- The 10 most common technicalities in biology
- 1- Haploid
- 2- Diploid
- 3- Homeostasis
- 4- Genotype
- 5- Phenotype
- 6- Natural selection
- 7- Prokaryotic
- 8- Eukaryote
- 9- Binary fission
- 10- Niche
- References
The technicalities of biology can seem confusing. Biologists use a lot of special terminology that can overwhelm many people, especially if they are not familiar with scientific disciplines.
The development of these terms has been very useful for biologists to communicate their research effectively.
This is because biological concepts and processes are often so complex that having a simple term to describe it is quite helpful, as it saves a lot of time and makes sure everyone is talking about the same thing.
In many cases, when scientists try to communicate their research to the general public, they are not understood due to the complexity of their jargon.
You may also be interested in these medical technicalities.
The 10 most common technicalities in biology
1- Haploid
It is a cell (or an organism) that contains half the number of homologous chromosomes.
2- Diploid
It is a cell or organism that contains two sets of homologous chromosomes: generally one from the mother and the other from the father.
3- Homeostasis
It is the tendency of an organism or a cell to regulate its internal conditions, usually through a system of controls.
This is done in order to stabilize and function properly, regardless of external environmental conditions.
4- Genotype
It is the set of genes that determines the expression of a characteristic or particular trait (phenotype) of an organism.
5- Phenotype
It is the physical appearance or biochemical characteristic of an organism, the result of the interaction of its genotype and the environment.
6- Natural selection
It is a process of nature in which organisms that possess certain genotypic characteristics that allow them to better adapt to a particular environment tend to survive, reproduce and increase in number.
For this they are able to pass their genes on to future generations.
7- Prokaryotic
It is an organism that is characterized mainly by the lack of a true nucleus and of other cellular compartments surrounded by a membrane: such as mitochondria and chloroplasts.
8- Eukaryote
It is an organism, unicellular or multicellular, whose cells contain a defined nucleus and cell compartments surrounded by a membrane.
9- Binary fission
Binary fission is a type of asexual reproduction common among prokaryotes in which one cell divides into two cells, each with the potential to grow to the size of the original cell.
10- Niche
It is the specific area where an organism lives. It also means the role that an organism or species plays in an ecosystem.
References
- Biology Online Dictionary. Recovered from: biology-online.com
- Campbell, N. & Reece, J. (2005). Biology (2nd ed.) Pearson Education.
- Indge, B. (2014). Dictionary of Biology. Routledge.
- Lawrence, E. (2008). Henderson's Dictionary of Biology. (Illustrated ed.) Pearson Education.
- McDonnell, L., Barker, M. & Wiemans, C. (2015). Concepts First, Jargon Second Improves Student Articulation of Understanding. Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Education, 44 (1), 12-19.
- Solomon, E., Berg, L. & Martin, D. (2004). Biology (7th ed.) Cengage Learning.