SAT Subject- Biology E/M A-B
Terms from the glossary of the Kaplan Biology E/M SAT Subject Test Study-Guide.
Part 1 Terms A-B
Part 1 Terms A-B
Terms
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- antibody
- globular proteins produced by tissues that destroy or inactivate antigens
- aerobe
- an organism that requires oxygen for respiration and can live only in the presence of oxygen
- androgen
- a mall sex hormone (e.g., testosterone)
- abiotic
- nonliving, as in the physical environment
- anaphase
- the stage in mitosis that is characterized by the migration of chromatids to opposite ends of the cell; the stage in meiosis during which homologus pairs migrate (Anaphase I), and the stage in meiosis during which chromatids migrate to different ends of the cell (Anaphase II)
- Annelida
- the phylum to which segmented worms belong
- blastula
- a stage of embryonic development in which the embryo consists of a hollow ball of cells
- anther
- the part of the male reproductive organ (the stamen) that produces and stores pollen
- adrenaline (epinephrin)
- an "emergency" hormone stimulated by anger or fear; increase blood pressure and heart rate in order to supply the emergency needs of the muscles
- aerobic
- requiring free oxygen from the atmosphere for normal activity and respiration
- budding
- a process of asexual reproduction in which the offspring develop from an outgrowth of the plant or animal
- assimilation
- the conversion of digested foods and other materials into forms usable by the body (i.e., the conversion of amino acids into proteins)
- assortative mating
- the type of mating that occurs when an organism selects a mating partner that resembles itself
- artery
- a blood vessel that carries blood away from the heart
- bacillus
- bacteria that are rod shaped
- anaerobe
- an organism that does not require free oxygen in order to respire
- bile salts
- compounds in bile that aid in emulsification
- acetylcholine
- a transmitter substance released from the axons of nerve cells at the synapse
- adrenocorticotrophic hormone
- usually referred to as ACTH and secreted by the anterior lobe of the pituitary gland; stimulates the adrenal cortex to produce its characteristic hormones
- anaerobic
- living or active in the absence of free oxygen; pertaining to respiration that is independent of oxygen
- aortic arch
- blood vessels located between ascending and descending aortas that deliver blood to most of the upper body
- adrenal cortex
- the ourter part of the adrenal gland that secretes many hormones, including cortisone and aldosterone
- alternation of generations
- the description of a plant life cycle that consists of a diploid, asexual, sporophyte generation and a haploid, sexual, gametrophyte generation
- bud
- in plants, an area of undifferentiated tissue covered by embryonic leaves
- auxin
- a plant growth hormone
- aorta
- the largest artery; carries blood from the left ventricle
- bile
- an emulsifying agent secreted by the liver
- autosome
- any chromosome that is not a sex chromosome
- aqueous humor
- fluid in the eye, found between the cornea and the lens
- alimentary canal
- an organ centrally involved in the human digestive system
- appendage
- a structure that extends from the trunk of an organism and is capable of active movements
- bacteriophage
- a type of virus that can destroy bacteria by infecting, parasitizing and eventually killing them
- autolysis
- self-digestion occurring in plant and animal tissues, particularly after they have ceased to function properly
- antigen
- a foreign protein that stimulates the production of antibodies when introduced into the body of an organism
- amoeboid movement
- movement involving the flowing of cytoplasm into pseudopods, as in amoeba
- ADH (vassopressin)
- a hormone that regulates water reabsorption
- Arthropoda
- the phylum to which jointed-legged invertebrates belong, including insects, arachnids and crustaceans
- adaptation
- a behavioral or biological change that enables an organism to adjust to its environment
- asexual reproduction
- the production of daughter cells by means other than the sexual union of gametes (as in budding and binary fission)
- absorption
- the process by which water and dissolved substances pass through a membrane
- active immunity
- protective immunity to a disease in which the individual produces antibodies as a result of previous exposure to the antigen
- adaptive radiation
- the production of a number of different species from a single ancestral species
- adenosine phosphate
- adenosine diphosphate (ADP) and adenosine triphosphate (ATP), which are energy storage molecules
- autonomic nervous system
- the part of the nervous system that regulates the involuntary muscles, such as the walls of the alimentary canal; includes the parasympathetic and sympathetic nervous systems
- allele
- one or two or more types of genes, each representing a particular trait; many alleles exist for a specific gene locus
- alveolus
- an air sac in the lung; the site of respiratory exchange, involving diffusion of oxygen and carbon dioxide between the air in the alveolus and the blood in the capillaries
- biome
- a habitat zone, such as desert, grassland or tundra
- atrium
- the thin-walled anterior chamber of the heart (also called the auricle)
- Arachnida
- a class of arthropods that includes scorpions, spiders, mites and ticks
- binomial nomenclature
- the system of naming an organism by its genus and species name
- analogous
- describes structures that have similar function but different evolutionary origins; e.g., a bird's wing and a moth's wing
- adrenal medulla
- the inner part of the adrenal gland that secretes adrenalin
- allantois
- the extraembyonic membrane of birds, reptiles and mammals that serves as an area of gaseous exchange and as a site for the storage of noxious excretion products
- antibiotic
- an antipathogenic substance (e.g., penicillin)
- angiosperm
- a flowering plant; a plant of the class Angiospermae that produces seeds enclosed in an ovary and is characterized by the possession of fruits and flowers
- Bowman's capsule
- part of the nephron in the kidney; involved in excretion
- axon
- a nerve fiber
- binary fission
- asexual reproduction; in this process, the parent organism splits into two equal daughter cells
- biotic
- living, as in living organisms in the environment
- aldosterone
- hormone active in osmoregulation; a mineral corticoid produced by the adrenal cortex; stimulates reabsorption of Na+ and secretion of K+
- autotroph
- an organism that utilizes the energy of inorganic materials such as water and carbon dioxide or the sun to manufacture organic materials
- amnion
- the extraembryonic membrane in birds, reptiles and mammals that surrounds the embryo, forming an amniotic sac
- buffer
- a substance that prevents appreciable changes in pH in solutions to which small quantities of acids or bases are added