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

somites
Mesodermal structures formed during embryonic development that give rise to segmented body parts such as the muscles of the body wall.

special senses
Vision, hearing, taste, and smell.

species diversity
The number of living species on Earth.

species packing
The phenomenon in which present-day communities generally contain more species than earlier communities because organisms have evolved more adaptations over time.

species richness
The number of species present in a community.

spicules
Needle-shaped skeletal elements in sponges that occur in the matrix between the epidermal and collar cells.

spinal cord
A cylinder of nerve tissue extending from the brain stem; receives sensory information and sends output motor signals; with the brain, forms the central nervous system. Nerve cell collections extending from the base of the brain to just below the last rib vertebrae.

sporangia
The structures in which spores are produced (sing.: sporangium).

spores
Impervious structures formed by some cells that encapsulate the cells and protect them from the environment; haploid cells that can survive unfavorable conditions and germinate into new haploid individuals or act as gametes in fertilization.

stability
One of the phases of a population's life cycle. The population's size remains roughly constant,

stalk
A leaf's petiole; the slender stem that supports the blade of a leaf and attaches it to a larger stem of the plant.

start codon
The codon (AUG) on a messenger RNA molecule where protein synthesis begins.

stem cells
Cells in bone marrow that produce lymphocytes by mitotic division.

sternum
The breastbone.

stratification
The division of water in lakes and ponds into layers with different temperatures and oxygen content. Oxygen content declines with depth, while the uppermost layer is warmest in summer and coolest in winter.

stressed community
A community that is disturbed by human activity, such as road building or pollution, and is inadvertently simpli

subspecies
A taxonomic subdivision of a species; a population of a particular region genetically distinguishable from other such populations and capable of interbreeding with them.

substrate feeders
Animals such as earthworms or termites that eat the soil or wood through which they burrow.

sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)
A disorder resulting in the unexpected death during sleep of infants, usually between the ages of two weeks and one year. The causes are not fully understood, but are believed to involve failure of automatic respiratory control.

suppressor T cells
T cells that slow down and stop the immune response of B cells and other T cells. Immune system cells that shut off the antibody production when an infection is under control.

suprachiasmic nucleus (SCN)
A region of the hypothalamus that controls internal cycles of endocrine secretion.

symbiosis
An interactive association between two or more species living together; may be parasitic, commensal, or mutualistic. The relationship between two organisms.

sympathetic system
The subdivision of the autonomic nervous system that dominates in stressful or emergency situations and prepares the body for strenuous physical activity, e.g., causing the heart to beat faster.

synapsis
The alignment of chromosomes during meiosis I so that each chromosome is beside its homologue.

synovial joint
The most movable type of joint. The bones are covered by connective tissue, the interior of which is

syphilis
A sexually transmitted disease caused by a bacterial infection that produces an ulcer on the genitals and can have potentially serious effects if untreated.

systematics
The classi

taiga biome
The region of coniferous forest extending across much of northern Europe, Asia, and North America; characterized by long, cold winters and short, cool summers and by acidic, thin soils.

tap root
A primary root that grows vertically downward and gives off small lateral roots; occurs in dicots. Root system in plants characterized by one root longer than the other roots. Example: carrot.

tarsals
The bones that make up the ankle joint.

taxis
The behavior when an animal turns and moves toward or away from an external stimulus (pl.: taxes).

taxonomy
A systematic method of classifying plants and animals. Classification of organisms based on degrees of similarity purportedly representing evolutionary (phylogenetic) relatedness.

telophase
The

temperate forest biome
Extends across regions of the northern hemisphere with abundant rainfall and long growing seasons. Deciduous, broad-leaved trees are the dominant plants.

theory
A hypothesis that has withstood extensive testing by a variety of methods, and in which a higher degree of certainty may be placed. A theory is NEVER a fact, but instead is an attempt to explain one or more facts.

thermiogenesis
The generation of heat by raising the body's metabolic rate; controlled by the hypothalamus.

thermoregulation
The regulation of body temperature.

thigmotropism
Plants' response to contact with a solid object; e.g., tendrils' twining around a pole. Plant response to touch.

thoracic cavity
The chest cavity in which the heart and lungs are located.

thorax
In many arthropods, one of three regions formed by the fusion of the segments (others are the head and abdomen).

thyroid-stimulating hormone
A hormone produced by the anterior pituitary that stimulates the production and release of thyroid hormones.

tight junctions
Junctions between the plasma membranes of adjacent cells in animals that form a barrier, preventing materials from passing between the cells.

tissues
Groups of similar cells organized to carry out one or more speci

trace fossil
Any indication of prehistoric organic activity, such as tracks, trails, burrows, or nests.

transformation
In Grif

transforming factor
Grif

translation
The synthesis of protein on a template of messenger RNA; consists of three steps: initiation, elongation, and termination. Making of a polypeptide sequence by translating the genetic code of an mRNA molecule associated with a ribosome. PICTURE

transpiration
The loss of water molecules from the leaves of a plant; creates an osmotic gradient; producing tension that pulls water upward from the roots. PICTURE 1 PICTURE 2 PICTURE 3

trichocysts
Barbed, thread-like organelles of ciliated protozoans that can be discharged for defense or to capture prey.

trophoblast
The outer layer of cells of a blastocyst that adhere to the endometrium during implantation.

tropical rain forest biome
The most complex and diverse biome; found near the equator in South America and Africa; characterized by thin soils, heavy rainfall, and little

true-breeding
Occurs when self-fertilization gives rise to the same traits in all offspring, generation after generation. Now interpreted as equivalent to homozygous.

tubal ligation
A contraceptive procedure in women in which the oviducts are cut, preventing the ova from reaching the uterus.

tubal pregnancy
Occurs when the morula remains in the oviduct and does not descend into the uterus.

tube-within-a-tube system
A type of body plan in animals. The organism has two openings&emdash;one for food and one for the elimination of waste&emdash;and a specialized digestive system.

tubular secretion
The process in which ions and other waste products are transported into the distal tubules of the nephron.

tubulins
The protein subunits from which microtubules are assembled.

tumor suppressor genes
Genes that normally keep cell division under control, preventing the cell from responding to internal and external commands to divide.

tundra biome
Extensive treeless plain across northern Europe, Asia, and North American between the taiga to the south and the permanent ice to the north. Much of the soil remains frozen in permafrost, and grasses and other vegetation support herds of large grazing mammals.

Turner syndrome
In humans, a genetically determined condition in which an individual has only one sex chromosome (an X). Affected individuals are always female and are typically short and infertile.

umbilical cord
The structure that connects the placenta and the embryo; contains the umbilical arteries and the umbilical vein.

unicellular
Single-celled.

vaccination
The process of protecting against infectious disease by introducing into the body a vaccine that stimulates a primary immune response and the production of memory cells against the disease-causing agent.

vascular cambium
A layer of lateral meristematic tissue between the xylem and phloem in the stems of woody plants. Lateral meristem tissue in plants that produces secondary growth.

vascular cylinder
A central column formed by the vascular tissue of a plant root; surrounded by parenchymal ground tissue.

vascular parenchyma
Specialized parenchyma cells in the phloem of plants.

vascular system
Specialized tissues for transporting

vasectomy
A contraceptive procedure in men in which the vas deferens is cut and the cut ends are sealed to prevent the transportation of sperm. Surgical separation of the vas deferens so that sperm, while still produced, do not leave the body.

vasopressin
See antidiuretic hormone.

vectors
Self-replicating DNA molecules that can be joined with DNA fragments to form recombinant DNA molecules.

veins
Thin-walled vessels that carry blood to the heart. Units of the circulatory system that carry blood to the heart.

ventilation
The mechanics of breathing in and out through the use of the diaphragm and muscles in the wall of the thoracic cavity.

ventricle
The chamber of the heart that pumps the blood into the blood vessels that carry it away from the heart. The lower chamber of the heart through which blood leaves the heart.

venules
The smallest veins. Blood

vernalization
Arti

vertebrae
The segments of the spinal column; separated by disks made of connective tissue (sing.: vertebra).

vertebrate
Any animal having a segmented vertebral column; members of the subphylum Vertebrata; include reptiles,

vesicles
Small membrane-bound spaces in most plant and animal cells that transport macromolecules into and out of the cell and carry materials between organelles in the cell.

vestigial structures
Nonfunctional remains of organs that were functional in ancestral species and may still be functional in related species; e.g., the dewclaws of dogs.

villi
Finger-like projections of the lining of the small intestine that increase the surface area available for absorption. Also, projections of the chorion that extend into cavities

vitamins
A diverse group of organic molecules that are required for metabolic reactions and generally cannot be synthesized in the body.

vulva
A collective term for the external genitals in women.

B cells
Type of lymphocyte responsible for antibody-mediated immunity; mature in the bone marrow and circulate in the circulatory and lymph systems where they transform into antibody-producing plasma cells when exposed to antigens.

B memory cells
Long-lived B cells that are produced after an initial exposure to an antigen and play an important role in secondary immunity. They remain in the body and facilitate a more rapid responce if the antigen is encountered again.

L-dopa
A chemical related to dopamine that is used in the treatment of Parkinson's disease.

T cells
The type of lymphocyte responsible for cell-mediated immunity; also protects against infection by parasites, fungi, and protozoans and can kill cancerous cells; circulate in the blood and become associated with lymph nodes and the spleen.