Kerala SSLC Biology flashcards
Kerala SSLC Biology · Build recall with a focused review session.
32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.
- Cell theory
- The principle stating that all living organisms are made of cells, the cell is the basic unit of life, and all cells arise from pre-existing cells.
- Mitosis
- A type of cell division producing two genetically identical diploid daughter cells, essential for growth, repair, and asexual reproduction.
- Meiosis
- A reduction division producing four haploid cells from one diploid cell, occurring in gamete formation and increasing genetic variation.
- Crossing over
- Exchange of segments between homologous chromosomes at chiasmata during prophase I of meiosis, creating new allele combinations and genetic variation.
- Allele
- One of two or more alternative forms of the same gene, occupying the same locus on homologous chromosomes and producing different traits.
- Genotype
- The genetic makeup of an organism, describing the particular combination of alleles it carries for one or more traits.
- Test cross
- A cross between an individual showing a dominant trait and a homozygous recessive individual, used to determine the unknown genotype.
- Chargaff's rule
- In double-stranded DNA, the amount of adenine equals thymine and guanine equals cytosine, because of complementary base pairing.
- Transpiration
- The loss of water vapour from leaves through stomata, creating a pull that draws water up the xylem from roots.
- Translocation
- The movement of sucrose and amino acids through phloem from source to sink, driven by pressure differences.
- Plasmolysis
- Shrinkage of a plant cell's protoplast away from the cell wall when it loses water in a hypertonic solution.
- Photosynthesis
- The process by which green plants use light energy and chlorophyll to convert carbon dioxide and water into glucose and oxygen.
- Bile
- A fluid produced by the liver and stored in the gallbladder that emulsifies fats and neutralises acidic chyme in the small intestine.
- Villi
- Finger-like projections of the small intestine lining that increase surface area for absorption of digested nutrients into blood and lymph.
- Denaturation
- Loss of an enzyme's three-dimensional shape and function caused by extremes of temperature or pH, permanently changing the active site.
- Anaerobic respiration
- Breakdown of glucose without oxygen, releasing less energy and producing lactic acid in muscles or ethanol and carbon dioxide in yeast.
- Alveoli
- Tiny air sacs in the lungs with thin walls, large surface area, and rich blood supply, where gas exchange takes place.
- Haemoglobin
- An iron-containing pigment in red blood cells that binds oxygen in the lungs and releases it in respiring tissues.
- Double circulation
- A circulatory pattern in which blood passes through the heart twice per complete circuit, maintaining high pressure to body tissues.
- SA node
- The pacemaker of the heart, located in the right atrium, which initiates electrical impulses that regulate the heartbeat.
- Capillary
- A tiny blood vessel with walls one cell thick, allowing exchange of gases, nutrients, and wastes between blood and tissues.
- Ultrafiltration
- Filtration of blood under pressure in the glomerulus, removing water, glucose, salts, and urea while retaining proteins and blood cells.
- ADH
- Antidiuretic hormone from the posterior pituitary that increases water reabsorption in the kidney collecting duct, producing concentrated urine.
- Dialysis
- A procedure that removes urea and excess salts from blood through a selectively permeable membrane when kidneys fail.
- Reflex arc
- The neural pathway of an involuntary response: receptor, sensory neurone, relay neurone, motor neurone, and effector.
- Synapse
- The junction between two neurones where a nerve impulse is transmitted by neurotransmitters diffusing across a small gap.
- Insulin
- A hormone from the pancreas that lowers blood glucose by promoting glucose uptake by cells and glycogen storage in the liver.
- Auxin
- A plant hormone that promotes cell elongation and mediates phototropism and geotropism by accumulating on the shaded or lower side.
- Placenta
- An organ in the uterus that allows exchange of nutrients, oxygen, and wastes between the mother's blood and the fetus.
- Double fertilisation
- A process in angiosperms where one sperm fuses with the egg and another with polar nuclei, forming the zygote and triploid endosperm.
- Trophic level
- A feeding position in a food chain, such as producer, primary consumer, or secondary consumer, through which energy flows.
- Decomposer
- An organism such as bacteria or fungi that breaks down dead organic matter, releasing nutrients back into the soil and ecosystem.