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Biology is the study of living things. It is broken down into many fields, reflecting the complexity of life from the atoms and molecules of biochemistry to the interactions of millions of organisms in ecology. This biology dictionary is here to help you learn about all sorts of biology terms, principles, and life forms.
Cell Definition. Cells are the basic unit of life. ... It is the biology of cells which enables living ...
Related Biology Terms 3′ -> 5′ orientation – Directionality of a single strand of nucleic acid which derives from the numbering of carbon atoms on the nucleotide sugar ring. One end of the nucleic acid has a free hydroxyl group on the third carbon and the other end has a free phosphate group attached to the fifth carbon.
Population biology is the study of population characteristics and the factors that affect their size and distribution. The characteristics which are studied include the migratory patterns , the population density, the demographics (the birth and death rates, sex ratio and age distribution), the population genetics , the life history traits and ...
Tissues are groups of cells that have a similar structure and act together to perform a specific function. The word tissue comes from a form of an old French verb meaning “to weave”. There are four different types of tissues in animals: connective, muscle, nervous, and epithelial. In plants, tissues are divided into three types: vascular, ground, and epidermal. Groups of tissues make up ...
Lysosome Definition. Lysosomes are specialized vesicles within cells that digest large molecules through the use of hydrolytic enzymes. Vesicles are small spheres of fluid surrounded by a lipid bilayer membrane, and they have roles in transporting molecules within the cell.
Golgi Apparatus Definition The Golgi apparatus is an organelle in eukaryotic organisms that moves molecules from the endoplasmic reticulum to their destination. The organelle also modifies products of the endoplasmic reticulum to their final form.
Autotroph Definition. Autotrophs are organisms that can produce their own food, using materials from inorganic sources. The word “autotroph” comes from the root words “auto” for “self” and “troph” for “food.” An autotroph is an organism that feeds itself, without the assistance of any other organisms.
Invertebrate Definition. Invertebrates are animals that don’t have a backbone. The vertebral column is another name for the backbone. Over 90% of all species on Earth are invertebrates, and invertebrate species have been found in the fossil record as far back as 600 million years ago.
Plasmid Definition. A plasmid is a small, circular piece of DNA that is different than the chromosomal DNA, which is all the genetic material found in an organism’s chromosomes. It replicates independently of chromosomal DNA. Plasmids are mainly found in bacteria, but they can also be found in archaea and multicellular organisms.