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Africa Storyline
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Phylogenetic tree | A diagram that represents evolutionary relationships among organisms |
| DNA | deoxyribonucleic acid, a self-replicating material which is present in nearly all living organisms as the main constituent of chromosomes. It is the carrier of genetic information. |
| RNA | Single stranded nucleic acid that contains the sugar ribose |
| Nitrogen base | A nitrogenous base is simply a nitrogen-containing molecule that has the same chemical properties as a base. |
| Amino acid | a simple organic compound containing both a carboxyl (—COOH) and an amino (—NH2) group. |
| predator | Capture and feeds on another organism |
| prey | an animal that is hunted and killed by another for food. |
| Characteristics of Life | All living organisms share several key characteristics or functions: order, sensitivity or response to the environment, reproduction, growth and development, regulation, homeostasis, and energy processing. |
| reproduction | the action or process of making a copy of something. |
| homeostasis | Relatively constant internal physical and chemical conditions that organisms maintain |
| evolution | Change over time; the process by which modern organisms have descended from ancient organisms |
| adaptation | Heritable characteristic that increases an organism’s ability to survive and reproduce in an environment |
| genetics | Scientific study of heredity |
| growth | the process of increasing in physical size. |
| cells | Basic unit of all forms of life |
| metabolism | The combination of chemical reactions through which an organism builds up or breaks down materials |
| Food chain | Series of steps in an ecosystem in which organism transfer energy by eating and being eaten |
| Food web | Network of complex interactions formed by feeding the relationships among the various organisms in an ecosystem |
| producer | An autotrophic organism capable of producing complex organic compounds from simple inorganic molecules through the process of photosynthesis (using light energy) or through chemosynthesis (using chemical energy) Supplement. |
| consumer | Organism relies on other organisms for its energy and food supply, also called a heterotroph |
| herbivore | Organism that obtains energy by eating only plants |
| carnivore | Organism that obtains energy by eating only meat |
| omnivore | Organisms that obtain energy by eating both plants and animals |
| detritivore | Organisms that feed on plants and animal remains and other dead matter |
| decomposer | Organisms that break down and obtain energy from dead organic matter |
| Flow of energy | The movement of energy around an ecosystem by biotic and abiotic means. |
| 10 % rule | when energy is passed in an ecosystem from one trophic level to the next, only ten percent of the energy will be passed on. |
| Energy pyramid | graphical model of energy flow in a community. |
| kilocalorie | A measure of heat energy that is equal to the amount of heat needed to raise the temperature of one kilogram of water by one degree Centigrade at one atmospheric pressure. |
| Trophic level | level or a position in a food chain or ecological pyramid. |
| Levels of organization | The hierarchy of complex biological structures and systems that define life using approach arranged from the simplest to most complex are organelle, cells, tissue, organs, organ systems, organisms, populations, communities, ecosystems |
| mass | measure of the amount of matter in an object. |
| biomass | mass of living biological organisms in a given area or ecosystem at a given time. |
| heat | A form of energy that is transferred from between objects due to a temperature difference; the thermal motion of atoms and molecules |
| organism | a living thing that has an organized structure, can react to stimuli, reproduce, grow, adapt, and maintain homeostasis. |
| species | group of organisms that can reproduce with one another in nature and produce fertile offspring |
| population | group of organisms that can reproduce with one another in nature and produce fertile offspring |
| community | interacting group of various species in a common location. |
| ecosystem | A system that includes all living organisms (biotic factors) in an area as well as its physical environment (abiotic factors) functioning together as a unit. |
| biome | A major ecological community of organisms adapted to a particular climatic or environmental condition on a large geographic area in which they occur. |
| biosphere | zone of air, land and water where organisms exist. |
| climate | long term patterns of temperature, humidity, wind, etc. in an area. |
| habitat | place where an organism or a community of organisms lives, including all living and nonliving factors or conditions of the surrounding environment. |
| allele | one of the possible forms of a gene. |
| gene | fundamental, physical, and functional unit of heredity. |
| Female sex chromosome | two of the same kind of sex chromosome (XX), and are called the homogametic sex. |
| Male sex chromosome | two different kinds of sex chromosomes (XY), and are called the heterogametic sex. |
| Gene pool | collection of different genes within an interbreeding population |
| biodiversity | the variability among living organisms from all sources including, terrestrial, marine and other aquatic ecosystems and the ecological complexes of which they are part; this includes diversity within species, between species and of ecosystems |
| Genetic diversity | total number of genetic characteristics in the genetic makeup of a species. |
| karyotype | chromosome count of an organism and what these chromosomes look like under a light microscope. |
Created by:
rleffingwell