pattern

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.

Review

Flashcards

Spelling

Quiz

Start learning
Advanced Words Needed for TOEFL
anatomy
anatomy
[noun]

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

Ex: She excelled in her anatomy class, fascinated by the intricate details of the human body. 
Close
Sign in
chromosome

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

Close
Sign in
X chromosome

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

Close
Sign in
Y chromosome

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

Close
Sign in
enzyme
enzyme
[noun]

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

Ex: Enzymes play a crucial role in digestion, breaking down food into smaller molecules that can be absorbed by the body. 
Close
Sign in
antigen
antigen
[noun]

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

Ex: The vaccine introduces a harmless antigen to stimulate immunity. 
Close
Sign in
microbe
microbe
[noun]

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

Close
Sign in
to incubate

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

Close
Sign in
fetus
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 ultrasound showed that the fetus was developing normally. 
Close
Sign in
embryo
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: During the first trimester, the human embryo undergoes rapid cell division and differentiation to form essential organs. 
Close
Sign in
to ovulate

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

Ex: To understand her cycle, she tracked when she ovulates. 
Close
Sign in
to mutate
to mutate
[Verb]

to experience genetic changes

Ex: Over time, certain organisms may mutate to adapt to environmental pressures. 
Close
Sign in
mutant
mutant
[noun]

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

Close
Sign in
lymph
lymph
[noun]

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

Ex: Swelling can occur when lymph is not properly drained. 
Close
Sign in
stem cell
stem cell
[noun]

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

Close
Sign in
membrane
membrane
[noun]

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

Ex: The cell membrane protects the interior of the cell. 
Close
Sign in
lipid
lipid
[noun]

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

Close
Sign in
amino acid

any organic compound that creates the basic structure of proteins

Close
Sign in
neuron
neuron
[noun]

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

Ex: Neurons transmit signals at speeds of up to 120 meters per second. 
Close
Sign in
neurotransmitter

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

Ex: Dopamine is a neurotransmitter involved in mood regulation. 
Close
Sign in
mitochondrion

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

Ex: The mitochondrion is a membrane-bound organelle found in most eukaryotic cells. 
Close
Sign in
anaerobic
anaerobic
[Adjective]

not needing free oxygen to function

Close
Sign in
cortisol
cortisol
[noun]

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

Ex: High levels of cortisol can increase stress and anxiety. 
Close
Sign in
testosterone

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

Close
Sign in
insulin
insulin
[noun]

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

Close
Sign in
to secrete

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

Ex: Salivary glands secrete enzymes that aid in the digestion of food. 
Close
Sign in
RNA
RNA
[noun]

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

Ex: RNA transcribes genetic information from DNA to guide protein production. 
Close
Sign in
receptor
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

Close
Sign in
genome
genome
[noun]

the complete set of genetic material of any living thing

Ex: The human genome consists of approximately 3 billion base pairs of DNA, encoding all the information needed for human development and function. 
Close
Sign in
dominant
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 gene for brown eyes is dominant over the gene for blue eyes. 
Close
Sign in
genetic code

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

Close
Sign in
stimulus
stimulus
[noun]

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

Ex: In a lab experiment, the researchers applied a visual stimulus to study participants to observe and measure their neurological responses. 
Close
Sign in
estrogen
estrogen
[noun]

a hormone primarily responsible for female reproductive development and regulation

Close
Sign in
hybrid
hybrid
[noun]

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

Ex: The farmer proudly displayed his new hybrid, a cross between a Brahman and an Angus, which combined the best traits of both cattle breeds. 
Close
Sign in
clone
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: The scientists observed the behavior of the bacterial clone to understand how it would respond to different antibiotics. 
Close
Sign in
LanGeek
Download LanGeek app