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Biology terms glossary page 2

Biology terms explained in plain English. 1,444 words and meanings, most familiar first.

Word	Meaning
sensitivity noun	The ability of an organism or organ to respond to external stimuli.
habitat noun	Conditions suitable for an organism or population of organisms to live.
organism noun	A discrete and complete living thing, such as animal, plant, fungus or microorganism.
regulation noun	Mechanism controlling DNA transcription.
construct noun	A segment of nucleic acid, created artificially, for transplantation into a target cell or tissue.
bleach verb	To lose color due to stress-induced expulsion of symbiotic unicellular algae.
cassette noun	A modular DNA sequence encoding one or more genes for a single biochemical function.
smear noun	A preparation to be examined under a microscope, made by spreading a thin layer of a substance (such as blood, bacterial culture) on a slide.
artifact noun	An appearance or structure in protoplasm due to death, the method of preparation of specimens, or the use of reagents, and not present during life.
trans adjective	Of the side of the Golgi apparatus farther from the endoplasmic reticulum.
plaque noun	A clearing in a bacterial lawn caused by a virus.
camouflage noun	Resemblance of an organism to its surroundings for avoiding detection.
strand noun	A nucleotide chain.
parental adjective	Of the generation of organisms that produce a hybrid
mutation noun	Any heritable change of the base-pair sequence of genetic material.
nonstop adjective	Describing a point mutation within a stop codon that causes the continued translation of an mRNA strand.
waved adjective	Having on the margin a succession of curved segments or incisions.
chills noun	A biological response to being tickled; being cold; or experiencing fear, euphoria or sexual arousal in which the person forms goose bumps.
reproduce verb	To generate or propagate offspring or organisms sexually or asexually.
accommodation noun	The adaptation or adjustment of an organism, organ, or part.
mortality noun	The number of deaths per given unit of population over a given period of time.
obsolete adjective	Imperfectly developed; not very distinct.
genetics noun	The branch of biology that deals with the transmission and variation of inherited characteristics, in particular chromosomes and DNA.
mater noun	Someone or something that mates.
descendant noun	A later evolutionary type.
nucleus noun	A large membrane-enclosed organelle found in eukaryotic cells which contains genetic material.
blockade noun	Inhibition of the activity (function) of chemical messengers or their receptors, such as (often) receptor antagonism.
pathology noun	Any of several interrelated scientific disciplines that advance the aspects of the life sciences that allow for such technological applications and their advancements over time.
nutrition noun	The organic process by which an organism assimilates food and uses it for growth and maintenance.
conservation noun	The discipline concerned with protection of biodiversity, the environment, and natural resources
grooming noun	The practice of primates picking through the hair of others, looking for insects etc.
trait noun	An identifying characteristic, habit or trend.
variation noun	The modification of a hereditary trait.
taxis noun	The directional movement of an organism in response to a stimulus.
specialize verb	To make distinct or separate due to form or function.
territorial adjective	Displaying territoriality.
ornament noun	A characteristic that has a decorative function (typically in order to attract a mate)
stimulation noun	Any action or condition that creates a response; sensory input. 1
petite noun	A mutant first discovered in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, forming small colonies when grown in the presence of fermentable carbon sources such as glucose.
cloning noun	The production of a cloned embryo by transplanting the nucleus of a somatic cell into an ovum.
comma noun	A delimiting marker between items in a genetic sequence.
selective adjective	Of or relating to natural selection.
mimic verb	To take on the appearance of another, for protection or camouflage.
genome noun	The complete genetic information (either DNA or, in some viruses, RNA) of an organism.
germ noun	The small mass of cells from which a new organism develops; a seed, bud, spore, or zygote.
consensual adjective	Excited or caused by sensation, sympathy, or reflex action, and not by conscious volition
recruitment noun	The addition of new adult or breeding-age individuals (recruits) to a population.
scat noun	Animal excrement; droppings, dung.
variable adjective	Tending to deviate from a normal or recognized type.
opal noun	A colloquial name used in molecular biology referring to a particular stop codon sequence, "UGA."
integration noun	In evolution, the process by which the manifold is compacted into the relatively simple and permanent; supposed to alternate with differentiation as an agent in species' development.
cleavage noun	The repeated division of a cell into daughter cells after mitosis.
promoter noun	The section of DNA that controls the initiation of RNA transcription as a product of a gene.
cryptic adjective	Apparently identical, but actually genetically distinct.
aborted adjective	Rendered abortive or sterile; undeveloped.
upstream adjective	Towards the leading end (5′ end) of a DNA molecule.
dominance noun	The property of a gene such that it suppresses the expression of its allele.
mapping noun	The process of locating genes on a chromosome.
reproductive noun	A reproductive organism (especially such as in an insect).
downstream adjective	Towards the 3′ end of a DNA molecule.
membrane noun	A microscopic double layer of lipids and proteins forming the boundary of cells or organelles.
contraction noun	The process of contracting or becoming infected with a disease.
silencer noun	Something that prevents gene expression
erupt verb	(Of birds, insects, etc.) To suddenly appear in a certain region in large numbers.
bacterial adjective	Of, relating to, or caused by bacteria.
latent adjective	Lying dormant or hidden until circumstances are suitable for development or manifestation.
fibre noun	A long tubular cell found in bodily tissue.
segregation noun	The setting apart in Mendelian inheritance of alleles, such that each parent passes only one allele to its offspring.
wobble noun	A variation in the third nucleotide of a codon that codes for a specific aminoacid.
versatile adjective	Capable of moving freely in all directions.
complement noun	A nucleotide sequence in which each base is replaced by the complementary base of the given sequence: adenine (A) by thymine (T) or uracil (U), cytosine (C) by guanine (G), and vice versa.
overlap verb	To have some similar nucleotide sequences.
degraded adjective	Having the typical characters or organs in a partially developed condition, or lacking certain parts.
astral adjective	Relating to an aster.
corona noun	Any appendage of an organism that resembles a crown or corona (sense 4.1).

Word	Meaning
integrate verb	To combine compatible elements in order to incorporate them.
hairpin noun	A kind of ribozyme; hairpin ribozyme.
regenerate verb	To replace lost or damaged tissue.
hammerhead noun	A kind of ribozyme; hammerhead ribozyme.
modification noun	A change to an organism as a result of its environment that is not transmissable to offspring.
fixation noun	The change in a gene pool from a situation where there exists at least two variants of a particular gene (allele) to a situation where only one of the alleles remains.
mosaic noun	An individual composed of two or more cell lines of different genetic or chromosomal constitution, but from the same zygote.
metamorphosis noun	A change in the form and often habits of an animal after the embryonic stage during normal development. (e.g. the transformation of a caterpillar into a butterfly or a tadpole into a frog.)
invasive noun	An invasive organism, such as an animal or plant.
revert verb	To return to an earlier or primitive type or state; to take on the traits or characters of an ancestral type.
differentiate verb	To (cause to) go through a process of development called differentiation; to make or become different in form or function.
hitchhiking noun	A form of evolution caused by genetic drift.
null adjective	Causing a complete loss of gene function; amorphic.
blockage noun	Occlusion of a lumen (especially that of a blood vessel or intestine), or the thing that is causing it; as:
cosmopolitan adjective	Growing or living in many parts of the world; widely distributed.
hibernation noun	A state of minimum power consumption, inactivity and metabolic depression in some animals during winter.
kinetic adjective	Relating to the movement of an organism in response to an external stimulus.
nitrous adjective	Having a sharp odor like ammonia or nitric acid.
consortium noun	A group of symbiotic microbes.
primordial adjective	Characteristic of the earliest stage of the development of an organism, or relating to a primordium
chromosome noun	A linear arrangement of condensed DNA and associated proteins (such as chaperone proteins) which contains the genetic material (genome) of an organism.
vagrant noun	An animal, typically a bird, found outside its species' usual range.
filial adjective	Of a generation or generations descending from a specific previous one.
restriction noun	The mechanism by which a cell degrades foreign DNA material.
synonymous adjective	Such that both its forms yield the same sequenced protein.
slant noun	A sloping surface in a culture medium.
pigment noun	Any color in plant or animal cells
ecology noun	The branch of biology dealing with the relationships of organisms with their environment and with each other.
regulator noun	A gene involved in controlling the expression of one or more other genes.
tendon noun	The hamstring of a quadruped.
chimera noun	An organism with genetically distinct cells originating from two or more zygotes.
sterilize verb	To kill, deactivate (denature), or destroy (break apart) all living, viable microorganisms and spores on a surface, in a fluid, or contained in a compound, such as culture media or a medical product.
inbred adjective	Describing a strain produced through successive generations of inbreeding resulting in a population of genetically identical individuals which are homozygous at all genetic loci.
spontaneity noun	The tendency to undergo change, characteristic of both animal and vegetable organisms, and not restrained or checked by the environment.
primer noun	A molecule which initiates the synthesis of an enzyme, (especially) a single-stranded nucleic acid molecule which initiates DNA replication.
sneaker noun	A sneaker male.
crossover noun	The result of the exchange of genetic material during meiosis.
tectonic adjective	Structural
mobilization noun	The transport of a copy of a gene from one chromosome, or one organism to another.
polarity noun	Spatial differences in shape, structure, and function within a cell. Wp
soma noun	The bulbous part of a neuron, containing the cell nucleus.
imprinted adjective	Produced by or exhibiting imprinting; showing distinction by its origin from the paternal or maternal genome.
omnipotent adjective	Describing a cell (especially a stem cell) that is capable of developing into any type of cell or forming any type of tissue (also called a totipotent cell).
variance noun	The number of degrees of freedom in a system.
ejaculation noun	The act of ejecting or suddenly throwing, as a fluid from a duct or other body structure.
inhibitor noun	Any substance capable of stopping or slowing a specific biological process
ejaculate verb	To eject or suddenly throw fluid or some other substance from a duct or other body structure.
atrium noun	Any enclosed body cavity or chamber.
convergence noun	The evolution of similar structures or traits in unrelated species in similar environments; convergent evolution.
eczema noun	A non-contagious acute or chronic inflammation of the skin, characterized by redness, itching, and the outbreak of oozing vesicular lesions which become encrusted and scaly.
analog noun	An organ or structure that is similar in function to one in another kind of organism but is of dissimilar evolutionary origin.
variant noun	A different sequence of a gene (locus).
insertion noun	The addition of a nucleotide to a chromosome by mutation.
radiate adjective	Having radial symmetry, like a seastar.
fission noun	The process by which a bacterium splits to form two daughter cells.
synaptic adjective	Of or relating to a synapsis—the association of homologous maternal and paternal chromosomes during the initial part of meiosis.
erectile adjective	Capable of filling with blood and becoming rigid.
aster noun	A star-shaped structure formed during the mitosis of a cell.
photosynthesis noun	Any process by which plants and other photoautotrophs convert light energy into chemical energy.
fraternal adjective	Of twins or embryos, produced from two different eggs and sperm, and genetically distinct.
gullet noun	The cytopharynx of a ciliate, through which food is ingested.
prevalent noun	A species that is prevalent in a certain area.
inclusion noun	A nuclear or cytoplasmic aggregate of stainable substances.
vigour noun	Strength or force in animal or vegetable nature or action.
microbe noun	Any microorganism, but especially a harmful bacterium.
bacterium noun	A single-celled organism with cell walls but no nucleus or organelles.
vegetative adjective	Of or relating to functions such as growth, nutrition and asexual reproduction rather than sexual reproduction.
ephemeral adjective	Existing for only one day, as with some flowers, insects, and diseases.
septum noun	A wall separating two cavities; a partition.
altruism noun	Action or behaviour that benefits another or others at some cost to the performer.
pheromone noun	A chemical secreted by an animal, especially an insect, that affects the development or behavior of other members of the same species, functioning often as a means of attracting a member of the opposite sex.
transcription noun	The synthesis of RNA under the direction of DNA.
virulent adjective	Of a pathogen: replicating within its host cell, then immediately causing it to undergo lysis.
splice noun	The process of removing intron sequences from the pre-messenger RNA, and then joining together exons.
replication noun	The process of producing replicas of DNA or RNA molecules.

Meanings from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0). Sources