Search results
Results from the WOW.Com Content Network
This glossary of biology terms is a list of definitions of fundamental terms and concepts used in biology, the study of life and of living organisms.It is intended as introductory material for novices; for more specific and technical definitions from sub-disciplines and related fields, see Glossary of cell biology, Glossary of genetics, Glossary of evolutionary biology, Glossary of ecology ...
Natural science can be divided into two main branches: life science and physical science. Life science is alternatively known as biology, and physical science is subdivided into branches: physics, chemistry, astronomy and Earth science. These branches of natural science may be further divided into more specialized branches (also known as fields).
In biology, a species complex is a group of closely related organisms that are so similar in appearance and other features that the boundaries between them are often unclear. The taxa in the complex may be able to hybridize readily with each other, further blurring any distinctions.
The opposite of homologous organs are analogous organs which do similar jobs in two taxa that were not present in their most recent common ancestor but rather evolved separately. For example, the wings of insects and birds evolved independently in widely separated groups , and converged functionally to support powered flight , so they are ...
The contrasting orientations of the two strands of a double-stranded nucleic acid (and more generally any pair of biopolymers) which are parallel to each other but with opposite directionality. For example, the two complementary strands of a DNA molecule run side-by-side but in opposite directions with respect to chemical numbering conventions ...
Biology – Science that studies life; Biochemistry – Study of chemical processes in living organisms; Biomechanics – Study of the mechanics of biological systems; Biometrics – Metrics related to human characteristics; Bionomics – Term with different meanings in ecology or economics – study of organisms interacting in their environments.
M phase See mitosis. macromolecule Any very large molecule composed of dozens, hundreds, or thousands of covalently bonded atoms, especially one with biological significance. . Many important biomolecules, such as nucleic acids and proteins, are polymers consisting of a repeated series of smaller monomers; others such as lipids and carbohydrates may not be polymeric but are nevertheless large ...
The hierarchy of biological classification's eight major taxonomic ranks. A genus contains one or more species. Minor intermediate ranks are not shown. A species (pl.: species) is a population of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes or mating types can produce fertile offspring, typically by sexual reproduction. [1]