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Estrella Mountain - Anatomy terms Category: Education > Body parts Date & country: 25/03/2011, USA Words: 586

element
A substance composed of atoms with the same atomic number; cannot be broken down in ordinary chemical reactions.

endochondral ossification
The process by which human bones form from cartilage.

endocytosis
The incorporation of materials from outside the cell by the formation of vesicles in the plasma membrane. The vesicles surround the material so the cell can engulf it.

endoderm
The inner layer of cells in embryonic development that gives rise to organs and tissues associated with digestion and respiration. Also, the inner tissue layer in

endoskeleton
An internal supporting skeleton with muscles on the outside; in vertebrates, consists of the skull, spinal column, ribs, and appendages.

endothermic
A reaction that gives off energy. The product is in a lower energy state than the reactants.

endotherms
Animals that have the ability to maintain a constant body temperature over a wide range of environmental conditions.

endothermy
The internal control of body temperature; the ability to generate and maintain internal body heat.

energy
The ability to bring about changes or to do work.

energy flow
The movement of energy through a community via feeding relationships.

entropy
The degree of disorder in a system. As energy is transferred from one form to another, some is lost as heat; as the energy decreases, the disorder in the system&emdash;and thus the entropy&emdash;increases.

epidermis
1. The outermost layer of skin consisting of several layers of epithelial cells&emdash;notably, keratinocytes&emdash;and, in the inner layer of the epidermis, basal cells and melanocytes. 2. The outer layer of cells in the plant body, often covered by a waxy cuticle.

epididymis
A long, convoluted duct on the testis where sperm are stored. PICTURE

epiglottis
A

epinephrine
A hormone produced by the adrenal medulla and secreted under stress; contributes to the "

esophagus
The muscular tube extending between and connecting the pharynx to the stomach.

estrogen
A female sex hormone that performs many important functions in reproduction.

ethylene
A gaseous plant hormone that stimulates fruit ripening and the dropping of leaves.

euphotic zone
The upper part of the marine biome where light penetrates and photosynthesis occurs; usually extends to about 200 meters below the water surface.

eutrophication
Runaway growth of aquatic plants that occurs when agricultural fertilizers containing phosphorus and nitrogen run off into lakes and ponds; also ultimately increases the plant death rate with the result that the bacterial decomposition of the dead plants uses up oxygen, causing

evaporation
The part of the hydrologic cycle in which liquid water is converted to vapor and enters the atmosphere.

excretion
The process of removing the waste products of cellular metabolism from the body.

excretory system
One of eleven major body systems in animals; regulates the volume and molecular and ionic constitution of internal body

exocytosis
The process in which a membrane-enclosed vesicle

exoskeleton
A hard, jointed, external covering that encloses the muscles and organs of an organism; typical of many arthropods including insects.

exothermic
A reaction where the product is at a higher energy level than the reactants.

exponential rate
An extremely rapid increase, e.g., in the rate of population growth.

expression
In relation to genes, the phenotypic manifestation of a trait. Expression may be age-dependent (e.g., Huntington disease) or affected by environmental factors (e.g., dark fur on Siamese cats).

extinction
The elimination of all individuals in a group, both by natural (dinosaurs, trilobites) and human-induced (dodo, passenger pigeon, liberals [:)]) means.

extracellular digestion
A form of digestion found in annelids, crustaceans, and chordates including vertebrates; takes place within the lumen of the digestive system, and the resulting nutrient molecules are transferred into the blood or body

fats
1. Triglycerides that are solid at room temperature. 2. A legendary pool player from Minnesota?

femur
The upper leg bone.

fertilization
The fusion of two gametes (sperm and ovum) to produce a zygote that develops into a new individual with a genetic heritage derived from both parents. Strictly speaking, fertilization can be divided into the fusion of the cells (plasmogamy) and the fusion of nuclei (karyogamy).

fibrous root
A root system found in monocots in which branches develop from the adventitious roots, forming a system in which all roots are about the same size and length.

filter feeders
Organisms such as sponges that feed by removing food from water that

filtration
The removal of water and solutes from the blood; occurs in the glomerulus of the nephron.

fitness
A measure of an individual's ability to survive and reproduce; the chance that an individual will leave more offspring in the next generation than other individuals.

fluid feeders
Animals such as aphids, ticks, and mosquitoes that pierce the body of a host plant or animal and obtain food from ingesting its

fluid-mosaic
Widely accepted model of the plasma membrane in which proteins (the mosaic) are embedded in lipids (the

follicles (thyroid)
Spherical structures that make up the thyroid gland; contain a gel-like colloid surrounded by a single layer of cells, which secrete thyroglobulin into the colloid.

follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH)
A hormone secreted by the anterior pituitary that promotes gamete formation in both males and females.

fontanels
Membranous areas in the human cranial bones that do not form bony structures until the child is 14 to 18 months old; know as "soft spots."

food chain
The simplest representation of energy

food pyramid
A way of depicting energy

food web
A complex network of feeding interrelations among species in a natural ecosystem; more accurate and more complex depiction of energy

forebrain
The part of the brain that consists of the diencephalon and cerebrum.

fossil fuels
Fuels that are formed in the Earth from plant or animal remains; e.g., coal, petroleum, and natural gas.

founder effect
The difference in gene pools between an original population and a new population founded by one or a few individuals randomly separated from the original population, as when an island population is founded by one or a few individuals; often accentuates genetic drift.

fovea
The area of the eye in which the cones are concentrated.

freshwater biome
The aquatic biome consisting of water containing fewer salts than the waters in the marine biome; divided into two zones: running waters (rivers, streams) and standing waters (lakes, ponds).

Gaia
A hypothetical superorganism composed of the Earth's four spheres: the biosphere, hydrosphere, lithosphere, and atmosphere.

gametophyte
The haploid stage of a plant exhibiting alternation of generations, generates gametes by the process of mitosis.

ganglia
Clusters of neurons that receive and process signals; found in

gap junctions
Junctions between the plasma membranes of animal cells that allow communication between the cytoplasm of adjacent cells.

gastrin
A hormone produced by the pyloric gland area of the stomach that stimulates the secretion of gastric acids.

gastroesophageal sphincter
A ring of muscle at the junction of the esophagus and the stomach that remains closed except during swallowing to prevent the stomach contents from entering the esophagus.

gene therapy
The insertion of normal or genetically altered genes into cells through the use of recombinant DNA technology; usually done to replace defective genes as part of the treatment of genetic disorders.

genera
Taxonomic subcategories within families (sing.: genus), composed of one or more species.

genetic code
The linear series of nucleotides, read as triplets, that speci

genetic divergence
The separation of a population's gene pool from the gene pools of other populations due to mutation, genetic drift, and selection. Continued divergence can lead to speciation.

genetic drift
Random changes in the frequency of alleles from generation to generation; especially in small populations, can lead to the elimination of a particular allele by chance alone.

genetic maps
Diagrams showing the order of and distance between genes; constructed using crossover information.

genetics
The study of the structure and function of genes and the transmission of genes from parents to offspring.

genital herpes
A sexually transmitted disease caused by the herpes virus; results in sores on the mucus membranes of the mouth or genitals.

genome
1. The set of genes carried by an individual. 2. The set of genes shared by members of a reproductive unit such as a population or species.

genotype
The genetic (alleleic) makeup of an organism with regard to an observed trait.

geographic range
The total area occupied by a population.

geotropism
Plants' response to gravity: roots grow downward, showing positive geotropism, while shoots grow upward in a negative response. PICTURE

germ cells
Collective term for cells in the reproductive organs of multicellular organisms that divide by meiosis to produce gametes.

gibberellins
A group of hormones that stimulate cell division and elongation in plants. Gibberellic acid (GA), the first of this class to be discovered, causes bolting (extreme elongation) of stems. GA is also applied to certain plants to promote larger fruits.

gill slits
Opening or clefts between the gill arches in

glial cells
Nonconducting cells that serve as support cells in the nervous system and help to protect neurons.

glomerulus
A tangle of capillaries that makes up part of the nephron; the site of

glucagon
A hormone released by the pancreas that stimulates the breakdown of glycogen and the release of glucose, thereby increasing blood levels of glucose. Glucagon and insulin work together to maintain blood sugar levels.

glucocorticoids
A group of steroid hormones produced by the adrenal cortex that are important in regulating the metabolism of carbohydrates, fats, and proteins.

glycoproteins
Polysaccharides formed of sugars linked to proteins. On the outer surface of a membrane, they act as receptors for molecular signals originating outside the cell. PICTURE

gonadotropins
Hormones produced by the anterior pituitary that affect the testis and ovary; include follicle-stimulating hormone and luteinizing hormone.

gonads
The male and female sex organs.

gonorrhea
A sexually transmitted disease that is caused by a bacterium that in

grasslands biome
Occurs in temperate and tropical regions with reduced rainfall or prolonged dry seasons; characterized by deep, rich soil, an absence of trees, and large herds of grazing animals.

greenhouse effect
The heating that occurs when gases such as carbon dioxide trap heat escaping from the Earth and radiate it back to the surface; so-called because the gases are transparent to sunlight but not to heat and thus act like the glass in a greenhouse.

ground system
Plant tissue system, composed mainly of parenchyma cells with some collenchyma and sclerenchyma cells, that occupies the space between the epidermis and the vascular system; is involved in photosynthesis, water and food storage, and support; one of the four main tissue systems in plants.

growth hormone (GH)
A peptide hormone produced by the anterior pituitary that is essential for growth.

gymnosperms
Flowerless, seed-bearing land plants; the

habitat disruption
A disturbance of the physical environment in which a population lives.

hair bulb
The base of a hair; contains cells that divide mitotically to produce columns of hair cells.

hair shaft
The portion of a hair that extends above the skin's surface.

half-life
The time required for one-half of an original unstable radioactive element to be converted to a more stable daughter element.

haploid
Cells that contain only one member of each homologous pair of chromosomes (haploid number = n). At fertilization, two haploid gametes fuse to form a single cell with a diploid number of chromosomes.

heart
The multicellular, chambered, muscular structure that pumps blood through the circulatory system by alternately contracting and relaxing. PICTURE

helper T cells
A type of lymphocyte that stimulates the production of antibodies by activating B cells when an antigen is present.

hemizygous
Having one or more genes that have no allele counterparts. Usually applied to genes on the male's X chromosome (in humans).

hemoglobin
A red pigment in red blood cells that can bind with oxygen and is largely responsible for the blood's oxygen-carrying capacity. Hemoglobin is composed of four polypeptide chains, two alpha (a) and two beta (b) chains.

hepatitis B
A potentially serious viral disease that affects the liver; can be transmitted through sexual contact or through contact with infected blood.

heterotrophic
Refers to organisms, such as animals, that depend on preformed organic molecules from the environment (or another organism) as a source of nutrients/energy.

heterotrophs
Organisms that obtain their nutrition by breaking down organic molecules in foods; include animals and fungi.

homeobox genes
Pattern genes that establish the body plan and position of organs in response to gradients of regulatory molecules.

homeostasis
The ability to maintain a relatively constant internal environment.

homologous structures
Body parts in different organisms that have similar bones and similar arrangements of muscles, blood vessels, and nerves and undergo similar embryological development, but do not necessarily serve the same function; e.g., the

homozygous
Having identical alleles for a given gene.