Biology key terms

How closely repeated measurements agree with one another, shown by little spread about their mean.

Laboratory testing of a potential drug on cells, tissues and live animals before it is tested in people.

The feeding interaction in which one organism, the predator, catches and eats another, the prey.

A consumer that kills and eats another animal.

A statement of the outcome expected in a particular situation if an explanation is correct.

A letter or symbol placed before a unit to show a particular power-of-ten multiple or fraction of that unit, such as kilo- or milli-.

Birth before the pregnancy has reached its usual full length.

An organism killed and eaten by a predator.

A herbivore that eats producers and occupies trophic level 2.

The specific immune response when an antigen is encountered for the first time.

A measure of how likely an outcome is, expressed as a fraction, decimal or percentage.

A clear, ordered set of instructions for carrying out an investigation.

A photosynthetic organism that synthesises molecules and produces biomass, usually a green plant or alga.

A substance formed in a chemical reaction.

The amount of money remaining after the costs of production have been subtracted from the income from sales.

An ovarian hormone that maintains the uterus lining after ovulation and inhibits FSH and LH.

A synthetic hormone that acts like progesterone.

An organism whose cells lack a nucleus; bacteria and archaea are prokaryotes.

A cell whose genetic material is not enclosed within a nucleus; bacterial cells are prokaryotic.

A quantity written as a fraction or share of a whole.

A protein made by prostate cells whose level can be measured in blood.

A digestive enzyme that breaks down proteins into amino acids.

A nutrient made from amino acids and needed to make new cells and tissues during growth and repair.

The process in which cells join amino acids in an order specified by genetic instructions to make a protein.

A eukaryotic organism, usually consisting of a single cell; some protists cause disease.

The first coiled section of the nephron tubule after Bowman’s capsule, where glucose is reabsorbed.

The stage of development when reproductive hormones cause the body to become sexually mature and secondary sex characteristics develop.