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recessive | Biology | 1 | Two copies of the allele need to be present in order for a recessive gene to be expressed. |
recognition site | Biology | 1 | A specific sequence of DNA that is recognised by a restriction enzyme. |
recombinant dna | Biology | 1 | DNA that has been rearranged, producing different genetic sequences than in the original copy. |
rectum | Biology | 1 | The end portion of the large intestine, about 12 cm long in humans, that temporarily stores faeces prior to egestion. |
refugia | Biology | 1 | In biology a habitat or location which supports an isolated or relict population of a previously widespread species. Recently it has been used to refer to areas that could offer relativeclimatestability in the face of climate change. |
regulated | Biology | 1 | Controlled by rules and laws. Inbiology: To adjust a bodily function or process. Ingenetics:To control the expression of a gene or genes. |
replication | Biology | 1 | The process of copying DNA within a cell; occurs before cell division. |
reproductive system | Biology | 1 | The system in an organism that aids in the production of new individuals. |
respiration | Biology | 1 | Can mean either cellular respiration (the process by which cells create energy) or gas exchange (breathing). |
reverse transcription | Biology | 1 | The process of making a double-stranded DNA copy from a single-stranded RNA template. |
rhinophores | Biology | 1 | A pair of tentacle-like structures on the back of the head or neck of some molluscs, including nudibranchs and sea slugs. |
rhizome | Biology | 1 | Underground stem. |
rna interference | Biology | 1 | The process when a double-stranded RNA molecule prevents a messenger RNA (mRNA) molecule from being translated into a protein. Also called RNA silencing or RNA inactivation. |
rodent | Biology | 1 | A group of mammals that has strong, constantly growing incisors (front teeth) and no canines. Includes rats, mice, squirrels, hamsters and porcupines. |
romney | Biology | 1 | Breed of sheep. |
royal jelly | Biology | 1 | Substance secreted by worker honey bees and fed to all larvae for a short time. Larvae that could become queens get lots of royal jelly for a longer time. |
rumen | Biology | 1 | The first stomach in the digestive system of a ruminant animal, such as a cow, sheep, deer or goat. |
ruminants | Biology | 1 | Herbivorous, hoofed mammals, for example, sheep, cattle, deer and camels, that have a complex 3 or 4-chambered stomach. They use a fermentation process in their rumen to break down plant material. |
russula | Biology | 1 | Russulais a genus of fungi that are native to New Zealand. They form a mutually beneficial relationship with the southern beech trees (Nothofagusspp.). |
scale insects | Biology | 1 | A family of insects that generally feed directly on the sap produced by plants. |
sea pens | Biology | 1 | Sea pens are a type of colonial marine animal that belong to the order Pennatulacea. |
secretin | Biology | 1 | A hormone that is released in response to acid in the small intestine. It stimulates the pancreas and gall bladder to release pancreatic juice and bile to neutralise the acid. |
seed banking | Biology | 1 | Collecting and storing seeds to protect genetic diversity – each seed carries a slightly different genetic code. Some of these seeds might be shown in the future to produce plants with desirable characteristics such as resistance to a new disease. |
selection pressure | Biology | 1 | An external feature that changes the traits an organism needs to survive and reproduce. |
self-pollination | Biology | 1 | The transfer of pollen from the male to the female part of the same flower or another flower on the same plant. |
self-sustaining population | Biology | 1 | When a population of animals has sufficient numbers to maintain the population level without human intervention. |
sequestration | Biology | 1 | The act of capturing and storing carbon dioxide so that it is no longer available for release into the atmosphere.In chemistry, sequestration also means forming a chelate or other stable compound with ions, atoms or molecules so they can no longer react with other elements (effectively capturing and storing them).In biology, sequestration also means the storage of toxins as butterfly larvae move through metamorphosis. |
sexual dimorphism | Biology | 1 | The distinct difference in appearance or behaviour between individuals of different sexes within the same species, particularly characteristics not directly related to reproduction. |
silverfish | Biology | 1 | A 5 cm long fish that is especially common in the Ross Sea. |
smooth muscles | Biology | 1 | The muscle tissue that makes up internal organs in the body. One of the three different kinds of muscle in the human body. A smooth muscle fibre has only one nucleus, and contracts more slowly and rhythmically than a skeletal fibre. Smooth muscle is found in the walls of the blood vessels, digestive system (e.g. the stomach and intestines) and other internal organs. |
soluble fibre | Biology | 1 | Fibre that is almost completely broken down by bacteria in the large intestine. |
somatic cell | Biology | 1 | Any cell in a plant or animal that is not a gamete (in a germ cell or sex cell). |
sori | Biology | 1 | (Singular: sorus) Clusters of sporangia on the back of a fertile fern frond. |
spat | Biology | 1 | Juvenile mussels that have recently settled onto seaweed and other surfaces. Spat is also used to describe juveniles of other bivalves, such as oysters. |
spawn | Biology | 1 | The act of reproduction of aquatic creatures such as fishes, amphibians, crustaceans and mollusks. The mixing of the sperm of a male and the eggs of a female of the species. In mycology, the mycellium of mushrooms. |
spawning | Biology | 1 | The laying of eggs by aquatic animals like fish, frogs, crustaceans or mollusks. |
specialised cells | Biology | 1 | A cell that has altered so it can perform a specific function in a multicellular organism. |
specimen | Biology | 1 | An item held in a collection that is preserved to allow study. The item is selected to represent a particular species and is generally a typical individual of that species. |
speculum | Biology | 1 | A patch of often iridescent color on the secondary feathers of most duck species. |
spina bifida | Biology | 1 | A type of neural tube defect (NTD) that occurs as a foetus develops its spinal cord. It is the incomplete closure of the embryonic neural tube, where some vertebrae overlying the spinal cord are not fully formed and remain unfused and open. Sometimes if the hole is too big, a portion of the spinal cord can stick out, causing a noticeable external bubble on the baby’s back. The term is from the Latinspina(spine) andbifida(split). |
spinal cord | Biology | 1 | A bundle of nerves that runs through the backbone. The nerves process information and conduct impulses between the brain and the rest of the body. |
spiracle | Biology | 1 | 1. An external opening (pore) used for gas exchange (respiration) found on the sides of the body of some invertebrates. 2. An opening in the head of rays and some shark species that allows them to draw in oxygenated water. |
sporangia | Biology | 1 | The reproductive structures in which spores are produced. |
spores | Biology | 1 | Small reproductive structures that can grow into a new individual. Produced by ferns, fungi, and some algae and protozoans. In bacteria, sporesare different – they form in some bacteria in unfavourable conditions, protecting the bacteria from environmental harm. |
sporophyte | Biology | 1 | The spore-producing individual or phase in the life cycle of a plant that has alternation of generations. The diploid generation of the life cycle. |
stamen | Biology | 1 | Male reproductive part of flower. Made of an anther, where pollen is made, and a filament which attaches the anther to the flower. |
starch | Biology | 1 | A complex carbohydrate found chiefly in seeds, fruits, tubers, roots and stem pith of plants. Commonly found in foods, such as potatoes, wheat, rice and corn. |
statocyst | Biology | 1 | The balance organ found in some species of fish and invertebrates such as crabs and shrimp. |
stigma | Biology | 1 | Part of the carpel – the female reproductive organ of a flower. During pollination, pollen from a male flower part (anther) is transferred to the sticky female stigma. |
stipe | Biology | 1 | The section of the stalk from thebaseof the frond to the lamina. |
stolon | Biology | 1 | A special plant stem for asexual reproduction. It grows out sideways along the surface of the ground, and new plants grow up along it or just at the end. |
stratification | Biology | 1 | In biology, the vertical layering of flora and fauna within an environment. |
stress | Biology | 1 | In mechanics, a force applied to a body.In ecology and physiology, a response to a stimulus, e.g. an environmental factor, that disturbs or interferes with the normal equilibrium. |
stromal cells | Biology | 1 | Stromal cells are the connective tissue cells of any organ. |
stromatolite | Biology | 1 | A mound-shaped structure formed in shallow water by alternating layers of carbonate or silicate sediment (mud that becomes trapped in the algae) and algal mats that become fossilised over time. Mounds over a metre high have been found. Stromatolites are widely distributed and contain some of the oldest recorded forms of life from over 2–3 billion years ago. They continue to form today, especially in Australia. |
stylet | Biology | 1 | A specialised mouthpart on an insect adapted for piercing. |
substrate | Biology | 1 | 1. In ecology, the surface or sediment where an organism lives and grows. 2. In biochemistry, the substance on which an enzyme works. |
subtidal | Biology | 1 | Marine habitats that are always submerged. |
superbug | Biology | 1 | A bacteria that is resistant to treatment with antibiotics. |
superoxide | Biology | 1 | A free radical produced in mitochondria as a result of electron leakage from the electron transport chain. It can damage biological molecules such as proteins and nucleic acids. |
symbionts | Biology | 1 | Organisms that live together for their mutual benefit. |
symbiotic | Biology | 1 | A relationship between two species that benefits both species. For example, lichen results from a mutually beneficial partnership between fungi and algae. |
tahr | Biology | 1 | Himalayan tahr are large goat-like animals, native to India and Nepal. Introduced to New Zealand for sport hunting, they have become a threat to alpine areas in the South Island. |
takahē | Biology | 1 | A flightless bird indigenous to New Zealand New Zealand, also known as the South Island takahē (Porphyrio hochstetteri). It was thought to be extinct, but was rediscovered in Fiordland in 1948. |
taxa | Biology | 1 | A taxonomic group of any rank. Taxa are arranged into hierarchical groupings so that a species is also a member of a genus, family, order, kingdom and phylum. |
taxonomic keys | Biology | 1 | Tools created to assist with identifying certain taxa by presenting a seriesof dichotomous steps. |
taxonomist | Biology | 1 | A scientist who specialises in taxonomy – the description, identification and classification of living organisms. |
taxonomy | Biology | 1 | The science of classification; a system of arranging living things into natural, related groups based on some factor common to each. |
temperate limestone | Biology | 1 | A category of limestone, rich in the mineral calcite, that has formed from the smashed up calcareous skeletal debris of marine organisms (both plants and animals) that once lived in cool or temperate waters of higher latitudes. |
thermophilic bacteria | Biology | 1 | Bacteria that thrive at hot temperatures. They have an optimal growth temperature of 45–122°C. |
tissue culture | Biology | 1 | The growth of cells or tissue under carefully controlled laboratory conditions. |
toxin | Biology | 1 | A poisonous substance that is a specific product of the metabolic activities of a living organism. |
trace metal | Biology | 1 | One of a group of metals that occur in extremely small quantities and can be found in animal and plant cells and tissue. Trace metals include iron (Fe), magnesium (Mg), lithium (Li), zinc (Zn), copper (Cu), chromium (Cr), nickel (Ni), cobalt (Co), vanadium (V), arsenic (As), molybdenum (Mo) and selenium (Se). |
trait | Biology | 1 | Characteristic, usually a physical characteristic of a living organism, such as the height of a plant or the hair colour of a mammal. |
transcription factor | Biology | 1 | A protein that switches the expression of genes on and off. |
transformation | Biology | 1 | Changing the genotype and phenotype of an organism by introducing different DNA into its cells. |
transgene | Biology | 1 | A gene that has been integrated into the genome of a recipient organism. |
transgenic | Biology | 1 | An organism (plant, animal, bacterium or virus) whose genome has been changed using genetic material from a different species. |
translocation | Biology | 1 | When plants or animals are transported to a new area to establish a new population or to add genetic diversity to an existing population. |
transpiration | Biology | 1 | The process by which water exits leaves in plants and enters the atmosphere in a gas phase. |
tuber | Biology | 1 | A thickened underground stem, for example, a potato. A tuber stores food so the plant can lie dormant over winter and is a way of producing new plants asexually. |
ultrastructure | Biology | 1 | The detailed structure of a biological specimen, such as a cell, tissue or organ, which can only be observed using an electron microscope. |
umbilical cord | Biology | 1 | The cord that connects a fetus to the placenta during pregnancy – it carries blood and nutrients to the growing fetus. |
vascular | Biology | 1 | Containing vessels that carry or circulate fluids, such as blood, or sap, through the body of an animal or plant. |
vascular plant | Biology | 1 | A plant that has tissues for moving water and nutrients internally. Most plants are vascular; mosses and similar plants are not. |
vector | Biology | 1 | Biology: a carrier, i.e. a mosquito is avectorfor malaria.Biocontrol: avectorcarries the control agent to the target organisms, i.e. blowflies (vector) spread calicivirus amongst rabbits.Genetic engineering: a tool used to carry a gene of interest. Vectors are small pieces of DNA, often a plasmid, and are used to carry foreign DNA into a cell.Physics: a quantity that has both magnitude and direction. |
venomous | Biology | 1 | Full of venom – poisonous. A venomous species injects their toxin via biting or stinging. |
vertebrate | Biology | 1 | Animals that have a backbone, including mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and fish. |
vestigial | Biology | 1 | Part of an animal that is no longer used and, from an evolutionary perspective, is in the process of being lost. Vestigial structures are often small, and they usually serve very little function. |
vicariance | Biology | 1 | The geographical separation and isolation of a species resulting in the original population's evolution into a new species. |
voucher specimen | Biology | 1 | Representative specimens are collected in biological field surveys and research that are preserved to permit independent verification of results and to allow further study. |
weathering | Biology | 1 | Chemical, mechanical (including freezing and thawing) and biological processes that break down rocks into smaller pieces. Weathering does not include the transport away of broken-down material. |
wild type | Biology | 1 | The typical form of an organism, strain or gene. |
wilding conifer | Biology | 1 | New Zealand term for introduced conifers that are spreading across the landscape through natural regeneration. They include cedars, pines, firs, cypress, larches and spruces. |
wildlife corridor | Biology | 1 | An area connecting wildlife populations whose habitat has been separated by human activities or structures. |
xenotransplantation | Biology | 1 | A living cell, tissue or organ transplant between different species. |
zoea | Biology | 1 | Early stage in the life cycle of a crab. Characterised by the use of thoracic appendages to swim. |
zoospore | Biology | 1 | A spore of certain algae, fungi, and protozoans, capable of swimming by means of a flagellum. |
biologist | Biology | 1 | A scientist who studies plant and animal life. |
habitat | Biology | 1 | A place where a plant, an animal or a human can get the food, water, shelterand space needed to live. |
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