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Tree of Life - Nature glossary Category: Animals and Nature > Natural life Date & country: 25/01/2014, USA Words: 214

macronucleus (macronuclei)
One of two types of nuclei found in ciliates. Typically the larger of the two, may be rounded, like a long sausage, or like a string of beads. Involved in production of proteins but not in sexual reproduction. Essential for the day to day activities of the ciliate (see micronucleus).

inheritance (inherited, inheriting)
The process of genetic transmission of characteristics from parents to offspring.

koinobiont (koinobionts)
A parasitoid that permits its host to continue to feed, grow, and function after parasitism. Compare to idiobiont.

lineage (lineages)
A group of organisms, cells, or genes linked to one another through a continuous line of descent, i. e., through parent-offspring connections.

idiobiont (idiobionts)
A parasitoid that paralyses and arrests the development of its host. Compare to koinobiont.

idiosome
A structure produced by the organism, as opposed to a xenosome or foreign body. Used to refer to the elements which make up or adhere to the test of some amoebae.

immotile
Not moving, sometimes used to refer to cells which are fixed to the substrate.

ingroup
In phylogenetic analyses, the subgroups of the group whose phylogeny is reconstructed.

host (hosts)
An organism that provides nourishment and/or shelter to another organism, e. g., a commensal or a parasite.

hydrolysis (hydrolytic, hydrolyses)
The breaking apart of a molecule by addition of water.

hypha (hyphae)
Microscopic, tubular filaments that make up the body of a multicellular fungus.

hypochondria
A term used to refer to premitochondriate eukaryotes.

holopelagic
Organisms that remain pelagic throughout their entire life cycle.

histone
A class of proteins found in eukaryotic chromosomes. Histones bind with DNA and compact it, so that it will fit inside the nucleus.

heterokont (heterokonts)
A term used variously to refer to some or all of those algae with chloroplasts having chlorophylls a and c (i.e. stramenopiles, cryptomonads, haptophytes and dinoflagellates). The group is paraphyletic as it fails to include some taxa derived from heterokonts.

heterotrophic
A mode of nutrition in which the consumer relies upon molecules created by other organisms for energy and nutrients. Either osmotrophic (absorbing soluble organic matter) or phagotrophic (ingesting particles of food).

granule (granules)
Solid inclusions in cells or items adhering to the surface of cells. Usually refractile, in that they may look bright when viewed with the microscope.

hadal (hadal zone)
The very deepest parts of the ocean floor, including areas found in deep sea trenches and canyons. These areas are characterized by total darkness, constant cold, and very intense water pressure.

haploid (haploidy, haploids)
Haploid organisms have haploid cells. Haploid cells have a single copy of each chromosome.

gene (genetic, genes)
Functional and physical unit of inheritance that is passed from parent to offspring. Genes are pieces of DNA containing the code for the synthesis of a functional polypeptide or RNA molecule. Most genes contain coding regions (exons), non-coding sequences (introns), and transcription-control regions.

gonimoblast (gonimoblasts)
Tissue derived from the the fertilized nucleus of some red algae, equivalent to the carposporophyte. It may develop from the carpogonium or an auxiliary cell, and it ultimately produces carposporangia by mitosis.

gametophyte (gametophytes)
The phase of the life cycle of sexually reproducing plants and algae in which the gametes (egg and sperm) are produced. The gametophyte arises from the germination of a haploid spore.

fertile
Capable of reproduction.

filament (filamentous, filaments)
A thin strand. May refer to the appearance of an organism, a part of an organism, or a strand of cytoplasm.

flagellate (flagellates)
A kind of protist bearing flagella; a very diverse group with unclear boundaries. distinguished from ciliates because flagella are few in number, and usually create a thrust along the length of the organelle rather than parallel to the body surface.

frustule
The siliceous lorica of a diatom.

exoskeleton
A supportive structure lying outside the cell or body.

extracellular
Outside the cell.

extrorse
Facing outward, away from the axis or center.

extrude
To push out.

extrusome
A kind of organelle, the contents of which can be extruded, for example to catch or kill prey or for protection.

extrusopodium (extrusopodia)
Pseudopodia which bear extrusomes.

endoparasitoid (endoparasitoids)
A parasitoid whose immature stages live inside the body of its host.

enzyme (enzymes)
A protein that acts as a catalyst, accelerating the rate of specific biochemical reactions.

epithelium (epithelial, epithelia)
Tissue covering or lining of the surface of an organism or an organ, both external and internal. Examples include the skin cells, the inner linings of the lungs, blood vessels, and the digestive tract, etc. Epithelial cells are generally tightly packed, providing a continuous barrier protecting the underlying cells.

ectoparasitoid (ectoparasitoids)
A parasitoid that lays its eggs on the surface of the host. Larvae feed on the host from the outside.

ectosymbiotic
Organism living on the surface of another organism.

ejectisome
A type of explosive extrusome found in cryptoflagellates.

endemic (endemism, endemics)
A group of organisms that is restricted to a particular geographic area.

diffusion feeding
Feeding strategy in which the predator relies on the movements of the prey to make contact - as in heliozoa and suctoria.

diploid (diploidy, diploids)
Diploid organisms have diploid cells. Diploid cells have two copies of each chromosome.

distal
Away from (contrast with proximal).

diurnal
An organism that is active during the daytime rather than at night.

DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid)
Long molecule in the nucleus of cells, shaped like a double-helix, contains the genetic information that determines the development and functioning of an organism's cells.

dichotomy (dichotomies)
A branch point on a tree that has two immediate descendents.

dichotomous tree
A tree where all branching points are dichotomies. That is, a tree is dichotomous if at each branch point there are only two immediate descendents. This is in contrast to a polytomous tree.

detritus
Fragments of dead plant and animal material before, during and after breakdown by agents of decay. May incorporate inorganic matter (such as mud).

demersal
Living on or near the bottom of a body of water.

deletion (deletions)
Loss of one or more nucleotides from a nucleic acid sequence.

daughter cells
The products of cell division of protists.

cytostome
Literally, 'the cell mouth'. only used in reference to organisms which ingest food at one or more particular locations, and then best used in reference to the region(s) of the cell surface through which food gains entry into the cell; part of the 'mouth' structures; see also cytopharynx.

cytoskeleton
Intracellular components used to provide shape to a cell or to create tracts along which cellular organelles may be moved, mostly comprised of microtubules and actin filaments.

cytoproct
Found in some ciliates, the site at which old food vacuoles fuse with the cell surface, and undigested residues are excreted.

crista (cristae)
Fold of the inner membrane of mitochondria.

cryptogam (cryptogams)
Nineteenth century concept broadly covering small algae, fungi, and bacteria.

cytopharynx
Part of the food ingestion structures (mouth) of some cells; usually a channel of microtubules that draws newly formed food vacuoles away from the cytostome and into the cell.

cytoplasm
The matter which makes up cells, within which organelles occur.

crepuscular
An adjective used to describe things relating to the twilight associated with sunrise and sundown. An organism is considered to be crepuscular if it is active primarily during the dawn and dusk hours. Compare to diurnal, nocturnal.

crenulated
A surface with a regularly indented margin.

corolla
Collective term for the petals of a flower.

contractile vacuole complex
An organelle involved in osmoregulation in protist cells, including contractile vacuole, spongiome (a membranous system not usually visible with the light microscope), possibly a pore, collecting canals and ampullae.

contractile vacuole
Part of the contractile vacuole complex, often the only part that is visible with the light-microscope. It collects fluid and periodically allows the fluid to be discharged through the cell surface.

containing group
A given group's containing group is that group in which this group is included as a subgroup.

conspecific (conspecifics)
A member of the same species.

conjugation
A type of sexual event during which two cells fuse. It may or may not lead to reproduction.

coccoid
Rounded in shape, ball-like.

coelom (coelomate, coelomic)
A fluid-filled body cavity in animals, lined with tissue of mesodermal origin, housing the internal organs.

commensal
An organism that derives nourishment or shelter by living in close association with another organism (the host), without damaging the host.

classification (classifications)
The practice of arranging organisms in named groups (taxa).

clade (clades)
A single complete branch of the Tree of Life; more formally, a monophyletic group of organisms.

chromosome (chromosomes)
A long strand of eukaryotic DNA, often complexed with specialized proteins called histones.

cilium (cilia)
A behavioural type of eukaryotic flagellum, distinctive because they occur in large numbers, have a co-ordinated behaviour, and usually direct fluids parallel to the surface.

chloroplast
An organelle found in eukaryotic algae and plants (and occasionally as symbionts in certain protist and animal cells). The site of photosynthesis and of chlorophyll.

cellulose polysaccharide
Compound used to make walls (normally around the outside) of certain types of cell.

character (characters)
Any heritable attribute or feature of an organism that can be used for recognizing, differentiating or classifying a taxon.

character state (character states)
Alternative forms of a character.

chlorophyll
A family of pigments used in photosynthesis to trap radiant energy. Normally located with chloroplasts. Chloroplasts with chlorophyll b have a bright green colour, those with chlorophylls a and c are off-green or yellow.

carpospore (carpospores)
A nonmotile, diploid spore found in red algae. Carpospores are produced by mitosis at the tips of gonimoblast filaments and develop into the tetrasporophyte phase.

carposporophyte (carposporophytes)
A morphological stage in the life cycle of some red algae. The sporophyte phase which results form the fertilization of the carpogonium. It consists of growths originating from a carposporangium.

buccal
Relating to structures associated with the mouth.

carpel (carpels)
The female reproductive organs at the center of a flower, consisting of the ovary, style, and stigma.

carpogonium (carpogonia)
The female gamete-producing reproductive organ of red algae. It develops from the gametophyte.

carposporangium (carposporangia)
A sporangium produced by a carposporophyte. The organ that contains the carpospore.

benthos (benthic, benthic zone)
The bottom sediments of the sea, rivers, lakes, ponds, etc.

biotroph (biotrophic, biotrophs)
An organism which is dependent on a living host organism as a source of nutrients.

bivittate
Having a pair of longitudinal stripes.

black mud
Reduced muds found below the surface of sediments in lakes and rivers. The blackness is caused by the occurrence of metal sulphides.

base pair (base pairs)
A pair of nucleotides on opposite strands of a nucleic acid hydrogen-bonding with each other according to the pairing rules between a pyrine and a pyrimidine.

Batesian mimicry (Batesian mimic)
A palatable/harmless mimic resembling an unpalatable/vigilant model.

bathypelagic (bathypelagic zone)
The part of the ocean that extends down from 1000m to 4000m. No sunlight reaches this zone so it is very cold and completely dark. It is also characterized by very high water pressure.

bacterivorous (bactivorous)
Said of bacterivores.

axoneme
A geometrically packed assemblage of microtubules (subcellular scaffolding) used to support flagella, the arms of Heliozoa, etc.

bacterivore (bacterivores)
An organism that eats bacteria.

arboreal (arboreality)
Organisms living on or in trees, fequenting trees, or a part of an organism resembling a tree in form and branching structure.

autotrophic
Organisms which trap energy from physical or chemical sources and use the energy to assemble the macromolecules of which they are made. Photosynthesis is the only process by which this happens in eukaryotes, but additional processes are found among prokaryote organisms. Compare with heterotrophic.

aquatic
Pertaining to water - as in aquatic habitat (ponds, lakes, streams, oceans, etc).

Archezoa
1990's but fluid concept for eukaryotes believed to have evolved before the origin of mitochondria. Over time, the group has included some or all of the entamoebae, microsporidia, diplomonads, retortamonads, oxymonads, trichomonads, hypermastigids, mastigamoebids, Pelomyxa, Phreatamoebae and trimastix in various combinations. For more information see the Discussion of Phylogenetic Relationships on the Eukaryotes page.

apomorphy (apomorphic, apomorphies)
A character state derived by evolution from an ancestral state (plesiomorphy). A novel evolutionary trait.

appressorium (appressoria)
Specialized structure of a fungal filament that anchors to the surface of a plant root, facilitating the invasion of the plant by the fungus.

amphitrophic
Organisms capable of gaining energy and nutrients by both autotrophic and heterotrophic means. (Same as amphizoic).