Science Terms

1
Science Terms

• TAKS Objective 3

2
def Bacteria

• Microscopic, prokaryote

3
def Virus

• Disease causing, non-living particle composed of
  nucleic acid and protein coat

4
def Host cell

• Cell in which a virus reproduces

5
def T-cell

• Immune system cell which is the host to HIV virus

6
def Natural selection

• Mechanism that explains ho changes in populations
  occur when organism with favorable variations
  survive, reproduce and pass on genes

7
def Adaptations

• Evolution of structural, internal or behavioral
  features that help an organism better survive in
  its environment

8
def Homologous structures

• Structures that have different mature forms in
  different organisms but develop from the same
  embryonic tissue, ex. Human arm, bird wing

9
def Ecosystem

• Populations in a community and abiotic factors
  with which they interact

10
def Food pyramid

• Summarizes interactions of matter and energy at
  each trophic level

11
def Food chain

• A possible route for the transfer of matter and
  energy through an ecosystem

12
def Food web

• Shows all the possible feeding relationships in a
  community

13
def Producers

• Organisms that produce energy (plants)

14
def Consumers

• Organisms that get energy by eating other
  organisms

15
def Predation

• A mode of life in which food is obtained by
  killing and consuming animals

16
def Autotroph

• Organism that can capture energy from sunlight or
  chemicals and use it to produce its own food from
  inorganic compounds

17
def Commensualism

• Symbiotic relationship in which one species
  benefits and the other is neither harmed nor
  helped

18
def Mutualism

• Symbiotic relationship beneficial to both species

19
def Parasitism

• Symbiotic relationship in which one species
  benefits at the expense of the other