General Flashcards
(43 cards)
What is the nitrogen cycle?
The conversion of nitrogen into a usable form and its movement through living organisms and the non-living environment.
Define nitrogen fixation.
The process in which nitrogen gas in the atmosphere is turned into ammonia by bacteria such as Rhizobium and Azotobacter.
What is an oocyte?
An immature egg cell.
What is an operator in genetics?
A DNA sequence that transcription factors bind to.
Define operon.
A section of DNA that contains structural genes that are all transcribed together, control elements, and sometimes a regulatory gene.
What is the ornithine cycle?
A cycle of biochemical reactions in which ammonia is combined with carbon dioxide to create urea and water.
What is an osmoreceptor?
A cell in the hypothalamus which monitors the water potential of the blood.
Define oxidation.
A chemical reaction where a molecule loses electrons, and may have lost hydrogen or gained oxygen.
What is oxidative phosphorylation?
The final stage in aerobic respiration where energy carried by electrons, from reduced coenzymes, is used to make ATP.
What is a Pacinian corpuscle?
A type of mechanoreceptor found in your skin.
Define palindromic sequence in DNA.
A sequence of DNA bases that consists of antiparallel base pairs.
What is the function of the parasympathetic nervous system?
It calms the body down and is known as the ‘rest and digest’ system.
What does PCR stand for?
Polymerase chain reaction.
What is peer review?
Where a scientific report is sent out to peers who examine the data and results, and if they think the conclusion is reasonable, it’s published.
What is the peripheral nervous system?
Part of the nervous system that connects the CNS to the rest of the body, consisting of the somatic and autonomic nervous systems.
Define pharming.
Producing pharmaceuticals using genetically modified organisms, such as animals.
What does phenotype refer to?
The characteristics an organism’s alleles produce.
What is the phenotypic ratio?
The ratio of different phenotypes in the offspring.
What is a pheromone?
A signalling chemical, released by an organism, that produces a response in other organisms.
Define phosphorylation.
The process of adding phosphate to a molecule.
What is photolysis?
The splitting of a molecule using light energy.
What is photophosphorylation?
The process of adding phosphate to a molecule using light energy.
What is photosynthesis?
The process where energy from light is used to make glucose from carbon dioxide and water.
What is a photosynthetic pigment?
A coloured substance (e.g. chlorophyll a) that absorbs the light energy needed for photosynthesis.
