Unit Three The Organism DEFINTIONS Start Alphabetical order

Unit Three The Organism DEFINTIONS Start Alphabetical order Go to Section Index These definitions are the work of practising teachers - not the SEC - and may have to be adjusted depending on the precise wording of an exam question. Check SEC marking schemes regularly. E&OE Back to Full Index

INDEX 3. 1 3. 3 Diversity of Organisms Transport & Nutrition 3. 2 3. 4 Organisation and Vasc. Structures Breathing & Excretion All 3. 5 Responses to Stimuli 3. 6 Reproduction Back to Start Back to Full Index

3. 1 Diversity of Organisms Antibiotic Parasitic Asepsis Photosynthetic [bacteria] Autotrophic [bacteria] Pathogen Batch Flow Food Processing Prokaryotic [bacteria] Saprophytic Sterility Chemosynthetic[bacteria] Heterotrophic [bacteria] Back to Start Back to Full Index

3. 2 Organisation and Vasc. Structures Artery Capillary Closed circulatory system Meristem Open circulatory system Portal Blood System Vein Back to Start Back to Full Index

3. 3 Transport & Nutrition Absorption Adhesion Autotrophic[organism] Balanced diet Carnivore Chemical Digestion Cohesion Digestion Egestion Food Pyramid Herbivore Ingestion Mechanical Digestion Omnivore Root Pressure Tension Transpiration Back to Start Back to Full Index

3. 4 Breathing & Excretion Ectotherm Endotherm Excretion Homeostasis Reabsorption Ureter Urethra Back to Start Back to Full Index

3. 5 Responses to Stimuli Active immunity Growth Regulator Antibody Hormone Antigen Hydrotropism Appendicular skeleton Immunity Axial skeleton Induced Immunity Chemotropism Interneuron Endocrine gland Joint Exocrine gland Ligament Geotropism Motor neuron Osteoblast* Passive immunity Phototropism Sensory neuron Tendon Thigmotropism Vaccination Vaccine Back to Start Back to Full Index

3. 6 Reproduction Birth control Copulation [sexual intercourse] Fertilisation Implantation In vitro fertilisation In vivo fertilisation Infertility Primary Sexual Characteristics Secondary Sexual Characteristics Back to Start Back to Full Index

Absorption Active immunity Adhesion Antibiotic Antibody Antigen Appendicular skeleton Artery Asepsis Autotrophic[organism] Autotrophic [bacteria] Axial skeleton Balanced diet Batch Flow Food Processing Birth control Capillary Carnivore Chemical Digeston Chemosynthetic[bacteria] Chemotropism Closed circulatory system Cohesion Copulation[sexual intercourse] Digestion Ectotherm Egestion Endocrine gland Endotherm Excretion Exocrine gland Fertilisation Food Pyramid Geotropism Growth Regulator Herbivore Heterotrophic [bacteria] Homeostasis Hormone Hydrotropism Implantation Immunity In vitro fertilisation In vivo fertilisation Induced Immunity Infertility Ingestion Interneuron Joint Ligament Mechanical Digestion Meristem Motor neuron Omnivore Open circulatory system Osteoblast Parasitic Passive immunity Pathogen Photosynthetic [bacteria] Phototropism Portal Blood System Primary Sexual Characteristics Prokaryotic [bacteria] Reabsorption Root Pressure Saprophytic Secondary Sexual Characteristics Sensory neuron Sterility Tendon Tension Thigmotropism Transpiration Ureter Urethra Vaccination Vaccine Vein Back to Full Index All Back to Start

Absorption The passing of small soluble molecules into the bloodstream (from the digestive tract) Back to subsection Index Back to Full Index

Active immunity When the body produces its own antibodies Back to subsection Index Back to Full Index

Adhesion The force of attraction between molecules of water and the xylem vessel (wall) Back to subsection Index Back to Full Index

Antibiotic substances produced by bacteria or fungi [accept micro-organisms] to treat infections[kill other bacteria or fungi] Back to subsection Index Back to Full Index

Antibody This is a substance produced by the lymphocytes in response to a specific invading antigen Back to subsection Index Back to Full Index

Antigen Causes antibody production. Back to subsection Index Back to Full Index

Appendicular skeleton Composed of the pectoral and pelvic girdles and attached limbs Back to subsection Index Back to Full Index

Artery Blood vessel that carries blood away from the heart. Back to subsection Index Back to Full Index

Asepsis Methods used to prevent unwanted microorganisms entering an area [of an experiment] Back to subsection Index Back to Full Index

Autotrophic [organism] capable of producing its own food Back to subsection Index Back to Full Index

Autotrophic [bacteria] [Bacteria] capable of producing own food Back to subsection Index Back to Full Index

Axial skeleton Composed of skull, rib cage and vertebrae Back to subsection Index Back to Full Index

Balanced diet contains the correct amounts of all food types and water Back to subsection Index Back to Full Index

Batch Flow Food Processing fixed amount of nutrients added at beginning or (bioreactor) emptied at end of production or. Where organisms are in a 5 phase growth curve Back to subsection Index Back to Full Index

Birth control Methods used to prevent fertilisation/conception/pregnancy occurring. Back to subsection Index Back to Full Index

Capillary Blood vessel that links an arteriole to a venule. Back to subsection Index Back to Full Index

Carnivore An animal that eats only other animals Back to subsection Index Back to Full Index

Chemical Digestion Breakdown of food molecules by chemical means e. g. enzymes Back to subsection Index Back to Full Index

Chemosynthetic[bacteria] Make food or obtain energy using a chemical reaction Back to subsection Index Back to Full Index

Chemotropism Growth response to substances[allow chemicals] by plants Back to subsection Index Back to Full Index

Closed circulatory system When blood remains within blood vessels as it travels around the body Back to subsection Index Back to Full Index

Cohesion The force of attraction between molecules of water Back to subsection Index Back to Full Index

Copulation [sexual intercourse] A process of introducing sperm into the female’s reproductive system. Back to subsection Index Back to Full Index

Digestion The process of breaking down food into soluble molecules. Back to subsection Index Back to Full Index

Ectotherm Animals whose body temperature varies with the environmental temperature -do not generate their own body heat Back to subsection Index Back to Full Index

Egestion The removal of unabsorbed material from the body Back to subsection Index Back to Full Index

Endocrine gland A ductless gland [which relies on the bloodstream to deliver its secretions] Back to subsection Index Back to Full Index

Endotherm (An animal that) produces its (own) body heat Back to subsection Index Back to Full Index

Excretion The getting rid of waste products of metabolism Back to subsection Index Back to Full Index

Exocrine gland A gland which has a duct [to deliver its secretions] Back to subsection Index Back to Full Index

Fertilisation The fusion of a male gamete and female gamete to form a diploid zygote. Back to subsection Index Back to Full Index

Food Pyramid Diagram showing the correct number of servings of different foods to have a balanced diet Back to subsection Index Back to Full Index

Geotropism Growth response to gravity by plants Back to subsection Index Back to Full Index

Growth Regulator A chemical produced in the meristem which affects the rate of growth of a plant Back to subsection Index Back to Full Index

Herbivore An animal that eats only plants Back to subsection Index Back to Full Index

Heterotrophic (organism) not capable of producing their own food i. e organism obtains food from other organisms Back to subsection Index Back to Full Index

Homeostasis Maintaining a constant internal environment Back to subsection Index Back to Full Index

Hormone Chemical produced by an endocrine gland which travels in the bloodstream to target organ(s) to exert a specific response(s) Back to subsection Index Back to Full Index

Hydrotropism Growth response to water by plants Back to subsection Index Back to Full Index

Implantation The attachment between tissue of the embryo and tissue of the endometrium to allow the embryo to become embedded there. Back to subsection Index Back to Full Index

Immunity Defence against disease Back to subsection Index Back to Full Index

In vitro In a glass vessel or test tube Back to subsection Index Back to Full Index

In vitro fertilisation Fusion of the male and female gamete outside the body. Back to subsection Index Back to Full Index

In vivo fertilisation A method of forming a zygote inside the woman’s body. Back to subsection Index Back to Full Index

Induced Immunity To give the body the ability to fight infections by the production of antibodies by exposure to infection [by vaccines or by illness] Back to subsection Index Back to Full Index

Infertility The inability [to produce (sufficient) gametes and] to conceive or produce offspring. Back to subsection Index Back to Full Index

Ingestion The taking of food in to the body (through the mouth ) Back to subsection Index Back to Full Index

Interneuron a nerve cell that connects sensory nerve cells to motor nerve cells Back to subsection Index Back to Full Index

Joint Where bones meet Back to subsection Index Back to Full Index

Ligament This joins bone to bone Back to subsection Index Back to Full Index

Mechanical Digestion Breakdown of food into smaller particles by physical means e. g. peristalsis Back to subsection Index Back to Full Index

Meristem A region : of mitosis in a plant Back to subsection Index Back to Full Index

Motor neuron A nerve cell which carries an impulse from the CNS to an effector Back to subsection Index Back to Full Index

Omnivore An animal that eats both plants and animals Back to subsection Index Back to Full Index

Open circulatory system When blood does not remain within (leaves) blood vessels as it travels around the body Back to subsection Index Back to Full Index

Osteoblast bone forming cell Back to subsection Index Back to Full Index

Parasitic An organism living in or on another organism causing it harm. Back to subsection Index Back to Full Index

Passive immunity The body receives ready-made antibodies to combat infection giving short lived protection Back to subsection Index Back to Full Index

Pathogen Disease causing organism Back to subsection Index Back to Full Index

Photosynthetic [bacteria] using light to make food or obtain energy Back to subsection Index Back to Full Index

Phototropism Growth response to light by plants Back to subsection Index Back to Full Index

Portal Blood System One that begins and ends in capillaries. Back to subsection Index Back to Full Index

Primary Sexual Characteristics The physical characteristics that distinguish male from female at birth [ i. e. the sex organs themselves] Back to subsection Index Back to Full Index

Prokaryotic [bacteria] [Bacteria] which do not possess a nucleus or other membrane bound organelles. Back to subsection Index Back to Full Index

Reabsorption When soluble molecules return to the bloodstream again Back to subsection Index Back to Full Index

Root Pressure When water is forced up a stem from the roots [by osmotic pressure] Back to subsection Index Back to Full Index

Saprophytic Feeds on dead organisms Back to subsection Index Back to Full Index

Secondary Sexual Characteristics The physical characteristics that distinguish male from female apart from the sex organs themselves [that develop during puberty]. Back to subsection Index Back to Full Index

Sensory neuron A nerve cell which carries an impulse to the CNS Back to subsection Index Back to Full Index

Sterility Free from all organisms Back to subsection Index Back to Full Index

Tendon This joins muscle to bone Back to subsection Index Back to Full Index

Tension A pulling force Back to subsection Index Back to Full Index

Thigmotropism Growth response to touch by plants Back to subsection Index Back to Full Index

Transpiration The evaporation of water from the leaves Back to subsection Index Back to Full Index

Tropism growth response of a plant to a stimulus Back to subsection Index Back to Full Index

Ureter [Tube which carries liquid] from kidney to bladder Back to subsection Index Back to Full Index

Urethra [Tube which carries liquid]from bladder to outside Back to subsection Index Back to Full Index

Urethra [Tube which carries liquid]from bladder to outside Back to subsection Index Back to Full Index

Vaccination “safe dose” of a pathogen which causes antibody production 2011 Ordinary Level Back to subsection Index Back to Full Index

Vaccine This introduces antigens causing the body to produce corresponding antibodies to gain immunity to that infection Back to subsection Index Back to Full Index

Vein Blood vessel that carries blood towards the heart. Back to subsection Index Back to Full Index

The End Back to Full Index