Science Glossary

20 Biology terms

My name is Médéric. I study in college Lionel Groulx. My program is Natural Science. This field of study has courses in physics, chemistry, biology and mathematics, but this glossary will stay in the biology theme. I chose Biology because it is essential for future students to know well in advance certain words of biology since there will be a lot to learn. Biology is a science that studies living species.If you intend to study Biology, here are some definitions that may help you

amphibian

A cold-blooded vertebrate animal of a class that comprises the frogs, toads, newts, and salamanders. They are distinguished by having an aquatic gill-breathing larval stage followed (typically) by a terrestrial lung-breathing adult stage.

carnivorous

(Of an animal) feeding on other animals.

chromosome

Element of the living cell, characteristic shape and constant number (23 pairs in man), located in the nucleus of the cell.

cytoplasm

The material or protoplasm within a living cell, excluding the nucleus.

duodenum

Initial part of the small intestine, which begins at the pylor.

evolution

The change in the characteristics of a species over several generations and relies on the process of natural selection.

gene

Defined unit located on a chromosome, through which a hereditary trait is transmitted.

heart

A hollow muscular organ that pumps the blood through the circulatory system by rhythmic contraction and dilation. In vertebrates there may be up to four chambers (as in humans), with two atria and two ventricles.

herbivorous

(Of an animal) feeding on plants.

large intestine

The cecum, colon, and rectum collectively.

lipid

Any of a class of organic compounds that are fatty acids or their derivatives and are insoluble in water but soluble in organic solvents. They include many natural oils, waxes, and steroids.

liver

A large lobed glandular organ in the abdomen of vertebrates, involved in many metabolic processes.

lung

A pair of breathing organs located with the chest which remove carbon dioxide from and bring oxygen to the blood. There is a right and left lung.

mutation

A mutation occurs when a DNA gene is damaged or changed in such a way as to alter the genetic message carried by that gene. A Mutagen is an agent of substance that can bring about a permanent alteration to the physical composition of a DNA gene such that the genetic message is changed.

omnivorous

(Of an animal or person) feeding on food of both plant and animal origin.

ovoviviparous

(Of an animal) producing young by means of eggs which are hatched within the body of the parent, as in some snakes.

pancreas

Gland of the digestive system located between the stomach and the kidneys.

pancreatic juice

The clear alkaline digestive fluid secreted by the pancreas.

small intestine

The part of the intestine that runs between the stomach and the large intestine; the duodenum, jejunum, and ileum collectively.

stomach

The internal organ in which the major part of the digestion of food occurs, being (in humans and many mammals) a pear-shaped enlargement of the alimentary canal linking the esophagus to the small intestine.