Vocabolario Avanzato per il TOEFL - Biologia

the branch of science that is concerned with the physical structure of humans, animals, or plants

anatomia

a very small threadlike structure in a living organism that carries the genes and genetic information

cromosoma

a sex chromosome, two of which exist in female cells and only one in male cells

Cromosoma X

a sex chromosome, which is normally present only in male cells

Cromosoma Y

a substance that all living organisms produce that brings about a chemical reaction without being altered itself

enzima

any foreign substance in the body that can trigger a response from the immune system

antigene

a very small living organism that cannot be seen without a microscope and can cause a disease

microbo

to retain something such as eggs or bacteria in a favorable condition to help them develop

incubare

an offspring of a human or animal that is not born yet, particularly a human aged more than eight weeks after conception

feto

an unhatched or unborn offspring in the process of development, especially a human offspring roughly from the second to the eighth week after fertilization

embrione

(of a female animal or human) to produce an ovum from the ovary

ovulare

to experience genetic changes

mutare

a living organism that is different from its kind because of a genetic change

mutante

a colorless liquid consisting of white blood cells that helps to prevent infections from spreading

linfonodo

(biology) a basic type of cell in a multicellular organism, which develops into different kinds of cells with different functions

cellule staminali

a thin sheet of tissue that separates or covers the inner parts of an organism

membrana

any of a class of organic substances that do not dissolve in water that include many natural oils, waxes, and steroids

lipidico

any organic compound that creates the basic structure of proteins

aminoacido

a cell that is responsible for transmitting nerve impulses between the brain and the rest of the body

neurone

a chemical substance that transmits messages from a neuron to another one or to a muscle

neurotrasmettitore

an organelle that is abundantly present in most cells and is responsible for energy production

mitocondrio

not needing free oxygen to function

anaerobico

a steroid hormone that the body produces and is used in medicine to help cure skin diseases

cortisolo

a hormone related to gender that is produced by male body to develop typical male features

testosterone

a hormone that is responsible for controlling the level of glucose in the blood, the lack of which can cause diabetes

insulina

(of a cell, gland, or organ) to produce and release a liquid substance in the body

secernere

(biochemistry) a chemical substance that carries the information from DNA to control the cellular protein biosynthesis

RNA

a sense organ or nerve ending that can respond to external stimuli and is able to transmit data to the central nervous system

recettore

the complete set of genetic material of any living thing

genoma

(of genes) causing a person to inherit a particular physical feature, even if it is only present in one parent's genome

dominante

the ordering of nucleotides in DNA molecules that carries the genetic information in living cells

codice genetico

something that triggers a reaction in various areas like psychology or physiology

stimolo

a hormone primarily responsible for female reproductive development and regulation

estrogeno

an animal or plant with parents that belong to different breeds or varieties

ibrido

a cell or a group of cells created through a natural or artificial process from a source that they are genetically identical to

clone