Edexcel GCSE Biology key terms

A region of unspecialised, actively dividing cells in a plant that produces cells for growth and differentiation.

A single-stranded molecule that carries a copy of a gene's instructions to a ribosome.

The rate at which the chemical reactions of metabolism take place in the body's cells.

All the chemical reactions taking place within a cell or organism.

A millionth of a unit, equal to $10^{-6}$ of that unit.

Microorganisms grown in a nutrient medium so that their growth can be studied.

A photograph or digital image produced using a microscope.

An organism that is too small to be seen clearly without magnification.

A thin preparation of a specimen mounted on glass so that it can be viewed with a microscope.

A thousandth of a unit, equal to $10^{-3}$ of that unit.

A dissolved, electrically charged particle needed as a nutrient for healthy growth and normal cell functions.

A structure in a cell where aerobic respiration releases energy needed for processes such as active transport.

Cell division that produces two genetically identical diploid daughter cells.

A group of identical antibodies that bind to one specific antigen.

A laboratory-made antibody from a single type of antibody-producing cell; all copies bind to the same target.

The inheritance of a characteristic controlled by one gene.

A neurone that carries an electrical impulse from the central nervous system to an effector.

Messenger RNA: a single-stranded RNA molecule that carries a copy of a gene’s instructions to a ribosome.

A sticky substance that traps pathogens in places such as the nose and airways.

The presence of more than two possible alleles of one gene in a population, although each diploid individual carries only two.

A change in an organism’s DNA that can produce a new genetic variant.

An interaction between two different species in which both organisms benefit.

A fatty, electrically insulating layer around an axon or dendron that increases the speed of impulse transmission.

A billionth of a unit, equal to $10^{-9}$ of that unit.

The process in which individuals with helpful inherited characteristics are more likely to survive, reproduce and pass those characteristics to offspring.

A control process in which a change triggers a response that counteracts that change.

A microscopic filtering unit in a kidney, consisting of Bowman’s capsule and a tubule that processes the filtrate.