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culture | Biology | 1 | 1. A group of living cells growing in a controlled, artificial environment like a laboratory. 2. The ideas, customs and social behaviour of a particular people or society. |
cyanobacteria | Biology | 1 | A major grouping within bacteria; produce carbohydrates and oxygen through photosynthesis. Found in freshwater and marine environments and may be solitary or colonial. Used to be referred to as the blue green algae. |
cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 | Biology | 1 | Part of the cytochrome c enzyme that is involved in cellular respiration. The gene encoding this subunit is used for DNA barcoding. |
daughter cell | Biology | 1 | One of two (or more) new cells that is formed when a cell divides. |
deadly nightshade | Biology | 1 | (Also called belladonna.) One of the most poisonous plants found in the western hemisphere. All parts of the plant are toxic, containing tropane alkaloids. |
dentition | Biology | 1 | The arrangement, type and number of teeth in a particular species. |
detritus | Biology | 1 | In biology, particulate matter from dead organisms. |
diapause | Biology | 1 | A state of dormancy in which all development is suspended. A pupa entering diapause will cease development, and the metamorphosis of the insect inside will halt until conditions become more favourable to the survival of the insect. |
dicotyledon | Biology | 1 | A plant of one of the two major groups of flowering plants (angiosperms) characterised by a seed with two seed leaves called cotyledons. |
differentiated cell | Biology | 1 | A specialised cell that performs a specific function in a multicellular organism. |
dinoflagellate | Biology | 1 | Microscopic single-celled organism that lives in freshwater and seawater. Under warm conditions, marine species can grow and spread to cause a red ‘bloom’ visible in the sea. |
diploid | Biology | 1 | Having two copies of each chromosome. These cells have twice the haploid number of chromosomes as they inherit one set of chromosomes from each haploid gamete (egg and sperm). |
diseases | Biology | 1 | 1. An abnormal condition of an organism that impairs bodily functions. 2. In plants, an abnormal condition that interferes with vital physiological processes. |
disinfection | Biology | 1 | When a substance is applied to a non-living surface in order to kill microorganisms. |
dispersal | Biology | 1 | Movement of an organism to a new place. Seeds in plants and spores in ferns and fungi help dispersal by floating on the wind to new habitats. This allows stationary species to colonise new areas. |
divaricate | Biology | 1 | In botany this describes the growth form and branching pattern of a plant. Adivaricatingplant has a wide distance between branches and often produces tightly interlaced scrub or tree forms. |
dizygotic twins | Biology | 1 | Twins that derive from two separately fertilised eggs. |
dna barcode | Biology | 1 | A short DNA sequence that is unique to an organism. DNA barcodes can be used to distinguish closely related species. |
dna extraction | Biology | 1 | A routine procedure used to isolate DNA from the nucleus of cells. |
dna fingerprint | Biology | 1 | The unique sequence of DNA bases in the genome of an individual organism. |
dna isolation | Biology | 1 | Extracting the DNA from a sample. |
dna methylation | Biology | 1 | The addition of a methyl group (-CH3) to DNA, which can prevent gene expression. |
dna polymorphism | Biology | 1 | A DNA sequence that is highly variable between individuals of a species. |
dominant | Biology | 1 | An allele that is expressed if it is present. |
double helix | Biology | 1 | The structure of DNA, which is made up of two strands of deoxyribose nucleotides spiralling around each other. |
double-stranded rna | Biology | 1 | RNA with two complementary strands. Double-stranded RNA forms the genetic material of some viruses and activates the immune system against a viral infection. Natural and synthetic dsRNA can trigger RNA interference. |
dromedary camels | Biology | 1 | Domesticated camels with only one hump. They are no longer found in the wild although feral (escaped, wild) groups are found in some countries. |
e. coli | Biology | 1 | A bacterium commonly found in the gut of warm-blooded organisms that can cause serious infections. |
escherichia coli | Biology | 1 | A bacterium commonly found in the gut of warm-blooded organisms that can cause serious infections. |
echinoderm | Biology | 1 | A type of marine invertebrate such as starfish and sea urchins that has a radial symmetry. Most often, the body consists of five equal segments. |
ecological community | Biology | 1 | A group of different species that live in one location and interact with each other. |
ecosystem-based management | Biology | 1 | An integrated management approach that recognises the full array of interactions within an ecosystem, including humans. |
elvers | Biology | 1 | Juvenile eels. |
embryonic stem cell | Biology | 1 | A stem cell found in embryonic tissue or cord blood. |
endangered | Biology | 1 | A species that is possibly going to become extinct soon due to limited numbers of individuals alive or not enough habitat to live in. |
endemic | Biology | 1 | Native to only one location. For example, species endemic to New Zealand naturally occur only in New Zealand but may have been introduced elsewhere in the world. |
endometrial | Biology | 1 | Of or belonging to the endometrium – the mucous membrane lining the uterus. |
endophyte | Biology | 1 | An organism, often a bacterium or fungus, living inside a plant. |
endothermic | Biology | 1 | An animal’s ability to maintain constant body temperature in different surrounding temperatures. |
enteric nervous system | Biology | 1 | The digestive system’s own local nervous system that can and does function autonomously but normally works in association with the central nervous system. |
entomologist | Biology | 1 | A person who studies insects, including their classification, life cycles, distribution, physiology, behaviour, ecology and population dynamics. |
enucleation | Biology | 1 | Removing the DNA-containing nucleus from a cell. This process is used during nuclear transfer or cloning. |
eocene | Biology | 1 | The second geological epoch (a division of time by which geological periods are divided) of the Tertiary period, 56.5–35.5 million years ago, when early forms of mammals were evolving following the extinction of dinosaurs. |
epigenetic | Biology | 1 | A change in gene function that is caused by external factors (not changes in the DNA sequence of the gene). |
epigenomics | Biology | 1 | The study of the overall state of epigenes in a cell. One genome can give rise to many epigenomes as different genes are activated or deactivated. |
epithelial | Biology | 1 | Cells that line the cavities and surfaces of structures throughout the body. The outermost layer of our skin is made from dead squamous epithelial cells. |
eradicate | Biology | 1 | To put an end to something or destroy it completely. This includes the deliberate local extinction of an introduced species as part of pest control |
eutrophication | Biology | 1 | A process where waterways, lakes and shallow sea areas receive excess nutrients that stimulate excessive plant or algae growth. This excessive growth depletes the available oxygen in the water and causes other organisms to die off. |
evolve | Biology | 1 | To develop gradually. Changes in successive generations over long periods of time. |
excretory system | Biology | 1 | The system in an organism that discharges wastes. |
exon | Biology | 1 | The part of the DNA sequence in a gene that contains the instructions to make a protein. |
exoskeleton | Biology | 1 | A hard structure that develops on the outside of an invertebrate animal, giving it both protection and support. |
expressivity | Biology | 1 | The extent to which a trait’s presence is controlled by a gene. |
extant | Biology | 1 | Organisms that exist or live at the present time. Extant is the opposite of extinct. |
extremophile | Biology | 1 | An organism (usually bacteria or archaea) living in an environment normally considered inhospitable for living things. |
family | Biology | 1 | A classification grouping that ranks above genus and below order (kingdom > phylum > class > order > family > genus > species). |
fecundity | Biology | 1 | The reproductive capacity of an individual, measured by the number of offspring it produces. |
feral | Biology | 1 | Wild, untamed. |
fertilisation | Biology | 1 | (Reproduction) The joining of male and female sex cells (gametes), resulting in combining genetic material. |
fiddlehead | Biology | 1 | The new growth of a fern; the unfurling fern frond. In New Zealand, commonly referred to as a koru. |
filter feeder | Biology | 1 | An organism that gets food by straining edible material (such as krill, shrimp or phytoplankton) from water. An aquatic animal that feeds by straining (sieving) suspended food particles and matter from water. |
firmicutes | Biology | 1 | A phylum of bacteria. A large percentage of the species of bacteria found in the large intestine belong to this phylum. |
fixation | Biology | 1 | The process of converting atmospheric nitrogen (dinitrogen gas, N2) to forms that can be used by plants and animals to carry out many of the functions of life. |
fledgling | Biology | 1 | A young bird that has recently left its nest but is still dependent upon parental care and feeding. |
flow cytometry | Biology | 1 | A laboratory technique in which cell numbers and characteristics, such as size, shape or density, are measured using fluorescent dyes. |
flowering plant | Biology | 1 | A plant with a life cycle that includes the formation of seeds inside flowers. The scientific name for a flowering plant is angiosperm. |
fluorescence in situ hybridisation | Biology | 1 | A technique used to look at chromosomes. |
follicle | Biology | 1 | A fluid-filled sac in the ovary where the egg grows before it is release during ovulation. |
footrot | Biology | 1 | Contagious disease of sheep caused by specific bacteria, which can spread rapidly through the flock. Indicated by inflammation between the claws of the hoof. |
foraminifera | Biology | 1 | Single-celled organisms that form part of marine plankton. Most are under 1 mm long. They are important in paleontology because they have calcium carbonate shells that form fossils in sedimentary rock. |
formalin | Biology | 1 | Formalin is a liquid solution of formaldehyde. A very smelly and poisonous gas used to preserve dead things such as animals and bits of animals. Biologists often use it so their specimens don’t go rotten. |
fossil | Biology | 1 | The remains or imprint of an organism preserved in some manner. Typically fossils are found in sedimentary rock as a result of mineral replacement or imprinting in once soft silt or sand layers. Normally, rock fossils only include the hard parts of an organism such as the skeleton or shell. Fossils can also include the original remains (including soft tissue) preserved in amber, pitch or ice, or preserved in ‘fossil layers’ in special sheltered cave environments. |
foundation species | Biology | 1 | A species that is fundamental to the resilience of the ecosystem around it. It applies to a range of organisms in ecosystems around the world in both aquatic and terrestrial environments. |
frass | Biology | 1 | Insect excrement. |
frond | Biology | 1 | The leaf of a fern. Fronds range greatly in size and can be undivided or multidivided. |
frugivore | Biology | 1 | An animal that subsists totally or primarily on fruit. |
fruiting body | Biology | 1 | Part of a fungus that produces and stores the reproductive spores. Mushrooms are a type of fruiting body. |
functional genes | Biology | 1 | A gene that is not only present but active. |
fungi | Biology | 1 | The Fungi are a kingdom separate from plants and animals. Like animals, a fungus (or fungi – plural) is an organism that cannot make its own food. It can be multicellular such as mushrooms and moulds, or unicellular such as yeasts. Fungi may be decomposers, parasites, or mutualists (helping plants to grow). |
fungicide | Biology | 1 | A chemical used to kill fungi, usually when it is growing on plants. |
gamete | Biology | 1 | Male or female reproductive cells – a sperm or egg in animals, and pollen and ova in plants. Gametes contain only a single set of chromosomes. |
gametophyte | Biology | 1 | The gamete-bearing individual or phase in the life cycle of a plant that has alternation of generations. The haploid generation of the life cycle. |
gastrointestinal | Biology | 1 | To do with the stomach and intestines. |
gastropods | Biology | 1 | Any of a large class (Gastropoda) of molluscs such as snails and slugs. They typically have a large foot, a single coiled shell that covers the soft body, and a head with a pair of eyes and tentacles. |
gene cloning | Biology | 1 | Making an exact copy (or multiple copies) of a gene or introducing a sequence of DNA into a vector. |
gene discovery | Biology | 1 | Identifying gene sequences for specific traits. |
gene expression | Biology | 1 | The use of a gene to make a protein. Involves transcription of the DNA sequence into RNA and translation of the RNA into an amino acid sequence (or protein). |
gene gun | Biology | 1 | A laboratory tool used to propel (or shoot) a gene (or other piece of DNA) into a cell at high energy. The aim is that the target cell will incorporate the new DNA and start using it. |
gene sequencing | Biology | 1 | Determining the order (or sequence) of the DNA bases (A, G, C, or T) that make up a specific gene. |
gene variant | Biology | 1 | A sequence in the genetic code that differs between people. |
gene variants | Biology | 1 | Versions of the same gene from a particular organism, which differ somewhat in DNA sequence. |
genera | Biology | 1 | The plural of genus. A taxonomic category (the way all living things are categorised or sorted) ranking below a ‘family’ and above a ‘species’ and generally consisting of a group of species with similar characteristics. For example, the taxonomic name for the South Island giant moa species isDinornis robustus. The first part of the species nameDinornisis also the genus name. |
genes | Biology | 1 | A segment of a DNA molecule that carries the information needed to make a specific protein. Genes determine the traits (phenotype) of the individual. |
genetic | Biology | 1 | Of, relating to, or determined by genes. |
genetic blueprint | Biology | 1 | A term that refers to your genome or genotype as a map or plan for your development. |
genetic diversity | Biology | 1 | The variety of genetic material within a single species of organism that permits the organism to adapt to changes in the environment. |
genetic fingerprinting | Biology | 1 | Using a DNA fingerprint to identify individuals or species. |
genetic makeup | Biology | 1 | A specific DNA pattern obtained by a scientific process, which reflects the unique DNA sequence found in a living organism. |
genetic marker test | Biology | 1 | A test to see if an organism has a particular gene. The test uses markers – short unique segments of DNA that always associate with the gene. |
genetic mutation | Biology | 1 | A base change in the DNA strand. |
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