AP Biology Final Exam Review Part 3

brain region that regulates emotions

the sequence of events involved in the evolutionary development of a species or taxonomic group of organisms

study of the general principles of scientific classification

a system of phylogenetic analysis that uses shared and derived characters as the only criteria for grouping taxa

taxonomic group whose members can interbreed

organisms that make their own food

the branch of biology concerned with the relations between organisms and their environment

increasing concentration of a harmful substance in organisms at higher trophic levels in a food chain or food web

process by which atmospheric gases trap heat close to Earth's surface and prevent it from escaping into space

organic molecules that are composed of only carbon and hydrogen

compounds with the same formula but different structure

the molecule that stores energy that can be used by the cell

the chemistry of compounds containing carbon (originally defined as the chemistry of substances produced by living organisms but now extended to substances synthesized artificially)

A process in which large molecules are broken down

a thermodynamic quantity representing the unavailability of a system's thermal energy for conversion into mechanical work, often interpreted as the degree of disorder or randomness in the system

a non-spontaneous chemical reaction in which free energy is absorbed from the surroundings

specific reactant acted on by an enzyme

long strands of DNA found in the eukaryotic cell nucleus; condense to form chromosomes

a disease in which abnormal cells multiply out of control, spread into surrounding tissues and other body parts, and disrupt normal functioning of one or more organs

type of asexual reproduction in which an organism replicates its DNA and divides in half, producing two identical daughter cells

in eukaryotic cells, a process of cell division that forms two new nuclei, each of which has the same number of chromosomes

modification of a cell or bacterium by the uptake and incorporation of exogenous DNA

enzymes that untwist the double helix at the replication forks

short fragments of DNA that are a result of the synthesis of the lagging strand during DNA replication

an enzyme that catalyzes the lengthening of telomeres; the enzyme includes a molecule of RNA that serves as a template for new telomere segments

DNA produced by combining DNA from different sources

the small, circular segments of DNA that are found in bacteria and that stay sparate from the bacterial chromosomes; used in genetic engineering

technique that allows molecular biologists to make many copies of a particular gene

the separation of nucleic acids or proteins, on the basis of their size and electrical charge, by measuring their rate of movement through an electrical field in a gel

evolution resulting from small specific genetic changes that can lead to a new subspecies

a reproductive barrier that impedes mating between species or hinders fertilization if interspecific mating is attempted

the formation of new species in populations that are geographically isolated from one another

the condition in which an organism has extra sets of chromosomes

collections of abiotically produced molecules surrounded by a membrane-like structure

the period of time in which half of a radioactive substance decays

process through which early prokaryotic cells are thought to have engulfed other, smaller cells and eventually incorporated them as organelles; these cells evolved into modern-day eukaryotes

the name of the single landmass that broke apart 200 million years ago and gave rise to today's continents

the branching, threadlike tubes that make up the bodies of multicellular fungi

a type of fungus that consists of chains of cells and appears as a fuzzy mass of thin filaments in culture

symbiotic association between a fungus and a photosynthetic organism

a type of fungus that bears reproductive sperm externally, on club-shaped structures (basidia) at the tips of hyphae

a part of an organism consisting of an aggregate of cells having a similar structure and function

supporting structure that connects roots and leaves and carries water and nutrients between them

embryonic plant tissue in the tips of roots and in the buds of shoots that supplies cells for the plant to grow in length

the small openings on the undersides of most leaves through which oxygen and carbon dioxide can move

organism that obtains energy by eating animals

compounds that help regulate many vital body processes, including the digestion, absorption, and metabolism of other nutrients

a nutritional imbalance caused by lack of specific dietary components or inability to absorb or utilize essential nutrients

the process of wave-like muscle contractions of the alimentary tract that moves food along

groups of nerve cell bodies that coordinate incoming and outgoing nerve signals

chemical messengers that traverse the synaptic gaps between neurons

a neural impulse; a brief electrical charge that travels down an axon; the action potential is generated by the movement of positively charged atoms in and out of channels in the axon's membrane

space between two connecting neurons where neurotransmitters are released

all the living things in an ecosystem

the movement of organisms from one place to another

a graded change in a trait along a geographic axis

a broad, regional type of ecosystem characterized by distinctive climate and soil conditions and a distinctive kind of biological community adapted to those conditions

swollen and distended or congested

channels through cell walls that connect the cytoplasms of adjacent cells

a transport protein in the plasma membrane of a plant or animal cell that specifically facilitates the diffusion of water across the membrane

the emission of water vapor from the leaves of plants

the preservation and careful management of the environment and of natural resources

nonnative species that are either intentionally or unintentionally transported to a new habitat

the use of living organisms to detoxify and restore polluted and degraded ecosystems

the smallest population size at which a species is able to sustain its numbers and survive