Biology Glossary amino acids small molecules from which proteins are A built abiotic factor physical or non-living conditions amylase a digestive enzyme (carbohydrase) that that affect the distribution of a population in an breaks down starch ecosystem, such as light, temperature, soil pH anaerobic respiration respiration without using absorption the process by which soluble products oxygen of digestion move into the blood from the small intestine antibacterial chemicals chemicals produced by plants as a defence mechanism; the amount abstinence method of contraception whereby the produced will increase if the plant is under attack couple refrains from intercourse, particularly when an egg might be in the oviduct antibiotic e.g. penicillin; medicines that work inside the body to kill bacterial pathogens accommodation ability of the eyes to change focus antibody protein normally present in the body acid rain rain water which is made more acidic by or produced in response to an antigen, which it pollutant gases neutralises, thus producing an immune response active site the place on an enzyme where the antimicrobial resistance (AMR) an increasing substrate molecule binds problem in the twenty-first century whereby active transport in active transport, cells use energy bacteria have evolved to develop resistance against to transport substances through cell membranes antibiotics due to their overuse against a concentration gradient antiretroviral drugs drugs used to treat HIV adaptation features that organisms have to help infections; they stop the virus entering the lymph them survive in their environment nodes ADH (antidiuretic hormone) a hormone released antiseptic substance that prevents the growth of by the pituitary gland, which acts on the kidney bacteria in response to changes in the concentration of the antitoxins chemicals produced by white blood cells blood plasma (lymphocytes) that neutralise toxins to make a safe adrenaline a hormone released quickly from the chemical adrenal glands during a ‘flight or fight’ situation antivirals drugs used to treat viral infections; they adrenal medulla part of the adrenal gland that are specific to the virus but can only slow down viral produces the hormone adrenaline development adult cell cloning a form of cloning where an aorta artery that carries oxygenated blood from the embryo is produced from an adult body cell. The left ventricle to tissues around the body embryo is then implanted into a female animal or apex predator carnivores with no predators, they used for therapeutic reasons, (e.g. this process was are at the top of the food chain used to created Dolly the sheep) aphids (greenfly) disease-causing small insects that adult stem cells rare, unspecialised cells found in reproduce rapidly; aphid infestation causes reduced some tissues in adults that can differentiate only into growth, yellow leaves, wilting and death the cell type where they are found, e.g. blood cells archaea primitive bacteria that usually live in aerobic respiration respiration that involves the use extreme conditions of oxygen artificial heart a temporary heart used to agar plate plastic dish, with a lid, containing a keep patients alive while they are waiting for a nutrient gel upon which bacteria are grown in a lab transplant alleles inherited characteristics are carried as pairs of artificial pacemaker a device fitted under the skin alleles on pairs of chromosomes. Different forms of a that sends out electrical impulses to control the gene are different alleles heartbeat alveolus (plural: alveoli) air sacs; the site of gaseous exchange in the lungs 378 AQA GCSE Biology: Student Book 16771_P378_390.indd 378 21/01/17 6:06 PM arteries blood vessels with thick elastic walls that binomial system the scientific way of naming an carry oxygenated blood away from the heart under organism whereby each organism has a genus name high pressure and a species name; e.g. Homo sapiens aseptic technique measures taken to reduce biodiversity range of different plant and animal contamination when preparing bacterial cultures, species living in an ecosystem e.g. working with a flame biogas energy released when bacteria break down asexual reproduction reproduction involving only biomass, which can be used as a cheap fuel source one parent biomass the dry mass of organisms aspirin painkiller derived from willow bark Biuret reagent chemical indicator used to test for ATP molecule used to store energy in the body the presence of protein in a sample atrium (plural: atria) the upper chambers of the blood sugar level the amount of glucose in the heart that receive blood from the body or lungs blood (controlled by the hormones, insulin and glucagon) autoclave hot oven in which contaminated materials used in cell culture are sterilised biological catalysts enzymes – molecules in the body that speed up chemical reactions auxin a type of plant hormone produced at the tips of plant shoots and roots biotechnology using living organisms to make products to improve quality of life B body mass index (BMI) measure of someone’s weight in relation to their height bacteria single-celled microorganisms which can either be free-living organisms or parasites (they breed new form of animal created with particular sometimes invade the body and cause disease) characteristics, created through selective breeding bacterial growth curve bell-shaped curve that bronchus (plural: bronchi) branches of the shows how bacteria in culture increase in number trachea – one going to each lung exponentially until a build-up of toxins in the culture causes them to die off C barrier methods of contraception; where a condom calibrate the process of checking the accuracy a or diaphragm is used to prevent sperm reaching piece of equipment using standard data an egg camouflage a method of avoiding detection used by basal metabolic rate the level at which chemical prey to avoid predators and by predators to surprise reactions take place in the body at rest prey behaviour animals adapt their movement and capillaries small blood vessels that are one cell thick feeding patterns according to the conditions of their and permeable for diffusion of gases; join arteries environment to veins Benedict’s test a test for sugar in which Benedict’s capillary network tree of capillaries surrounding reagent turns orange-red in the presence of sugar alveoli that are adapted for efficient gaseous benign tumour slow-growing, harmless mass of cells exchange that can usually be easily removed carbohydrase enzyme that breaks down bias when a data set is inaccurate or carbohydrates into simple sugars unrepresentative; it contains systematic errors carbohydrates one of the main groups of nutrients; bile an alkaline substance made by the liver and e.g. glucose, starch stored in the gall bladder, which emulsifies fat to aid carbon cycle a natural cycle through which digestion carbon moves by respiration, photosynthesis and biotic factor factors caused by living organisms, such combustion, in the form of carbon dioxide as food availability and competition between species carbon sink ‘stores’ of carbon dioxide in oceans or binary fission the process by which a bacterium forests divides and doubles its numbers, approximately carcinogen substance or virus that increases the risk every 20 minutes of cancer, e.g. ionising radiation Glossary 379 16771_P378_390.indd 379 21/01/17 6:06 PM Biology carrier someone who is heterozygous for a disease- combined contraceptive pill a hormonal method causing gene so that they do not have the condition of contraception, taken orally, which contains but ‘carry’ the defective allele, which they could pass synthetic forms of oestrogen and progesterone on to their children communicable disease infectious condition caused causal mechanism where a direct link has been by a virus, protist, bacteria or fungi; e.g. measles, HIV made between a risk factor and a disease; e.g. community all the plants and animals living in an smoking and lung cancer ecosystem, e.g. a garden cell lines cells grown in a lab that are used to study a companion cells found next to phloem cells, certain condition companion cells control the activities of the phloem cell membrane layer around a cell which helps to compare to examine your data set next to a known control substances entering and leaving the cell set of results cell cycle a series of three stages during which a cell competition when different species in an ecosystem divides compete for the same resources cellulose polymer of glucose; strengthening complementary describes how each DNA strand in a component of plant cell walls double helix pairs with the opposite strand through central nervous system (CNS) collectively, the brain base pairs (A-T and G-C) and spinal cord complex diseases conditions that are caused by a cerebellum area at the base of the brain that combination of genetic and environmental factors coordinates muscular activity compost dead and decaying plant material cerebral cortex highly folded outer layer of the condom rubber sheath that covers the erect penis brain that controls consciousness, intelligence, and prevents sperm reaching the egg; a barrier form memory and language of contraception cervix the neck of the womb cones light-sensitive receptor cells in the retina that Charles Darwin scientist who proposed the theory allow us to see in colour of evolution by natural selection conservation a way of protecting a species or chlorophyll pigment found in plants which is used in environment photosynthesis (gives