Advanced Vocabulary for TOEFL - Biology

Here you will learn some English words about biology, such as "enzyme", "microbe", "fetus", etc. that are needed for the TOEFL exam.

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Advanced Vocabulary for TOEFL
anatomy [noun]

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

Ex: The textbook on anatomy included detailed diagrams of the muscular and skeletal systems .

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

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

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

enzyme [noun]

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

Ex: Industrial processes often utilize enzymes to catalyze chemical reactions and improve efficiency .
antigen [noun]

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

Ex: Allergies occur when the immune system overreacts to a harmless antigen .
microbe [noun]

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

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

fetus [noun]

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

Ex: The mother was excited to see her fetus in the ultrasound image .
embryo [noun]

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

Ex: Researchers study embryos to better understand the early stages of human development and congenital disorders .

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

Ex: She was tested to determine if she ovulates regularly .

to experience genetic changes

Ex: Genetic material can spontaneously mutate during replication .
mutant [noun]

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

lymph [noun]

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

Ex: Doctors examined the lymph to diagnose potential infections .

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

membrane [noun]

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

Ex: The outer membrane of the bacteria helps to safeguard its contents .
lipid [noun]

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

any organic compound that creates the basic structure of proteins

neuron [noun]

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

Ex: A single neuron can connect to thousands of other nerve cells .

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

Ex: Endorphins act as neurotransmitters that relieve pain and induce pleasure .

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

Ex: Dysfunction of the mitochondrion can lead to a variety of diseases and disorders , including mitochondrial myopathy and Leigh syndrome .
cortisol [noun]

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

Ex:

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

insulin [noun]

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

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

Ex:
RNA [noun]

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

Ex: Viruses like SARS-CoV-2 use RNA as their genetic material .
receptor [noun]

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

genome [noun]

the complete set of genetic material of any living thing

Ex: Researchers are studying the genome of the coronavirus to track its mutations and develop effective vaccines .
dominant [adjective]

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

Ex:

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

stimulus [noun]

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

Ex: In therapy , therapists may use various stimuli , such as images or prompts , to evoke emotional responses and facilitate discussion .
estrogen [noun]

a hormone primarily responsible for female reproductive development and regulation

hybrid [noun]

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

Ex: The gardener planted a hybrid in her vegetable patch , knowing it would yield more fruit and be less susceptible to disease than purebred varieties .
clone [noun]

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

Ex: Researchers created a clone of the original stem cell to study its potential for regenerating damaged tissues .