Biology key terms

A sub-cellular structure where aerobic respiration occurs and energy is transferred for cell activities.

The process by which one cell divides to produce two genetically identical cells.

The value that occurs most often in a set of data.

A cell that has taken up introduced genetic material.

The study of evolutionary relationships using biological molecules, particularly comparisons of DNA sequences.

The repeated collection of information to check whether conditions or populations are changing and whether a conservation scheme is working.

Identical antibodies that bind to one specific binding site and can therefore be used in a test to detect a particular pathogen or chemical.

An antibody produced by a single clone of cells, so all the antibody molecules are identical and bind to the same specific site on an antigen.

A system in which farmers grow only one type of crop over an area.

A genetic cross that follows the inheritance of one gene.

The inheritance of a characteristic controlled by one gene.

A small molecular unit that can join to other units to form a polymer.

A nerve cell that carries electrical impulses from the central nervous system to an effector.

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

A technique that uses magnetic fields to produce detailed images of the brain.

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

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, a strain of bacterium resistant to antibiotics, including methicillin.

A sticky substance that traps pathogens and other particles in the airways.

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

A pregnancy in which more than one baby develops, such as twins or triplets.

Able to differentiate into a restricted range of related cell types.

A reduction in a muscle's ability to contract efficiently after prolonged vigorous activity.

A random change in the DNA of an organism that can produce a new genetic variant.

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

A protein-rich food made from the harvested and purified biomass of a fungus.

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

A defect of vision in which light from a distant object is focused in front of the retina, making distant objects appear blurred.