Biology key terms

A chemical produced by a plant that coordinates its growth or development.

The yellow liquid component of blood that carries blood cells, platelets and dissolved substances around the body.

A small, circular piece of DNA found in bacteria that can be used as a vector.

A small circular piece of bacterial DNA carrying additional genes.

The nervous system's ability to reorganise so that undamaged connections or regions may take over some functions after injury.

A stage of a graph where the dependent variable remains approximately constant even though the independent variable continues to increase.

A small fragment of a cell that helps blood to clot at a damaged blood vessel.

A credible process that could explain how one factor produces or contributes to an outcome.

Able to differentiate into any type of body cell, but not form a complete organism by itself.

A source treated as emitting light from a single point, with the light spreading outwards.

The addition of harmful substances to the environment, causing damage to organisms or ecosystems.

Growing more than one crop species together in the same area.

A characteristic influenced by multiple genes rather than by only one gene.

The control of one phenotypic feature by several genes acting together.

A score combining the small effects of many genomic variants to estimate a person's likelihood of developing a particular condition.

A large molecule made from repeating smaller units.

The joining of many small monomer molecules to form a larger polymer molecule.

A chain of amino acids joined by peptide bonds.

A carbohydrate polymer made from many sugar monomers joined in a chain.

A device that draws small invertebrates into a container through a tube; a filter prevents them reaching the user's mouth.

A group of organisms of the same species living in the same area at the same time.

The number of organisms of one species living in a particular area.

A result showing that the substance being tested for is present in the sample.

Growth towards a stimulus.

Water that is safe to drink.

Apparatus that estimates a plant shoot's rate of water uptake, often by tracking an air bubble in a narrow tube.

A number written as $10^n$, where the integer exponent $n$ shows how many factors of ten are involved.