Glossary
- Antibiotic:
- A chemical ammunition which kills bad boy bacteria.
- Asexual:
- Reproduction that occurs without the union of male and female gametes, as in budding.
- Bacteria:
- Microscopic one-celled organism; can't be seen without a microscope.
- Bacteria, Harmful:
- Bad-boy bacteria that spread disease, damage roads, spoil food, and water, etc.
- Bacteria, Helpful:
- Good-boy bacteria that are necessary for Life on Earth (i.e. production of food, oxygen, antibiotics, fuel, environmental clean-up of oil and pesticides, etc.
- Budding:
- To reproduce asexually by forming a bud; common in yeast
- Chlorophyll:
- Green plant pigment found in plants and cyanobacteria.
- Chloroplast:
- A chlorophyll containing structure found in green plants and cyanobacteria cells
- Colony:
- A group of like cells clustered together
- Cyanobacteria:
- Often called "blue green bacteria", a bacteria that lives in the water and makes their own food (photosynthesis); usually one-celled, can grow in colonies large enough to see without a microscope.
- Decomposer:
- Bacteria and fungi that breakdown dead plants and animals and use them for food.
- Diatomaceous earth:
- A powdery deposit composed of the dead shells of diatoms found in toothpaste and car polish.
- Eukaryote:
- Eukaryote cells contain a true nucleus and other cell organelles; often complex in form; protists, plants, plants, and animals.
- Fermentation:
- Energy releasing process in yeast which breaks down sugars into carbon dioxide and alcohol.
- Filament:
- A chain-like series of cells.
- Fungus (Kingdom Fungi):
- Fungi are complex organisms that have NO chlorophyll ( pigment used by plants to survive).
- Germ:
- A microbe that usually causes disease.
- Infection:
- Invasion and multiplication of microbes in body tissues.
- Lichen:
- A fungus and an alga living together (symbiosis).
- Microbe:
- An organism so small you can see it only with a microscope; a minute living organism.
- Microbiology:
- The study of microbes.
- Microorganism:
- A microbe.
- Microscope:
- An optical instrument used to magnify tiny objects that are too small to be seen by the eye.
- Mildew:
- Any fungus that attacks plants, paper, clothes and other objects (like leather shoes inside a dark closet), and forms a powdery whitish growth.
- Mold:
- Any fungus that feeds on live, dead or decaying matter; and forms a cottony growth.
- Nucleus:
- Cell structure that directs all the activities of the cell.
- Organelle:
- A structure within a cell, such as a mitochondrion, vacuole, or chloroplast, that performs a specific function.
- Oxygen:
- A nonmetallic element; 21 percent of the atmosphere is diatomic gas, O2, found in the compound water. It is essential for plant and animal respiration, and is required for nearly all combustion.
- Prokaryote:
- Contain no nucleus or other cell organelles; often simple in form like bacteria.
- Protist (Kingdom Protista):
- Mostly one-celled micro-organisms with a nucleus and other cell organelles,includingplant- and animal-like organisms (i.e. paramecia, amoebas,diatoms,euglenas, and many more).
- Salmonella:
- A bacteria of the genus Salmonella, which causes food poisoning in human beings and in domesic animals.
- Silica:
- A white crystal compound used to make glass.
- Symbiosis:
- A close, relationship between two or more different organisms of different species that may or may not benefit each member.
- Yeast:
- A one-celled fungi that breaks down sugar into carbon dioxide and alcohol; asexual reproduction by budding.
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