Glossary of terms used on this site

the sequence of events in the development of an organism and the production of cells that produce offspring

inherited pattern of resource allocation under the influence of natural selection and other evolutionary forces

field of science, such as biology, that studies living things

table showing the life expectancy of a population member based on its age

molecule produced by a signaling cell that binds with a specific receptor, delivering a signal in the process

enzyme that catalyzes the formation of a phosphodiester linkage between the 3' OH and 5' phosphate ends of the DNA

complex that passes energy from sunlight to the reaction center in each photosystem; it consists of multiple antenna proteins that contain a mixture of 300 to 400 chlorophyll a and b molecules as well as other pigments like carotenoids

an instrument that magnifies an object using a beam of visible light that passes and bends through a lens system to visualize a specimen

first stage of photosynthesis where certain wavelengths of the visible light are absorbed to form two energy-carrying molecules (ATP and NADPH)

second stage of photosynthesis, through which carbon dioxide is used to build carbohydrate molecules using energy from ATP and NADPH

complex polymer impermeable to water

connected brain areas that process emotion and motivation

phenomenon in which alleles that are located in close proximity to each other on the same chromosome are more likely to be inherited together

procedure that analyzes recombining genes to determine if they are linked

enzyme that chemically breaks down lipids