Glossary A

Question 1

Abiotic conditions

Answer 1

A non living feature of an ecosystem

Question 2

Abundance

Answer 2

The number of individuals of one species in a particular area

Question 3

Accurate result

Answer 3

A result that is really close to the true answer

Question 4

Acetylation

Answer 4

Attachment of an acetyl group to something.

Example: histones

Question 5

Acetylcholine (ACh)

Answer 5

A type of neurotransmitter that binds to a cholinergic receptor

Question 6

Acetlyl coenzyme A

(AcetylCoA)

Answer 6

A type of coenzyme involved in respiration. It transfers acetate from one molecule to another

Question 7

Acquired mutation

Answer 7

A mutation you develop during your lifetime

Question 8

Actin

Answer 8

A thin myofilament protein in muscle fibres

Question 9

Actin-myosin cross bridge

Answer 9

The bond formed when a myosin head binds to an actin filament

Question 10

Activation energy

Answer 10

The energy that needs to be supplied before a chemical reaction will start

Question 11

Activator

Answer 11

A transcription factor that increases the rate of transcription

Question 12

Active site

Answer 12

The part of an enzyme where a substrate molecule binds

Question 13

Active transport

Answer 13

Movement of molecules and ions across plasma membranes, usually against a concentration gradient. Requiring ATP

Question 14

Adaptation

Answer 14

A characteristic that increases an organisms chances of survival and reproduction

Example antibiotic-resistance

Question 15

Adenosine diphosphate

(ADP)

Answer 15

A molecule made up of adenine, a ribose sugar and two phosphate groups. ATP is synthesised from ADP and the addition of a phosphate groups

Question 16

Adrenaline

Answer 16

A hormone secreted from the adrenal glands that has many effects, including increasing blood glucose concentration.

Question 17

Affinity for oxygen

Answer 17

A tendency a molecule has to bind with oxygen

Question 18

Agglutination

Answer 18

The clumping of cells together

Example: pathogens, red blood cells

Question 19

AIDS

(Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome)

Answer 19

A condition caused by HIV, in which the immune system deteriorates and eventually fails to

Question 20

Allele

Answer 20

One or more alternative versions of the same gene

Question 21

Allele frequency

Answer 21

How often an allele occurs in a population.

Question 22

Allopatric speciation

Answer 22

Where speciation occurs as a result of geographic isolation

Question 23

Alveolus

Answer 23

A microscopic air sac in the lungs where gas exchange occurs

Question 24

Amino acid

Answer 24

A monomer of proteins

Question 25

Ammonification

Answer 25

The process in which nitrogen compounds from dead organisms or waste material are turned into ammonium compounds by saprobionts

Question 26

Anomalous result

Answer 26

A measurement that falls outside the range of values you’d expect it any pattern you already have

Question 27

Antibiotic

Answer 27

A medicine that is designed to kill or inhibit growth of bacteria

Question 28

Antibiotic resistance

Answer 28

When bacteria are able to survive in the presence of antibiotics

Question 29

Antibody

Answer 29

A protein produced by B-cells in response to the presence of pathogens

Question 30

Antidiuretic hormone (ADH)

Answer 30

A hormone that regulates the water potential of the blood by controlling the permeability of the cells of the distal convoluted tubule and the collecting duct in the kidney

Question 31

Antigen

Answer 31

A molecule (usually a protein) that can trigger an immune response

Question 32

Antigenic variation

Answer 32

Where pathogens change their antigens

Question 33

Antigen presenting cells

Answer 33

An immune system cell that process es and presents antigens on its surface to activate other immune systems cells

Question 34

Antimicrobial substance

Answer 34

A substance designed to kill microorganisms Example: antibiotic, antiseptic or disinfectant

Question 35

Artefact (microscope)

Answer 35

Something you can see on a microscope slide that isn’t part of the specimen you’re looking at Example: air bubble

Question 36

Arteriole

Answer 36

A blood vessel that branches off an artery

Question 37

Aseptic technique

Answer 37

A technique used to prevent unwanted growth or transfer of microorganisms

Question 38

Atheroma

Answer 38

A fibrous plaque caused by build up and hardening of white blood cells, lipids and connective tissues

Question 39

Adenosine triphosphate

Answer 39

A molecule made up of adenine, a ribose sugar and three phosphate groups. It is the immediate source of energy in a cell

Question 40

ATP hydrolyse

Answer 40

An enzyme which catalyses the hydrolysis of ATP into ADP and P

Question 41

ATP-phosphocreatine (PCr) system

Answer 41

A system that generates ATP very quickly by phosphorylating ADP using a phosphate groups from phosphocreatine

Question 42

ATP synthase

Answer 42

An enzyme which catalyses the synthesis of ATP from ADP and P

Question 43

Atrioventricular node (AVN)

Answer 43

A group of cells in the heart that is responsible for passing waves of electrical activity from the SAN on to the bundle of His

Question 44

Atrioventricular valve

Answer 44

A valve in the heart linking the atria to the ventricles

Question 45

Attachment proteins (virus)

Answer 45

A protein on the surface of a virus that lets the virus cling onto a suitable host cell

Question 46

Autonomic nervous system

Answer 46

A division of the peripheral nervous system that controls unconscious activities Example: heart rate

Question 47

Autoradiography

Answer 47

A technique that reveals the location of radioactive tracers

Question 48

Autosomal linkage

Answer 48

When two genes are located on the same autosome and are inherited by offspring together

Question 49

Autosome

Answer 49

A chromosome that isn’t a sex chromosome