentiation of niches by two similar species to maximize survival and habitat occupation. |
| respiratory pigment | A protein involved in the respiratory system that transports oxygen. |
| respiratory system | The system which allows the exchange of gas within an organism, involving the diffusion of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the blood and the external environment. |
| restoration | A field of biology that aims to return degraded ecosystems to previous natural states. |
| ribosomal RNA | Ribonucleic acid that combines with proteins to make up ribosomes; the most plentiful type of RNA. |
| rough endoplasmic reticulum | The portion of the endoplasmic reticulum that is studded with ribosomes and is the site of protein synthesis. |
| salinity | The measure of dissolved salt content in a solution. |
| savanna | A terrestrial biome found in equatorial and subequatorial regions; a grassland with 30-50 centimeters of rainfall annually and generally warm temperatures. |
| secondary consumer | Organisms in a food chain that obtain nutrients and energy from primary consumers, or herbivores. |
| secondary structure | The second level of structure in a protein, resulting from hydrogen bonds that either coil the polypeptide into an alpha helix or fold it into a beta pleated sheet. |
| secondary succession | Ecological succession that occurs after a flood, storm, or volcanic eruption, where plant life has been destroyed but the substrate still allows the growth of vegetation. |
| semelparity | A reproductive strategy in which many offspring are produced simultaneously. |
| smooth endoplasmic reticulum | The section of the endoplasmic reticulum that lacks attached ribosomes, and works to metabolize lipids and carbohydrates; also function to detoxify material within a cell. |
| species | Any group of organisms with the ability to interbreed and produce viable, fertile offspring. |
| species-area curve | A pattern that demonstrates that the larger a geographic area is, the more species there will be in the community of that area. |
| species-specific catastrophe | An environmental catastrophe that is limited to a single species. |
| starch | A type of carbohydrate used for storage within plant cells. |
| substrate | The reactant on which an enzyme serves to lower the activation energy; substrates can bind to an enzyme’s active site. |
| survivorship curve | A representation of age-specific mortality, displaying the number of individuals in a cohort that remain alive at various age intervals. |
| symbiosis | Any direct relationship between two organisms of distinct species. |
| temperate broadleaf forest | Terrestrial biome with very cold winters and hot summers, and considerable annual precipitation; often has distinct layers, including a canopy, understory trees, shrubs, and herbs. |
| temperate grassland | Terrestrial biome with seasonal drought, fires, and seasonal variations in temperature; the soil is generally deep and fertile, and many grazing animals can be found. |
| temperature | The measure of heat in an area in degrees; the amount of kinetic energy present. |
| ten percent rule | In ecology, the general pattern in which only about ten percent of the energy from a lower trophic level can be obtained. |
| terrestrial biome | All terrestrial ecosystems, including grasslands, forests, deserts, savannas, tundras, etc. |
| territoriality | The defense of a bounded space by an animal against encroachment or invasion by others; often related to uniform dispersion of populations. |
| tertiary structure | The third level of structure in a protein, determined by interactions between the R groups. |
| thermocline | In aquatic biomes, a dramatic change in temperature over a narrow stratum. |
| threatened species | A species likely to become endangered if counteraction is not taken. |
| trophic level | The position an organism occupies in a food chain; the high the trophic level, the less energy that organism is able to obtain from the original producer. |
| tropical dry forest | Stratified terrestrial biome located near the equator, with seasonal precipitation. |
| tropical rain forest | Stratified terrestrial biome located near the equator, with very high annual rainfall and great animal diversity. |
| tundra | Terrestrial biome located in the Arctic, with long, cold winters and short, mild summers; vegetation is limited to lichens, mosses, grass and small trees, where permafrost is common. |
| uniform dispersion | A type of population dispersion in which individuals are spread evenly across their habitat. |
| urbanization | The introduction of cities, electricity, and high population to previously rural areas. |
| uterus | In many female mammals, a reproductive sex organ where a fetus develops during gestation. |
| water cycle | The transfer of water throughout the atmosphere and earth’s surface, involving precipitation and evaporation; also involves the transfer of water throughout organisms. |
| wetlands | Terrestrial biomes covered with enough water to support aquatic plants and are frequently flooded, including marshes, bogs, and swamps. |
| zero population growth | A demographic balance where the birth rate matches the death rate, so the population neither increases nor decreases. |
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