Transcript Second Semester Vocab Review

Second Semester Vocab Review
gene
Segment on the DNA strand that codes for
certain traits in an organism
cephalization
Animals that have a brain or brain-like organ
near the head of their body
placental
Mammal that carries it’s young inside
the body until fully developed
homologous structure
Anatomical structures that share a
common ancestry
DNA
The genetic material of most living things;
found in the nucleus of living cells
posterior
The tail or rear end of an animal
species
A group of organisms that are closely
related and can mate to produce
fertile offspring
antibiotic
Medicine used to treat a bacterial
infection
recessive
A trait that is not common or seen
very often in a group of organisms
autotroph
An organism that can make its own
food by photosynthesis
bilateral symmetry
A condition in which two equal
halves of a body mirror each other
genotype
The genetic makeup of an organism
using letters; BB, Bb, or bb
mantle
A layer of tissue that covers the body
of many invertebrates
cutaneous respiration
The ability of amphibians to breathe
through their skin
hermaphrodite
An organism that has both sets of sex
organs
virus
A nonliving, infectious particle that
can invade and destroy a cell
protozoa
A single-celled protist that can be
aquatic or parasitic; examples include
amoebas and paramecia
nucleotide
DNA subunit that consists of a sugar,
a phosphate, and a nitrogenous base
acoelomate
An organism that does not have a
body cavity or organs
metamorphosis
A rapid change in an organism from
egg to adult
cloaca
An opening in vertebrates where
waste and sex cells exit
endothermic
An organism that can produce its
own body heat and regulate it body
temperature
exoskeleton
Hard outer protective covering of
some invertebrates
(arthropods and crustaceans)
heterozygous
Describes an individual that has two
different alleles for a trait
dorsal
The top or back side of an organism
monotreme
An organism that lays eggs
budding
Asexual reproduction in which a part
of the parent organism pinches off
and forms a new organism
pathogen
A virus or bacteria that causes
disease
evolution
Change over time
taxonomy
The scientific study of describing,
naming, and classifying organisms
DNA fingerprinting
The pattern of bands that results when an
individual's DNA sample is fragmented,
replicated, and separated
double helix
The unique, twisted structure of DNA
radial symmetry
A body plan in which the parts of an
animal’s body are organized in a
circle around a central point
tympanic membrane
A flap of skin on the head of
amphibians that is used for hearing
vaccine
A killed or weakened virus given to
humans to prevent sickness caused
by harmful pathogens
euglena
Protist that photosynthesizes and has
a long flagella
foot
An appendage that some
invertebrates use to move
purines
A nitrogenous base that has a
double-ring structure;
either adenine or guanine
heredity
The passing of genetic traits from
parent to offspring
punctuated equilibrium
Evolution that is described by short periods of
drastic change in species, which are separated
by long periods of little or no change
countercurrent flow
In fish, an arrangement where water
flows away from the head and blood
flows toward the head
dominant
Traits that are seen often in a species
marsupial
A mammal that carries and nourishes
its young in a pouch
complementary
A characteristic of nucleic acids in which the
sequence of bases on one strand is paired to
the sequence of bases on the other
homozygous
Describes an individual that has
identical alleles for a trait
segmentation
The division of the body of an
organism into a series of similar parts
paramecium
Heterotrophic protist that uses cilia
to move
phenotype
The physical appearance of an
organism
gradualism
Evolution in which slow change over a long
period of time leads to biological diversity
terrestrial
An organism that lives most of its life on land
replication
The duplication of a DNA molecule
endoskeleton
Hard internal support structure of
many organisms
pyrimidines
A nitrogenous base that has a singlering structure; thymine or cytosine
fossil
The remains of an organism that
lived long ago
lateral line
A faint line that runs the length of the fish’s
body and marks the location of sense organs
that detect vibrations in water
algae
Eukaryotic organisms that convert
the sun’s energy into food through
photosynthesis
adaptation
A change that improves an
organism’s ability to survive
mammary gland
A mammalian structure located in the chest of
a female that secretes milk
pseudopodia
Cytoplasmic extensions that function
in food ingestion and movement in
certain amoebas
binomial nomenclature
The universal two word naming
system used to identify living things
anterior
Front or head portion of an organism
heterotroph
Organism that eats other food for energy
prokaryote
A simple, single-celled organism that
does not have a nucleus
cilia
Tiny hair extensions found on the
surface of some protists; used for
locomotion
natural selection
The process by which individuals that are
better adapted to their environment survive
and reproduce more successfully than less well
adapted individuals do
operculum
A flap found on either side of a fish’s head
that covers and protects the gills
jet propulsion
The ability of squid and octopus to
move in the water by forcing water
out of their siphon
eukaryote
A complex organism that has cells
with nuclei and various organelles
pseudocoelomate
An organism that has a false body
cavity
ventral
The bottom or belly side of an organism
ectothermic
A cold-blooded animal that is dependent on
the environment for heat; cannot regulate it’s
own body temperature
amoeba
Type of protist that uses jelly-like
extensions of its cytoplasm to move
and eat food
gestation period
In mammals, the length of time
between fertilization and birth
molting
Some organisms shed their outer exoskeleton
for growth and development
flagella
Long whip-like tail used by some
protists for locomotion
asymmetry
An organism that is irregular in
shape; without symmetry
swim bladder
In bony fishes, a gas-filled sac that is
used to control buoyancy
abdomen
The last or most posterior segment
on an animal
sessile
Organisms that are permanently
attached to the ocean floor
setae
Tiny hairs or bristles found on the underside of a
segmented worm; used for traction and
movement
coelomate
An organism with a true body cavity
containing many organs
cephalothorax
Organisms that have a fused 1st and
2nd body region
gills
Respiratory structures of fish that
remove oxygen from the water