Wile Biology Module 6 Vocabulary

Front 1

Absorption

Back 1

The transport of dissolved substances into cells.

Front 2

Digestion

Back 2

The breakdown of absorbed substances.

Front 3

Respiration

Back 3

The breakdown of food molecules with a release of energy.

Front 4

Excretion

Back 4

The removal of soluble waste materials.

Front 5

Egestion

Back 5

The removal of non-soluble waste materials.

Front 6

Secretion

Back 6

The release of biosynthesized substances.

Front 7

Homeostasis

Back 7

Maintaining the status quo in a cell.

Front 8

Reproduction

Back 8

Producing more cells.

Front 9

Cytology

Back 9

The study of cells.

Front 10

Cell wall

Back 10

A rigid structure on the outside of certain cells, usually plant and bacteria cells.

Front 11

Middle lamella

Back 11

The thin film between the
cell walls of adjacent plant cells.

Front 12

Plasma membrane

Back 12

The semipermeable membrane
between the cell contents and either the cell wall or the
cell's surroundings.

Front 13

Cytoplasm

Back 13

A jelly-like fluid inside
the cell in which the organelles are suspended.

Front 14

Ions

Back 14

Substances in which at least one atom has an imbalance of protons and electrons.

Front 15

Cytoplasmic streaming

Back 15

The motion of the cytoplasm in a cell that results in a coordinated movement of the cell's contents.

Front 16

Mitochondria

Back 16

The organelles in which nutrients are converted to energy.

Front 17

Lysosome

Back 17

The organelle in animal cells
responsible for hydrolysis reactions that break down
proteins, polysaccharides, disaccharides, and some lipids.

Front 18

Ribosomes

Back 18

Non-membrane-bound organelles
responsible for protein synthesis.

Front 19

Endoplasmic reticulum

Back 19

An organelle composed of an extensive network of folded membranes that performs several tasks within a cell.

Front 20

Rough ER

Back 20

ER (Endoplasmic reticulum) that is dotted with ribosomes.

Front 21

Smooth ER

Back 21

ER (Endoplasmic reticulum) that has no ribosomes.

Front 22

Golgi

Back 22

The organelles in which proteins and lipids are stored and then modified to suit the needs of the cell.

Front 23

Leucoplasts

Back 23

Organelles that store starches or oils.

Front 24

Chromoplasts

Back 24

Organelles that contain pigments used in photosynthesis.

Front 25

Central vacuole

Back 25

A large vacuole that rests at the center of most plant cells and is filled with a solution that contains a high concentration of solutes.

Front 26

Waste vacuoles

Back 26

Vacuoles that contain the waste
products of digestion.

Front 27

Phagocytosis

Back 27

The process by which a cell engulfs foreign substances or other cells.

Front 28

Phagocytic vacuole

Back 28

A vacuole that holds the matter which a cell engulfs.

Front 29

Pinocytic vesicle

Back 29

Vesicle formed at the plasma membrane to allow the absorption of large molecules.

Front 30

Secretion vesicle

Back 30

Vesicle that holds secretion products so that they can be transported to the plasma membrane and released.

Front 31

Microtubules

Back 31

Spiral strands of protein molecules that form a tube-like structure.

Front 32

Nuclear membrane

Back 32

A highly-porous membrane that
separates the nucleus from the cytoplasm.

Front 33

Chromatin

Back 33

Clusters of DNA, RNA, and proteins in the nucleus of a cell.

Front 34

Cytoskeleton

Back 34

A network of fibers that holds the cell together, helps the cell keep its shape, and aids in movement.

Front 35

Microfilaments

Back 35

Fine, threadlike proteins found in the cell’s cytoskeleton.

Front 36

Intermediate filaments

Back 36

Threadlike proteins in the cell’s
cytoskeleton that are roughly twice as thick as microfilaments.

Front 37

Phospholipid

Back 37

A lipid in which one of the fatty acid molecules has been replaced by a molecule that contains a phosphate group.

Front 38

Passive transport

Back 38

Movement of molecules through the plasma membrane according to the dictates of osmosis or diffusion.

Front 39

Active transport

Back 39

Movement of molecules through the plasma membrane (typically opposite the dictates of osmosis or diffusion) aided by a process that requires energy.

Front 40

Isotonic solution

Back 40

A solution in which
the concentration of solutes is essentially equal to that of
the cell which resides in the solution

Front 41

Hypertonic solution

Back 41

A solution in which the concentration of solutes is greater than that of the cell that resides in the solution.

Front 42

Plasmolysis

Back 42

Collapse of a walled cell's cytoplasm due to lack of water.

Front 43

Cytolysis

Back 43

The rupturing of a cell due to excess internal pressure.

Front 44

Hypotonic solution

Back 44

A solution in which the concentration of solutes is less than that of the cell that resides in the solution.

Front 45

Activation energy

Back 45

Energy necessary to get a chemical reaction going.