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Recombinant DNA DNA in which one or more segments or genes have been inserted,
either naturally or by laboratory manipulation, from a different molecule or from another part
of the same molecule, resulting in a new genetic combination
Transcription The process by which mRNA is synthesized from a DNA template resulting
in the transfer of genetic information from the DNA molecule to mRNA
Replication the process by which exact copies of complex molecules, such as DNA
molecules, that occurs during growth of living organisms
Traslation The process by which mRNA, tRNA, and ribosomes effect the production of a
protein molecule from amino acids, the specificity of synthesis being controlled by the base
sequences of the mRNA
,Ecosystem the interaction of a community of organisms with their environment
Producer An autotrophic organism that serves as a source of food for other organisms in
a food chain. Producers include green plants, which produce food through photosynthesis, and
certain bacteria that are capable of converting inorganic substances into food through
chemosynthesis
Chemoautotroph an organism that depends on inorganic chemicals for its energy and
principally on carbon dioxide for its carbon
Dichotomous Key used to identify a plant or animal in which each stage presents
descriptions of two distinguishing characters, with a direction to another stage in the key, until
the species is identified
Binomial Nomenclature a system for naming plants and animals by means of two Latin
names: the first indicating the genus and the second the species to which the organism belongs
Autotroph any organism capable of self-nourishment by using inorganic materials as a
source of nutrients and using photosynthesis or chemosynthesis as a source of energy
, Taxon A taxonomic category or group, such as a phylum, order, family, genus, or species
chemosynthesis the formation of organic material by certain bacteria using energy
derived from simple chemical reactions
taxonomy the science dealing with the description, identification, naming, and
classification of organisms
Prokaryote any cellular organism that has no nuclear membrane, no organelles in the
cytoplasm except ribosomes, and has its genetic material in the form of single continuous
strands forming coils or loops
Eukaryote any organism having as its fundamental structural unit a cell type that contains
specialized organelles in the cytoplasm, a membrane-bound nucleus enclosing genetic material
organized into chromosomes, and an elaborate system of division by mitosis or meiosis
Exoskeleton A hard, protective outer body covering of an animal, such as an insect,
crustacean, or mollusk