Biology: English Vocabulary List

a very small threadlike structure in a living organism that carries the genes and genetic information

"Humans have twenty three chromosome pairs."

"A single chromosome can carry thousands of different genes along its length."

a sex chromosome, two of which exist in female cells and only one in male cells

"The X chromosome determines female biological traits."

"The X chromosome is one of the two sex chromosomes in humans and females have two X chromosomes."

a sex chromosome, which is normally present only in male cells

"Y chromosome determines male."

"The Y chromosome determines male gender in human beings from the moment of conception."

a substance that all living organisms produce that brings about a chemical reaction without being altered itself

"An enzyme speeds digestion."

"This specific enzyme catalyzes the breakdown of complex carbohydrates into simpler sugars."

any foreign substance in the body that can trigger a response from the immune system

"Antigen test used."

"The antigen test can detect the virus quickly and accurately in many cases during screening."

a very small living organism that cannot be seen without a microscope and can cause a disease

"Harmful microbe causes disease."

"Some harmful microbe can cause serious diseases if they enter the human body without control."

an offspring of a human or animal that is not born yet, particularly a human aged more than eight weeks after conception

"The fetus developed inside the womb."

"A fetus is the developing unborn offspring from the end of the eighth week after conception until the moment of birth at full term."

an unhatched or unborn offspring in the process of development, especially a human offspring roughly from the second to the eighth week after fertilization

"Embryo develops fast."

"The embryo develops rapidly during the first few weeks after fertilization in the mother's womb."

(of a female animal or human) to produce an ovum from the ovary

"Women ovulate once monthly."

"The female typically ovulates once per month releasing an egg from the ovary that can be fertilized by sperm."

a living organism that is different from its kind because of a genetic change

"Genetic mutant studied."

"The scientist studied the genetic mutant in the laboratory to understand how it developed over time."

a colorless liquid consisting of white blood cells that helps to prevent infections from spreading

"Lymph node swollen."

"The lymph node helps the body fight against infections and diseases effectively every day."

(biology) a basic type of cell in a multicellular organism, which develops into different kinds of cells with different functions

"Stem cell research important."

"Stem cell research offers hope for treating many serious diseases in the future successfully."

a thin sheet of tissue that separates or covers the inner parts of an organism

"The cell membrane protects it."

"The semipermeable membrane regulates the passage of substances into and out of the cell."

any of a class of organic substances that do not dissolve in water that include many natural oils, waxes, and steroids

"A lipid does not dissolve."

"Each lipid molecule in the bilayer has a hydrophilic head and hydrophobic tails."

any organic compound that creates the basic structure of proteins

"Amino acid builds proteins."

"Each protein is constructed from a specific sequence of various amino acids."

a cell that is responsible for transmitting nerve impulses between the brain and the rest of the body

"A neuron sends signals to the brain."

"Each neuron in the human brain can form thousands of connections with other cells, creating an incredibly complex network."

a chemical substance that transmits messages from a neuron to another one or to a muscle

"Dopamine is a neurotransmitter."

"Neurotransmitters carry signals between neurons."

an organelle that is abundantly present in most cells and is responsible for energy production

"The mitochondrion is the powerhouse of the cell"

"Each mitochondrion contains its own small piece of genetic material inside."

a steroid hormone that the body produces and is used in medicine to help cure skin diseases

"Cortisol is a hormone."

"Cortisol is a steroid hormone that helps the body respond to stress."

a hormone related to gender that is produced by male body to develop typical male features

"Testosterone is the male sex hormone."

"Testosterone is the primary male sex hormone responsible for muscle growth and facial hair."

a hormone that is responsible for controlling the level of glucose in the blood, the lack of which can cause diabetes

"Insulin injection needed."

"People with diabetes often need daily insulin injection to control blood sugar levels properly."

(biochemistry) a chemical substance that carries the information from DNA to control the cellular protein biosynthesis

"RNA helps to create proteins in cells."

"Messenger RNA vaccines represent a revolutionary new approach to immunization strategies."

a sense organ or nerve ending that can respond to external stimuli and is able to transmit data to the central nervous system

"Cell receptor receives."

"The cell receptor receives signals from outside and helps the cell respond appropriately to changes."

the complete set of genetic material of any living thing

"The human genome has many genes."

"A genome is the entire set of genetic material present in an organism"

having superiority in power, influence, or importance

"He has a dominant personality."

"The dominant company in the industry controls almost seventy percent of the market and sets the prices for everyone else."

the ordering of nucleotides in DNA molecules that carries the genetic information in living cells

"Human genetic code complex."

"The human genetic code contains all the information needed to build and maintain the body."

something that triggers a reaction in various areas like psychology or physiology

"The stimulus caused a reaction."

"In behavioral psychology, a stimulus triggers a measurable response from the subject."

a hormone primarily responsible for female reproductive development and regulation

"Estrogen is a female hormone."

"Estrogen plays a key role in female reproductive development."

the branch of science that is concerned with the physical structure of humans, animals, or plants

"Study the anatomy."

"Medical students meticulously learn the complex anatomy of the human body."

to retain something such as eggs or bacteria in a favorable condition to help them develop

"Incubate the eggs."

"The scientists will carefully incubate the bacterial cultures in a controlled environment to observe their growth patterns."

to experience genetic changes

"The virus mutated into a deadlier form."

"The virus can mutate rapidly into new variants which makes it very difficult for scientists to develop an effective long lasting vaccine."

not needing free oxygen to function

"The bacteria are anaerobic."

"The bacteria are anaerobic and can survive in environments without any oxygen at all."

(of a cell, gland, or organ) to produce and release a liquid substance in the body

"Glands secrete hormones into the bloodstream."

"The sweat glands in your skin secrete moisture to help cool your body when it gets too hot."

(of genes) causing a person to inherit a particular physical feature, even if it is only present in one parent's genome

"This gene is dominant."

"The dominant gene for eye color often determines whether the offspring will have blue or brown eyes."

an animal or plant with parents that belong to different breeds or varieties

"This is a hybrid."

"The hybrid car uses both gasoline and electricity to achieve better fuel efficiency than conventional vehicles."

a cell or a group of cells created through a natural or artificial process from a source that they are genetically identical to

"They made a clone."

"Scientists successfully cloned a sheep named Dolly using a cell from an adult animal."