This glossary contains important scientific terms used in the Natural Science program.
It is designed to help students understand difficult words and concepts in a simple way.
Each term is explained with a clear and easy-to-understand definition.
This glossary can be used as a useful reference tool during classes, studying, and exam preparation.
Antibody
Noun
Antibodies are Y-shaped proteins produced by the immune system to identify, neutralize, and eliminate harmful foreign substances like bacteria, viruses, and toxins.
Example: The ANTIBODY's specificity is defined in the 'arms' of the Y-shape and the variable regions determining which antigen is bound to is called the complementarity determining region (CDR).
fr: Anticorps
Biotechnology
Noun
Biotechnology is the use of living organisms, cells, or biological systems to create products and solve human problems.
Example: As result of the significant advances in BIOTECHNOLOGY and immunology, research is also being carried out to investigate the possible use of vaccines to harness the power of the immune system in the fight against breast cancer.
fr: Biotechnologie
Diffusion
Noun
Diffusion is the natural process where particles spread out from an area of high concentration to an area of low concentration.
Example: Due to the small size of the prokaryotic cell and its high surface area to volume ratio it can obtain all the nutrients and gases it needs through simple DIFFUSION, so the cell contains no complicated transport mechanisms.
fr: Diffusion
Enzyme
Noun
Enzymes are special proteins that speed up chemical reactions in living things.
Example: The reaction is ENZYME-controlled which neither requires nor releases useable energy.
fr: Enzyme
Epidemiology
Noun
Epidemiology is the scientific study of how often diseases and health events happen in groups of people and why.
Example: The Bacterial Diseases of Reptiles: Their EPIDEMIOLOGY, Control, Diagnosis, and Treatment.
fr: Épidémiologie
Genetic Mutation
Noun
A genetic mutation is a permanent change in the DNA sequence of an organism.
Example: It does not cast the Darwin ideas aside, as this theory does explain the improvement of species through random GENETIC MUTATION and negative selection.
fr: Mutation génétique
Homeostasis
Noun
Homeostasis is the self-regulating process by which an organism or biological system maintains a stable internal environment despite changes in outside conditions.
Example: London: Mosby Brown MS and Goldstein JL (1985) 'A receptor-mediated pathway for cholesterol HOMEOSTASIS.'
fr: Homéostasie
Hormone
Noun
Hormones are chemical messengers that travel through your blood to organs, skin, muscles, and tissues to tell your body what to do and when to do it.
Example: Produced in the tissue upon which it acts, in this situation histamine is known to as an autocoid (amongst others including the prostagladins and serotonin), a locally acting signalling HORMONE.
fr: Hormone
Inflammation
Noun
Inflammation is the body's natural immune response to protect itself from injury, infection, or harmful irritants.
Example: The innate immune response is not sufficient to clear the infection and increase INFLAMMATION.
fr: Inflammation
Metabolism
Noun
Metabolism is the total sum of all chemical reactions that happen inside a living organism to sustain life.
Example: Journal of cerebral blood flow and METABOLISM.
fr: Métabolisme
Neurotransmitter
Noun
Neurotransmitters are chemical messengers that carry signals from one nerve cell to another target cell.
Example: The reduction in the influx of Na+ and Ca 2+ results in the hyperpolarization of the plasma membrane, the decrease in cystolic Ca 2+ concentration reduces the rate of release of the NEUROTRANSMITTER: glutamate from the synaptic region.
fr: Neurotransmetteur
Osmosis
Osmosis is the natural movement of water molecules through a special barrier called a semi-permeable membrane.
Example: OSMOSIS dictates that water follows sodium ions and is thus reabsorbed passively (Dubuse, 1998).
fr: Osmose
Pathogen
Noun
A pathogen is any biological agent or organism—such as a virus, bacterium, fungus, or parasite—that causes disease in its host.
Example: Close contact with epithelium cell surfaces will prevent the PATHOGEN being removed during mucosal shedding and give it a supply of nutrients acquired from the damaged epithelium cells.
fr: Pathogène
Pathology
Noun
Pathology is the medical and scientific study of disease, focusing on its causes, development, and effects on the body's cells, tissues, and organs.
Example: It seems processes and relative ideas can easily traverse into topics of environmental adaptation, PATHOLOGY, and further genetic theory.
fr: Pathologie
Pharmacology
Noun
Pharmacology is the scientific study of how drugs and chemical substances interact with living systems.
Example: The isosteric cyano-guanidyl product was found to be marginally more potent []
and was commercially released as Cimetidine. []
Brimblecombe RW, Duncan WA, Parsons ME., "PHARMACOLOGY and toxicology of metiamide, a histamine H2-receptor antagonist", S. Afr. Med. J ., 1974 , 48(54): 2253-5.
