English F111 Terminology PDF

ENGLISH F111 TERMINOLOGY Abiotic Factors: Non-living factors that affect life, like soil, climate, wind etc. Acid: a chemical species that accepts electrons or donate protons or hydrogen ions. Acidophile: An organism that grows well in an acidic medium. Aerobic: This includes organisms that requ...

ENGLISH F111 TERMINOLOGY Abiotic Factors: Non-living factors that affect life, like soil, climate, wind etc. Acid: a chemical species that accepts electrons or donate protons or hydrogen ions. Acidophile: An organism that grows well in an acidic medium. Aerobic: This includes organisms that require molecular oxygen to survive (aerobic organisms), an environment that has molecular oxygen, and processes that happen only in the presence of oxygen (aerobic respiration). Airborne Transmission: A type of transmission, wherein the organism is suspended in or spreads its infection by air. Algae Bloom: explosion of a phytoplankton population, sometimes because of incoming pollutants that artificially enrich the waters with nutrients. Algebra: a branch of mathematics that uses symbols or letters to represent variables, values or numbers, which can then be used to express operations and relationships and to solve equations. Algorithm: a step by step procedure by which an operation can be carried out. Aliphatic amino acid : amino acid that has an aliphatic side chain. Alkaline: an aqueous solution with a pH greater than 7. Alkalinity : a quantitative measure of a solution's ability to neutralize an acid. Amide : functional group containing a carbonyl group linked to a nitrogen atom. Amino Acid: Building block of proteins and enzymes. Dietary proteins need to be broken into their amino acid components before they can be used by the body. Amino Group: The monovalent radical NH2, attached to a carbon skeleton, as seen in amines and amino acids. Ammonification: Liberation of ammonia by micro-organisms acting on organic nitrogenous compounds. Amphoteric : substance capable of acting as either an acid or a base. Anaerobic: Refers to organisms that survive in the absence of oxygen (anearobic organisms), the absence of molecular oxygen, processes occurring in the absence of oxygen like anaerobic respiration. Analogy: That resemblance of structures which depends upon similarity of function, as in the wings of insects and birds. Such structures are said to be analogous, and to be analogues of each other. Anhydrous : describes a substance that does not contain water or else is as concentrated as it can get. Anion : an ion with a negative electrical charge. Aqueous solution : a solution in which water is the solvent. Antibiotic: A chemical substance produced by a microorganism, which has the capacity to inhibit the growth of, or kill other micro-organisms. Antibiotic: a substance of natural or synthetic origin capable of stopping the multiplication of microorganisms. Antibody: a molecule produced by the immune system to detect and neutralize pathogens. Antigens: a foreign substance in an organism which triggers the production of an antibody (immune reaction). Antimicrobial Agent: An agent that has the capacity to kill or inhibit the growth of micro- organisms Aqueous : describes a system containing water. Arithmetic: the part of mathematics that studies quantity, especially as the result of combining numbers (using the traditional operations of addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. Aromatic compound : an organic molecule that contains a benzene ring. Asymmetrical : Having the two sides unlike Atmosphere : surrounding gases, such as the gases surrounding a planet that are held in place by gravity. Atom: The smallest unit of matter as recognized by chemical properties of molecules. Atoms are composed of protons, neutrons and electrons. Atomic mass : average mass of atoms of an element. Atomic weight : average mass of atoms of an element. Bactericide: A substance that kills bacteria. Benthic Zone: The ecological region at the lowest level of a water body, including the sediment surface and some sub-surface layers. Benthic: organisms living on the sea floor. Littoral benthos occupy the space from the high- water spring tide mark to 200 meters down. Deep sea benthos live below that. Binomial nomenclature: the system of nomenclature in which the scientific name of a species is a combination of two names, the first name being the generic name. The second name is referred to the species. Binomial: a polynomial algebraic expression or equation with just two terms. Binomial: making use of names consisting of two words to form the scientific name (or combination) in a Latin form. For example, where the first is the name of the genus to which the species belongs, and the second is the epithet given to that species to distinguish it from others in the same genus. Biochemistry: an area of science which studies the correlation between the structure of natural molecules and the consequences for their activity. Biodegradation: The process of breakdown of substances by chemical reactions, thus rendering these substances less harmful to the environment. Biodiversity: The collective richness and variety of all forms of life. Bioelectricity: The use of charged molecules and elements (= ions) in biological systems. Biogas: a methane and carbon dioxide emission due to the breakdown of organic matter by anaerobic bacteria. Biomarker / marker: any indicator (nucleic acids, enzymes and other types of molecules, hormones, proteins, etc.) present in the body or excreted by it as a biological response to a physiological or pathological condition. Biome: the largest ecological regions distinguishable by characteristic plants and animals. Biomes are subdivided into associations made up of societies. Biosphere: taken together, the troposphere, oceans, and land surfaces where things live. Also called the Ecosphere. Bisexual: bearing both male and female reproductive organs; usually, flowers with both stamens and carpels; synonymous with hermaphrodite. Capillary: a tube, pore or passage with a narrow internal cross-section. Slender, hair-like. Catalyst: substance that increases the chemical reaction rate by decreasing its activation energy. Cation : ion with a positive electrical charge. Cenozoic Era : the most recent of the eras; followed the Mesozoic Era. Chelate: A chemical compound in which a metallic ion is firmly bound into a ring within the chelating molecule. Chemical equilibrium : state of a chemical reaction where the concentration of the reactants and products remains stable over time. Chemical formula: expression states the number and type of atoms in a molecule. Chemotaxis: Movement of a motile organism under the influence of a chemical. It may be attracted towards the chemical or maybe repulsed by it. Chromosome: The physical unit of genetic material in a cell. Eukaryotic cells have often several to several dozen chromosomes. Clone, cloning: A clone is a genetic copy of a parent cell or organism. Cloning is the process of producing a genetically identical offspring or copy. Correlation: a measure of relationship between two variables or sets of data, a positive correlation coefficient indicating that one variable tends to increase or decrease as the other does, and a negative correlation coefficient indicating that one variable tends to increase as the other decreases and vice versa. Corrosion: irreversible damage to a material or tissue due to a chemical reaction. Covalent bond : chemical link between atoms or ions in which the electron pairs are more or less evenly shared between them. Covalent compound : molecule that contains covalent chemical bonds. Covalent: The chemical bond between atoms. Deciduous: falling seasonally, for instance bark, leaves, petals; compare persistent. Decomposition: Chemical breakdown of a compound into smaller and simpler compounds by micro-organisms. Degradation: Process by which a compound is transformed into simpler compounds. Delta: Landform where the mouth of a river flows into an ocean, sea, desert, estuary, lake or another river. Denaturation: Process by which double stranded DNA unwinds into two single strands. Dendroid: tree-like, branching like a tree. Density : mass per unit volume. Dependent variable: the variable that responds to the independent variable. The dependent variable is the one being measured in the experiment. Depolarization: A process of changing membrane potential from negative to more positive values. Depolarization causes action potentials in neurons and muscle cells. Derivative: a measure of how a function or curve changes as its input. Descriptive geometry: a method of representing three-dimensional objects by projections on the two-dimensional plane using a specific set of procedures. Differential geometry: a field of mathematics that uses the methods of differential and integral calculus to study the geometry of curves and surfaces. Double bond : chemical bond in which two electron pairs are shared between two atoms. Ecology: the study of interrelationships between organisms and their environment. Ecosystem: a biotic community and its surroundings, part inorganic (abiotic) and part organic (biotic), the latter including producers, consumers, and decomposers. Ecosystem: A specific characteristic biological system in a location or area with a unique mix of living organisms and physical consistency such as minerals, soil and air. Electrochemistry: Scientific study of reactions and species formed at the interface between an electrolyte and a conductor, where electron transfer occurs. Electrolysis: passage of direct current through an ion-conducting solution, producing a chemical change at the electrodes. Electron affinity: measure of the ability of an atom to accept an electron. Electron configuration: description of the population of the electronic energy sublevels of an atom. Ellipse: a plane curve resulting from the intersection of a cone by a plane, that looks like a slightly flattened circle. Empirical formula: formula that shows the ratio of elements in a compound, but not necessarily their actual numbers in a molecule. Epoch: each period of the standard geologic time scale is divided into epochs (e.g., Pleistocene Epoch of the Quaternary Period). Equivalence point : point in a titration where the titrant completely neutralizes the analyte. Erosion : displacement of solids (sediment, soil, rock and other particles) usually by the agents of currents such as, wind, water, or ice. Evaporation : process characterized by a spontaneous transition of molecules from the liquid phase to vapor phase. Filamentous: In the form of very long rods, mostly seen in bacteria. Seen as branching strands in fungi. Flora: all the plants growing in a certain region or country. The totality of the plants growing naturally in a country, or during a given geological period. Formula: a rule or equation describing the relationship of two or more variables or quantities. Fossil: mineralized or otherwise preserved remains or traces (such as footprints) of animals, plants, and other organisms. Fossiliferous: bearing, or being composed of fossils in rocks or strata. Fraction: a way of writing rational numbers (numbers that are not whole numbers), also used to represent ratios or division, in the form of a numerator over a denominator, e.g. 3 ⁄5. Gene: A gene is an hereditary unit of an organism that cannot be partitioned any further into smaller units; it is made of DNA. Genome: the genes of a species. Their chromosomal order controls physical characteristics. Geologic maps : special-purpose map made to show geological features. Geometry: the part of mathematics concerned with the size, shape and relative position of figures, or the study of lines, angles, shapes and their properties. Germination: of seeds, is the complex sequence of physiological and structural changes that occur from resting to growth stage. Global Warming: the rising of the Earth's average global temperature because of greenhouse gases accumulating in the atmosphere. The scientific emphasis has swung from whether global warming exists to how to minimize the damage it will cause. Half-life : the time it takes for a given amount of a radioactive isotope to be reduced by one- half. Heat capacity : quantity of heat needed to raise the temperature of a sample by a specified amount. Homeostasis : In biology used to describe a condition where an organism maintains a stable structure where in fact a constant flux of molecules occurs. In a more narrow sense homeostasis refers to the maintenance of water and salt concentration in cells. Host: An organism that can harbor or nourish another organism. Hybridization: Natural or artificial construction of a duplex nucleic acid molecule by complementary base pairing between two nucleic acid strands derived from different sources. Hypothesis: A testable scientific idea that can be proved right or wrong with experiments. A hypothesis is a formulation of a question that lends itself to a prediction. This prediction can be verified or falsified. Immunity: The protection mechanism against infections caused by microorganisms or toxins, that is inherent in the body. Immunoglobulin: A protein which has antibody activity. Immunology: Immunology is the science of molecular self-defense of organisms against infections. It deals with the immune system, a complex organ that produces both cells and proteins involved in detecting and destroying foreign molecules and microorganisms. In vivo: Inside the body. Infinite series: the sum of an infinite sequence of numbers (which are usually produced according to a certain rule, formula or algorithm). Integers: whole numbers, both positive (natural numbers) and negative, including zero Intracellular: Inside the cell Ionic bond : chemical link between atoms caused by electrostatic force between opposite charged ions. Isoenzyme: When two different enzymes, which may be different in their composition, act as catalysts for the same reaction, or set of reactions. Isomer : chemical species with the same number and type of atoms as another species, but a different arrangement and thus different properties. Kinetics: Kinetics is the science of measuring changes, of assessing rates of movements and flow. Kingdom: the highest generally employed category of the taxonomic hierarchy. The Plant Kingdom includes vascular plants, bryophytes and green algae. Ligand: A molecule, ion or group of molecules or ions, bound to the central atom by means of a chelate or coordination compound. Mean: the average calculated by adding up all the scores and then dividing by the number of scores. Metabolism: The totality of all chemical processes in cells and all living organisms. Metabolism is the chemistry of energy extraction from nutrients and the biosynthesis of the building blocks of life (amino acids, sugars, lipids). A process by which absorbed nutrients are converted to chemical energy and building blocks for vital processes or cellular structures. Metamorphism: the solid state recrystallisation of pre-existing rocks due to changes in heat and/or pressure and/or introduction of fluids i.e. Without melting. Microbial Biomass: Total mass of micro-organisms living in a given mass or volume of soil. Microbiology: study of microorganisms. The study of micro-organisms, often with the aid of a microscope. Microenvironment: The immediate physical and chemical surroundings of a microorganism. Micrometer: One millionth of a meter (- meters). Micro-organism: An organism that is too small to be seen by the naked eye. Also called microbes, these include bacteria, fungi, protozoans and viruses. Monomial: An algebraic expression consisting of a single term (although that term could be an exponent), e.g. Y = 7x, y = 2X3 Mutation: Mutations are changes in the nucleotide sequence of the genome and the resulting changes in the amino acid sequence of proteins. Mutation occurs in different forms, as gene duplications chromosomal rearrangements. Mutualism: a relationship between species that benefits both. Can be symbiotic or nonsymbiotic. Mycophagous: Organisms that eat fungi. Organelle: Subcellular structure in eukaryotic cells providing specialized function within cells. Organism: An organized being, whether plant or animal. The individual member of a species; can be a single cell or a multicellular organism. Osmosis: The net movement of water across membranes from a region of low solute (high water) concentration to a region of high solute (low water) concentration. Paradox: A statement that appears to contradict itself, suggesting a solution which is actually impossible. Parasite: an organism that feeds off, lives or reproduces itself by establishing a lasting interaction with another organism (the host). Parasitism: Feeding by one organism on the cells of a second, thus, harming the host. Pathogenicity: The ability of a parasite to infect or inflict damage on a host. Petrology: The branch of geology that studies the origin, composition, distribution and structure of rocks. Phototaxis: Movement of an organism, or a part of it, towards light. Phytochemicals: Plant molecules with beneficial effects for our physiology such as antioxidant properties. They are also known as nutraceuticals. Plankton: microscopic algae and protozoa drifting in water. Radioactive decay: the decay of an unstable nucleus of an atom losing protons, neutrons, or photons at random Radioactivity: spontaneous emission of radiation as particles or photons from a nuclear reaction. Reciprocal: a number which, when multiplied by x yields the multiplicative identity 1, and can therefore be thought of as the inverse of multiplication, e.g. The reciprocal of x is 1 ⁄x, the reciprocal of 3 ⁄5 is 5 ⁄3 Relative density: ratio of density of a substance to the density of water. Replication: Conversion of one double stranded DNA molecule into two identical double stranded DNA molecules. Rhizobacteria: Bacteria that are found in roots, where they aggressively colonize. Right triangle: a triangle (three sided polygon) containing an angle of 90°. Salinity: the concentration of salts dissolved in water, measured in parts per thousand. Seawater averages 34 ppt. Sanitization: Elimination of pathogenic or harmful organisms, as insect larvae and intestinal parasites. Suspension: heterogeneous mixture of solid particles in a fluid. Symbiosis: a mutually beneficial relationship between two species, like the Hawaiian squid and the luminous bacteria it carries in its stomach. Taxonomy: Taxonomy is the classification of organisms according to their evolutionary relationship. Terrestrial: Generally denotes of or on the ground; of habitat, on land as opposed to in water (aquatic). Vertebrate animals: Animals have a backbone composed of numerous joints or vertebrae, which forms the center of the skeleton and supports and protects the nervous system.