Apex Biology - 8.1 & 8.2
Taxonomy and Microbes
Terms
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- translation
- A process by which the information in messenger RNA is used to synthesize a polypeptide.
- acellular slime mold
- A type of slime mold with many nuclei that changes from a feeding stage (the plasmodium) to a reproductive stage (fruiting body).
- outgroup
- In a cladogram: the species that shares the fewest traits with the study group and branched off before the last common ancestor of all the other organisms in the group.
- anaerobes
- Organisms that have very low tolerance for oxygen.
- binomial nomenclature
- The system of naming organisms by two terms, with the first term being the genus and the second term being the species.
- T-lymphocytes
- Cells of the immune system that can recognize and kill cells containing viruses
- extremophile
- An organism that requires an extreme environment in which to flourish; some exist in environments with extremely high temperatures or in extremely salty environments.
- derived trait
- When a group has a trait that is different from their common ancestor and other closely related groups have the trait of the common ancestor.
- transcription
- A process by which the information in DNA is copied into a messenger RNA molecule
- genome
- All the genetic information of an organism.
- recombination
- Formation of new combinations of alleles in offspring (viruses, cells or organisms) as a result of exchange of DNA sequences between molecules.
- opportunistic bacteria
- Bacteria, normally harmless in healthy hosts, that cause infection when the immune system is weakened.
- protein synthesis
- A process in which information is taken from DNA to act as a blue print for creating a particular protein.
- parasite
- An organism that takes nutrients from another living organism (the host), without giving that organism anything in return; ________s often live inside of or on their hosts and may cause harm or death to the host organism.
- competent
- The enhanced ability by bacterial cells to take up exogenous (outside) DNA and thus to be transformed.
- septum
- a wall; usually the cell wall that forms between daughter cells at the end of mitosis in plant cells or just before separation in bacteria
- cellular slime molds
- Types of slime molds that typically exist as individual cells and reproduce with binary fission; during stressful times, many of these cells will come together to form a fruiting body.
- biosphere
- The regions of the Earth and Earth's atmosphere where any living organisms exist
- nitrogen fixation
- The conversion, by certain soil bacteria, of atmospheric nitrogen into compounds that plants and other organisms can use to synthesize amino acids.
- fruiting body
- The sessile, reproductive stage of a slime mold
- replication
- The synthesis of an exact copy of a structure from a template of the same structure
- Gram negative bacteria
- Bacteria with thin peptidoglycan walls bounded by an outer membrane containing lipids; these bacteria turn red when stained.
- protists
- Any eukaryotic organisms that are not plants, animals or fungi
- phylogenetic tree
- A diagram that combines information about physical traits, behavioral characteristics, and molecular evidence to show the probable dates of evolutionary separation of different species.
- helix
- A three-dimensional spiral curve; common type of shape for viral capsids.
- bioremediation
- The process of using biological organisms to solve an environmental problem such as contaminated soil or groundwater.
- penicillin
- an antibiotic derived from a mold that blocks the cross-linking reaction in peptidoglycan synthesis, and therefore destroys the bacterial cell wall making the bacterium very susceptible to damage
- toxin
- A naturally-produced poisonous substance that will damage or kill other cells.
- plasmodium
- The mobile, feeding stage of a slime mold.
- domain
- The broadest category used to classify life forms. The three ______s are Eukarya, Bacteria, and Archaea.
- lytic cycle
- A viral infection that causes the host cell to burst (lyse) and die in order for the newly synthesized virus to be released.
- immunodeficiency
- The inability of the immune system to effectively fight infection.
- capsid
- The protein coat that surrounds a virus particle.
- influenza
- A virus that causes upper respiratory illness in vertebrates.
- prophage
- Viral DNA that has integrated into a host cell's DNA
- tetracycline
- Broad-spectrum antibiotic that blocks protein synthesis to the ribosomes of both Gram positive and Gram negative organisms
- decomposition
- The breakdown or decay of organic materials, often by bacteria, that results in the production of carbon dioxide (CO₂) gas.
- capsomers
- Units of the viral capsid.
- lysogenic cycle
- A viral infection that leads to the integration of the viral genome into the host cell genome.
- antiviral drugs
- Drugs that target a specific viral enzyme to block viral replication.
- polyhedral
- Related to a three-dimensional structure with flat faces; common type of shape for viral capsids.
- nucleic acid
- A molecule consisting of many nucleotides which in turn, form a polynucleotide chain; DNA and RNA examples of this.
- species
- A group of interbreeding natural populations that are reproductively isolated from other such groups; the most specific taxonomic level.
- plasmid
- A small, independently-replicating, piece of cytoplasmic DNA that can be transferred from one organism to another.
- slime mold
- A type of single-celled or multi-cellular protist with no cell wall and different life cycle phases.
- binary fission
- A process of cell division in prokaryotes in which each daughter cell receives a copy of the cell's chromosome.
- bacteriophage
- A virus that infects bacteria.
- pathogen
- A disease-causing organism
- conjugation
- Union between two gametes or between two cells leading to the transfer of genetic material
- common names
- The non-scientific names given to organisms in the language of the people who live with them
- adenovirus
- A group of DNA viruses that cause respiratory infections.
- mRNA
- Messenger RNA; the RNA molecule that serves as the template for protein synthesis.
- ancestral trait
- A trait shared by all members of a group through a common ancestor.
- family
- A group of similar, related genera.
- antibiotics
- Substances produced by one microorganism that selectively inhibits the growth of another.
- transduction
- The transfer of a gene from one bacterium to another by a bacteriophage.
- icosahedron
- A geometrical shape with 20 sides; a common shape of viral capsids.
- aerobes
- Organisms that rely on oxygen.
- mixotroph
- A type of organism that obtains nutrients using a combination of heterotrophic and autotrophic nutrition.
- transformation
- Genetic change brought about by the introduction of exogenous (outside) DNA into a cell.
- rhinovirus
- The virus that causes the common cold.
- MRSA
- Methicillin- (or multidrug-) resistant Staphylococcus aureus.
- taxonomy
- Identification, naming, and classification of species.
- virus
- An ultramicroscopic agent that multiplies inside a host organism and causes disease.
- Gram positive bacteria
- Bacteria with thick cell walls containing peptidoglycans; these cells turn purple when stained.
- cladogram
- A branched diagram showing evolutionary relationships between groups based on ancestral and derived traits.
- genus
- A group of several species which are closely related; the second most specific taxonomic level.