My Natural Sciences Glossary

20 Biology terms

My name is Érica, I am 18 years old, and I am currently doing my last session in Cegep Lionel-Groulx. I am studying in Natural Sciences and my favorite class is biology. I am doing this glossary to help people that study in the same field of study as me.

allele: noun; One of two or more alternative forms of a gene that arise by mutation and are found at the same place on a chromosome.; Example: https://www.google.com/search?q=define+allele; fr: allèle
antibiotic: noun; A medicine (such as penicillin or its derivatives) that inhibits the growth of or destroys microorganisms.; Example: https://www.google.com/search?q=define+antibiotic; fr: antibiotique
bacteriophage: noun; A virus that parasitizes a bacterium by infecting it and reproducing inside it.; Example: https://www.google.com/search?q=define+bacteriophage; fr: bactériophage
biology: noun; The study of living organisms, divided into many specialized fields that cover their morphology, physiology, anatomy, behavior, origin, and distribution.; Example: https://www.google.com/search?q=define+biology; fr: biologie
cell: noun; The smallest structural and functional unit of an organism, typically microscopic and consisting of cytoplasm and a nucleus enclosed in a membrane. Microscopic organisms typically consist of a single cell, which is either eukaryotic or prokaryotic.; Example: https://www.google.com/search?q=define+cell; fr: cellule
chromosome: noun; A threadlike structure of nucleic acids and protein found in the nucleus of most living cells, carrying genetic information in the form of genes.; Example: https://www.google.com/search?q=define+chromosome; fr: chromosome
DNA: noun; A self-replicating material that is present in nearly all living organisms as the main constituent of chromosomes. It is the carrier of genetic information.; Example: https://www.google.com/search?q=define+DNA; fr: ADN
ecosystem: noun; A biological community of interacting organisms and their physical environment.; Example: https://www.google.com/search?q=define+ecosystem; fr: écosystème
gene: noun; A unit of heredity which is transferred from a parent to offspring and is held to determine some characteristic of the offspring.; Example: https://www.google.com/search?q=define+gene; fr: gène
genotype: noun; The genetic constitution of an individual organism.; Example: https://www.google.com/search?q=define+genotype; fr: génotype
macroevolution: noun; Major evolutionary change. The term applies mainly to the evolution of whole taxonomic groups over long periods of time.; Example: https://www.google.com/search?q=define+macroevolution; fr: macroévolution
meiosis: noun; A type of cell division that results in four daughter cells each with half the number of chromosomes of the parent cell, as in the production of gametes and plant spores.; Example: https://www.google.com/search?q=define+meiosis; fr: méiose
mutation: noun; The changing of the structure of a gene, resulting in a variant form that may be transmitted to subsequent generations, caused by the alteration of single base units in DNA, or the deletion, insertion, or rearrangement of larger sections of genes or chromosomes.; Example: https://www.google.com/search?q=define+mutation; fr: mutation
osmosis: noun; A process by which molecules of a solvent tend to pass through a semipermeable membrane from a less concentrated solution into a more concentrated one, thus equalizing the concentrations on each side of the membrane.; Example: https://www.google.com/search?q=define+osmosis; fr: osmose
pathogen: noun; A bacterium, virus, or other microorganism that can cause disease.; Example: https://www.google.com/search?q=define+pathogen; fr: agent pathogène
phenotype: noun; The set of observable characteristics of an individual resulting from the interaction of its genotype with the environment.; Example: https://www.google.com/search?q=define+phenotype; fr: phénotype
vaccine: noun; A substance used to stimulate the production of antibodies and provide immunity against one or several diseases, prepared from the causative agent of a disease, its products, or a synthetic substitute, treated to act as an antigen without inducing the disease.; Example: https://www.google.com/search?q=define+vaccine; fr: vaccin
vacuole: noun; A space or vesicle within the cytoplasm of a cell, enclosed by a membrane and typically containing fluid.; Example: https://www.google.com/search?q=define+vacuole; fr: vacuole
virus: noun; An infective agent that typically consists of a nucleic acid molecule in a protein coat, is too small to be seen by light microscopy, and is able to multiply only within the living cells of a host.; Example: https://www.google.com/search?q=define+virus; fr: virus
zygote: noun; A diploid cell resulting from the fusion of two haploid gametes; a fertilized ovum.; Example: https://www.google.com/search?q=define+zygote; fr: zygote