Term | Definition |
Animal | Organisms that are multicellular without cell walls |
Bacteria | Organisms with a cell wall but no nucleus (prokaryotes) |
Fungi | Organisms with a cell wall of chitin and a nucleus |
Plants | Organisms with a cell wall of cellulose and a nucleus |
Cell | The basic unit of all life |
Kingdom | The five groups of life (plants/animals/fungi/protoctists/prokaryotes) |
Microorganism | An organism too small to be seen with the naked eye |
Multicellular | An organism made of many cells |
Prokaryote | See Bacteria |
Protoctist | Organisms that do not fit into the other kingdoms |
Unicellular | An organism made of one cell |
Virus | A non-living particle that can control the function of a living cell |
Aerobic respiration | Glucose + oxygen --> energy + water + carbon dioxide |
Anaerobic respiration | Glucose --> energy + (lactic acid, ethanol, other) |
Asexual reproduction | Producing new organisms from one parent only |
Budding | A type of asexual reproduction in which a new small cell (bud) grows out from a parent cell |
Fermentation | Anaerobic respiration occurring in microorganisms |
Limiting factor | Something that stop a population growing |
Population | The total number of a specific species in an environment |
Binary fission | When a cell splits in two |
Chromosome | A long molecule that contains instructions for organisms and their cells |
Enzyme | A substance that can speed up some processes in living things |
Flagella | A tail-like structure that rotes, allowing a unicellular organism to move |
Chlorophyll | The green substance found inside chloroplasts |
Cilia | Small hair-like structures on the surface of some cells |
Food chain | A way of showing what eats what in a habitat |
Organic molecule | A molecule that is built using a chain of carbon atoms |
Photosynthesis | Light energy + water + carbon dioxide --> glucose + oxygen |
Producer | An organism that produces its own food |
Pseudopod | A cell extension that can extend and contract and make a cell move |
Pyramid of numbers | A way of showing the food chain by using numbers in a trophic level |
Trophic level | The position in a food chain. Producers are 1, primary consumers are 2. |
Vacuole | The storage space in cells |
Carbohydrate | A nutrient that is used for energy containing carbon, hydrogen and oxygen |
Carbon cycle | A model used to show how carbon compounds are recycled in an ecosystem |
Decay | The breakdown of dead organisms or animal wastes which allows the substances they contain to be recycled |
Decomposer | An organism that feeds on dead organisms or animal wastes, causing them to decay |
Ecosystem | All the physical and environmental factors where an organism lives |
Fat | A nutrient that is used for energy storage and as a thermal insulator |
Protein | A nutrient used for growth and repair |