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Biology Topics - Abiogenesis
- Term applied by Thomas Huxley in 1870 to the theory that living matter may be produced from non-living.
- Adulterants
- Chemical impurities or substances that by law do not belong in a food, or pesticide.
- Aerobic
- Requiring or occurring in the presence of oxygen.
- Aerobiology
- The study of the distribution of living organisms freely suspended in the atmosphere.
- Aerodontalgia
- A toothache brought on by a change in ambient pressure.
- Aeroemphysema
- A swelling condition caused by the formation of gas in the tissues of the body
- Aero-Otitis Media
- An inflammatory reaction of the middle ear resulting from a difference in pressure between the gas in the middle ear and the surrounding atmosphere.
- Agent Orange
- A toxic herbicide and defoliant used in the Vietnam conflict, containing 2,4,5-trichlorophen-oxyacetic acid and 2-4 dichlorophenoxyacetic acid with trace amounts of dioxin.
- Agriculture
- The science or art of farming.
- Agronomics
- The science of the distribution and management of land.
- Agronomy
- The science of soil management and crop production.
- Air Pollution
- The presence of contaminants or pollutant substances in the air that interfere with human health or welfare, or produce other harmful environmental effects.
- Air Pollution Episode
- A period of abnormally high concentration of air pollutants, often due to low winds and temperature inversion, that can cause illness and death.
- Algae
- A large and diverse group of simple, typically autotrophic organisms, ranging from unicellular to multicellular forms.
- Algal Bloom
- Sudden spurts of algae growth, which can affect water quality adversely and indicate potentially hazardous changes in local water chemistry.
- Allergen
- A substance that causes an allergic reaction in individuals sensitive to it.
- Amylum
- Another name for starch.
- Anaerobe
- An organism that lives without oxygen and uses another chemical species as a terminal electron acceptor.
- Anaerobic
- Occurring in the absence of air or oxygen.
- Aquatic Ecotoxicity
- The study of how chemicals affect the water environment and the organisms living there.
- Arginine
C6H14N4O2 A semiessential or conditionally essential amino acid in mammals. - Asbestosis
- Fibrosis of the lungs caused by inhalation of asbestos fibres.
- Bacteria
- A group of small living organisms made of just one cell.
- Bactericide
- A pesticide used to control or destroy bacteria, typically in the home, schools, or hospitals.
- Balsam
- Light oily aromatic extracts from trees which cure into resins.
- Biocide
- Chemical substance capable of killing living organisms, usually in a selective way.
- Biosensor
- Either a sensor to detect a biological substance or a sensor which incorporates the use of biological molecules such as antibodies or enzymes.
- Biota
- The animal and plant life of a given region.
- Blood
- A liquid that circulates inside the bodies of animals.
- Brakish Water
- Water having less salt than sea water, but undrinkable, having salinity values ranging from about 0.5 to 17 parts per thousand.
- C19H22N2OS
- Chemical formula for Acepromazine.
- Carbonate Water Hardness
- Water hardness due to the presence of calcium and magnesium carbonates and bicarbonates.
- Carnivore
- An animal that eats only meat.
- Chemotropism
- Movement of a plant in response to chemicals.
- Chlorination
- The application of chlorine to drinking water, sewage, or industrial waste to disinfect or to oxidize undesirable compounds.
- Codons
- Organic bases in sets of three that form the genetic code.
- Collagen
- The most abundant protein in mammals.
- Cousteau, Jacques
- French marine biologist, explorer, ecologist, filmmaker, photographer and researcher who studied the sea and all forms of life in water.
- Cover Slip
- Very thin square piece of glass or plastic placed over the specimen on a microscope slide.
- Cytoplasm
- A jelly like material found in a living cell.
- Darwin, Charles
- Darwin struck upon the theory of evolution.
- Denaturation
- A loss of chemical function, usually due to some heat or chemically-induced structural change.
- Dendrochronology
- Tree-ring dating is the method of scientific dating based on the analysis of tree-ring growth patterns.
- Deoxyribonucleic Acid
- The biological macromolecule that carries the genetic information of all eukaryotic and prokaryotic cells.
- Digestion
- The breaking down of food.
- Disinfectant
- A substance that kills or stops the growth of microbes.
- Dissolved Oxygen
- The amount of oxygen dissolved in a solvent (usually water).
- DNA
- The biological macromolecule that carries the genetic information of all eukaryotic and prokaryotic cells.
- Drinking Water
- Water of sufficiently high quality that it can be consumed or used without risk of immediate or long term harm.
- Drug
- A biologically active compound or mixture used to cure, prevent, or detect disease, to control biological processes, or to alter mental state.
- Ecology
- The study of living things in their environment.
- Ecosystem
- A community of living things together with their environment.
- Emulsion
- A colloid formed from tiny liquid droplets suspended in another, immiscible liquid. E.g. Milk.
- Eutrophication
- The absorption of excessive nutrients in a body of water, which causes a dense growth of plant life.
- Evapotranspiration
- The combined process of evaporation from the surface of the Earth and transpiration from vegetation.
- Evolution
- A theory that tries to explain the variety of all living things.
- Excretion
- The removal of waste substances from living things.
- Exobiology
- The study of biological processes that have or could have evolved away from the Earth.
- Eye
- An organ which is sensitive to light.
- Facultative Anaerobe
- An organism that can live in both aerobic and anaerobic conditions.
- Food Chain
- A list of organisms showing how each depends on another for food.
- Gene
- Part of a chromosome found inside the cells of living organisms.
- Genetic Engineering
- A man-made method of altering the genes to change the characteristics of an organism.
- Geotropism
- Movement of a plant in response to gravity.
- Germination
- The growth of a new plant from a seed.
- Gestation Period
- The length of gestation, the time from conception to birth. For humans this is 266 days.
- Glycogen
- The storage polysaccharide of animals.
- Gnotobiotics
- Study of germ-free animals.
- Haptotropism
- Response of a plant to touch such as tendrils on a climbing plant wrapping themselves around other plants or supports.
- Herbivore
- An animal that feeds on plants.
- Hydrotropism
- Movement of a plant in response to water.
- Iris
- The pigmented fibrovascular tissue known as a stroma. It is the most forward portion of the eye and the only one seen on superficial inspection.
- Kidney
- An organ in the body which is used for excretion.
- Macroscopic
- Anything big enough to be seen with the naked eye.
- Metabolism
- A sequence of biochemical reactions that converts fuel molecules into energy used to drive other biological processes.
- Metabolite
- A compound produced by metabolic reactions.
- Microscope
- An instrument to see objects too small for the naked eye.
- Microscopic
- Refers to objects that are too small for the unaided eye to see.
- Natural Heat
- A term that has generally referred to the heat produced within the body, usually the heat produced by the heart and the circulatory system.
- Obligate Anaerobes
- An organism that dies when exposed to oxygen.
- Ocular
- Pertaining to or in relation with the eye.
- Oculogyric
- Referring to movements of the eyes.
- Oleoresin
- A natural plant product that contains oil and resins, an example is turpentine.
- Paracetamol
- Another name for Acetaminophen.
- Paraheliotropism
- Movement of a plant in response to light.
- Pesticide
- A chemical or biological agent that kills pests.
- Pharmacognosy
- Identification, isolation, and characterization of biologically active substances in living things.
- Pharmacology
- The study of drugs, which includes determination of biological activity, biological effects, breakdown and synthesis, and delivery.
- Photosynthesis
- Process by which green plants convert light to energy by transforming carbon dioxide and water into carbohydrates.
- PM10
- Particles measuring 10µm or less.
- PM2.5
- Particles measuring 2.5µm or less.
- Potable Water
- Another name for drinking water.
- Prebiotic
- Related to the period before life appears on a planet.
- Reaction Time
- The time taken to react to an event.
- Receptor Site
- A molecule or surface in a cell that recognizes and binds to a specific messenger molecule, leading to a biological response.
- RF Radiation Hazard
- A health hazard caused by exposure to electromagnetic radiation or highenergy particles.
- Sinus
- A hollow or cavity; a recess or pocket.
- Smell
- Human can detect around 10000 different smells.
- Sour Water
- Waste waters containing fetid materials, usually sulphur compounds.
- Starch
- A polysaccharide used by plants to stockpile glucose molecules.
- Taste
- Four basic tastes are sour, sweet, salt and bitter.
- Thermotropism
- Movement of a plant in response to temperature.
- Toxic Vapours
- Vapors emitted by a substance that can do bodily harm.
- Tropism
- The movement of a plant in response to a stimulus.
- Unit of Blood
- Unit of volume for human blood and its components.
- Vital Heat
- A term that has generally referred to the heat produced within the body, usually the heat produced by the heart and the circulatory system.
- Whey
- The liquid which remains after milk is curdled, usually in the process of cheese-making.
- Yeast
- A type of fungus that is used in baking and brewing.
- Zooplankton
- A broad categorisation spanning a range of organism sizes that includes both small protozoans and large metazoans.
- Zygote
- A single living cell that results when a female egg is fertilized by sperm.
- Zymogen
- An inactive precursor of an enzyme.
 
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