Biology Glossary

A
Agglutination (Penggumpalan)
The clumping of foreign substances or microorganisms by antibodies.


Agranulocyte (Agranulosit)
White blood cells with a non-granular cytoplasm. The nucleus can be either bean-shaped or spherical in shape. For example, lymphocytes and monocytes.


Allele (Alel)
An alternative form of a gene for a particular characteristic.


Anaerobe (Anaerob)
An organism that is able to release energy from food in the absence of oxygen.


Antibody (Antibodi)
A specific protein molecule produced by lymphocytes as a response to the entry of antigen into the body.


Antigen (Antigen)
A foreign substance that stimulates the production of specific antibodies by lymphocytes; usually a protein, carbohydrate or glycoprotein.


Appendicular skeleton (Rangka apendaj)
The skeleton that is made up of the bones of the limbs as well as the pectoral and pelvic girdles.


Artery (Arteri)
A vessel that carries blood away from the heart to organs throughout the body.


Atherosclerosis (Aterosklerosis)
Progressive build up of plaques that cause narrowing of arteries and obstruction of blood flow.


Atrium (Atrium)
An upper chamber of the heart that receives blood from the veins and forces the blood by muscular contraction into the ventricles.


Autosome (Autosom)
Any of the chromosomes in a cell other than the sex chromosomes (that is, not the X or Y chromosome in humans).


Autotroph (Autotrof)
Producer. An organism able to synthesise it’s own food from inorganic compounds.


B
Balanced diet (Gizi seimbang)
A balanced diet contains all the essential nutrients (carbohydrates, proteins, fats, minerals, vitamins, fibre and water) in correct proportion to meet the requirements of the body.


Basophils (Basofil)
A type of white blood cell that releases heparin to prevent intravascular blood clot formation. They are involved in certain allergic reactions.


Benedict’s test (Ujian Benedict)
A biochemical test to determine the presence of a reducing sugar, for example, glucose. Benedict’s reagent (a blue solution containing copper sulphate) forms a green, yellow, orange or brick red precipitate in the presence of a reducing sugar.


Bile (Hempedu)
A greenish-yellow liquid secretion that is produced by the liver and stored in the gall bladder for release into the small intestine during digestion. It is a complex mixture of bile salts (that emulsify fats), bile pigments, water and cholesterol.


Biotic factors (Faktor Biosis / Faktor Biotik)
The living organisms found within an ecosystem. These include producers, consumers and decomposers.


Blastocyst (Blastosista)
A hollow sphere of cells developing from the morula; the stage of implantation in the uterine wall.


C
Caecum (Sekum)
Dilated pouch at the junction of the small and large intestines, terminating in the appendix. It has no known function in humans. In herbivorous animals like rabbits and cows, the caecum is quite long and contains cellulose-digesting bacteria.


Capillarity (Kekapilarian)
The action that causes water to rise in a narrow
vessel. This is caused by cohesion between water molecules and adhesion between water molecules and walls of vessels.


Capillary (Kapilari)
The smallest blood vessel with a wall only one cell thick; allows exchange of substances between blood and interstitial fluid.
Cardiac muscle (Otot kardium)
A type of muscle found in the heart. It is myogenic. Contractions are produced spontaneously, without nervous stimulation.


Cardiovascular system (Sistem Kardiovaskular)
The system consisting of the heart, blood and blood vessels.


Carnivore (Karnivor)
An animal that feeds on other animals; a secondary consumer.


Carotid body (Jasad karotid)
Tissue mass in the wall of the carotid artery containing receptors that are sensitive to the carbon dioxide and pH level in the blood, and to low oxygen concentrations in the blood.


Cartilage (Rawan)
Non-elastic tissue found at the ends of bones with movable joints; functions to protect bones from wear and tear.


Cell sap (Sap sel)
A fluid in the vacuole of plant cells that consists of a high percentage of water and sugars, as well as some mineral salts.


Characteristic (Ciri)
A distinctive, inherited feature of an organism.


Chromatin (Kromatin)
A substance consisting of DNA and proteins found in the nucleus during interphase.


Chromosomal mutation (Mutasi kromosom)
A change in the structure of chromosomes or number of chromosomes.


Chromosome (Kromosom)
A long, threadlike structure made up of DNA and proteins; located in the nucleus.


Closed circulatory system (Sistem peredaran tertutup)
A type of circulatory system in which the blood is always confined within the heart and vessels.


Coccyx (Koksiks)
The small vertebral bones found at the end of the vertebral column; forms the tail of animals.


Collagen (Kolagen)
Fibers found in the matrix of connective tissues such as the skin, bones and cartilage.


Collenchyma (Kolenkima)
Plant cells with thick cellulose walls; normally found beneath the epidermis.


Continuous variation (Variasi selanjar)
The continuous range of differences that can be observed in a certain characteristic of a species;
such characteristics are controlled by a large number of genes.


Crossing over (Pindah silang)
The process of exchanging genetic material between two non-sister chromatids of a pair of homologous chromosomes during Prophase I of meiosis.




D
Denitrification (Pendenitritan)
The action of certain soil bacteria in changing (reducing) nitrates into simpler compounds, such as nitrites, ammonia, and eventually to nitrogen gas.


Depressant (Depresen)
Drug that slows downs the activity of the central nervous system. Examples are alcohol and barbiturates.


Diaphragm (Diafragma)
1. In the respiratory system, a muscular membrane forming the floor of the chest cavity that, when contracted, pulls downwards, enlarging the chest cavity and causing air to be drawn into the lungs.
2. A birth control device that is placed over the neck of the cervix to prevent sperm from entering the uterus, thereby preventing pregnancy.


Dicot (Dikot)
Short for dicotyledonous. A type of flowering plant characterised by seeds with two cotyledons or seed leaves, modified for food storage.


Discontinuous variation (Variasi tak selanjar)
Clearly defined differences in a characteristic in individuals of a species; it is qualitative (a feature is either present or absent) and is controlled by a single gene with two or more alleles.


DNA (DNA)
Deoxyribonucleic acid, consisting of two deoxyri-bonucleotide strands coiled to form a double helix.

Dominant allele (Alel dominan)
An allele that produces the phenotypic charac-
teristic both in the homozygous and heterozygous condition.


Double fertilisation (Persenyawaan ganda dua)
The process of fertilisation seen only in flowering plants (Angiosperms); involves the fusion of a male gamete with an egg cell and another male gamete with two polar nuclei in the embryo sac.


Down’s syndrome (Sindrom Down)
A genetic disease caused by the presence of an extra chromosome 21.


Dry mass (Berat kering)
The mass or weight of an organism after the water content has been eliminated.




E
Ecology (Ekologi)
The branch of biology which studies interactions
among organisms as well as the interactions between organisms and their environment.


Ecosystem (Ekosistem)
All the organisms and their physical environment
within a defined area.


Ectoparasite (Ektoparasit)
A parasite that lives on the outside of the host, for example, fleas.


Effector (Efektor)
A cell or organ such as muscles and glands that produces a physiological response.


Embryo sac (Pundi embrio)
A structure in the ovule of the flower that contains eight haploid nuclei.


Embryo (Embrio)
The early stage of the development of a zygote in
a multicellular organism.


Endocrine system (Sistem endokrin)
The system of endocrine glands secreting hormones directly into the blood.


Endoparasite (Endoparasit)
A parasite that lives within its host, for example, tapeworms.

Endosperm (Endosperma)
Storage tissues with triploid nuclei found in seeds
and formed by the fusion of a male gamete with
two polar nuclei in the ovule.


Enzyme (Enzim)
Biological catalyst. A protein molecule that speeds up the rate of specific biological reactions.


Erythrocyte (Eritrosit)
Red blood cell.


Exhalation (Hembus nafas)
In mammals, it is the act of releasing air from the
lungs.




F
F1 (F1)
Short form for first filial generation. The offspring that results when plants or animals from the parent generation breed.


F2 (F2)
Short form for second filial generation. The offspring that is produced when F1 individuals are crossed or mated with each other.


Facilitated diffusion (Resapan berbantu)
The movement of molecules across a membrane,
assisted by specific proteins embedded in the
membrane. It does not require energy.


Fermentation (Penapaian)
A form of anaerobic respiration that when
undertaken by yeasts and plants, produces energy, ethanol and carbon dioxide. When undertaken in muscles, fermentation produces lactic acid and energy.


Fertilisation (Persenyawaan)
The process of fusion of a male gamete and a female gamete to form a zygote.


Fibrinogen (Fibrinogen)
A plasma protein that is converted into insoluble fibrin during blood clotting.


Foetus (Fetus)
The later stages of mammalian embryonic development when the developing animal has recognisable adult features.
Food chain (Rantai makanan)
A linear feeding relationship in a community which shows the transfer of food energy from organism
to organism. A food chain starts with a producer
(usually a green plant), and arrows are used to show
the direction in which energy and nutrients flow.


Fresh mass (Berat basah)
The weight of a living organism.




G
Gamete (Gamet)
A reproductive cell that is haploid.


Ganglion (pl. ganglia) (Ganglion)
A cluster of the cell bodies of neurones.


Gastric juice (Jus gaster)
A mixture of chemicals secreted by glands in the walls of the stomach to help digest food. It contains:
(a) the enzyme pepsin which breaks down proteins into polypeptides
(b) the enzyme rennin which curdles milk
(c) hydrochloric acid which kills most of the bacteria present in food
(d) mucus which coats the walls of the stomach to prevent it from being digested


Gene mutation (Mutasi gen)
A sudden random change in the sequence of nucleotides in a particular gene.


Gene (Gen)
A basic unit of inheritance which consists of a
specific sequence of nucleotides in the DNA of chromosomes. It determines the characteristic of an organism.


Generative nucleus (Nukleus penjana)
The nucleus in pollen that divides to become two male gametes.


Genotype (Genotip)
The genetic composition of an organism that determines its characteristics.


Genus (Genus)
Taxonomic group containing related species.


Germination (Percambahan)
The initial stage of growth and development of a seed, spore or pollen grain.
Glomerulus (Glomerulus)
A dense network of thin-walled capillaries, located within Bowman’s capsule of each nephron of the kidney, where blood pressure forces water and dissolved nutrients through capillary walls for filtration by the nephron.


Graafian follicle (Folikel Graaf)
A mature follicle in the ovary of a mammal that contains the secondary oocyte; secretes the hormone oestrogen.


Granulocyte (Granulosit)
A white blood cell that has granular cytoplasm and a lobed nucleus.


H
Haemoglobin (Hemoglobin)
Respiratory pigment containing protein and iron, located in red blood cells.


Haemophilia (Hemofilia)
A hereditary, sex-linked disease caused by deficiency of clotting factors; causes the blood to clot very slowly.


Heart (Jantung)
The muscular organ that pumps blood through the circulatory system.


Heart attack (Serangan jantung)
A severe reduction or blockage of blood flow through a coronary artery, thus cutting off the blood supply to heart muscles resulting in death of tissues.


Herbivore (Herbivor)
Plant-eating animal. An organism that feeds directly and exclusively on vegetation; a primary consumer.


Heterotroph (Heterotrof)
An organism which is unable to make its own food, and thus depends on other organisms as a source of food.


Heterozygote (Heterozigot)
An organism or cell having two different alleles of a gene for a particular inherited characteristic.


Homeostasis (Homeostasis)
The maintenance of the physical and chemical composition of the internal environment at a constant level.




Hormone (Hormon)
A chemical substance secreted by endocrine glands into the blood and transported to target cells or organs where it induces a specific physiological response.


Host (Perumah)
The organism on or in which a parasite or another species lives.


Hybrid (Hibrid)
An organism that is the offspring of parents differing in at least one genetically determined characteristic. Also used to refer to the offspring of parents of different species.


Hydrostatic skeleton (Rangka hidrostatik)
A type of support system that uses fluid contained in body compartments to provide support and mass against which muscles can contract. For example, the earthworm has a hydrostatic skeleton.


Hydrotropism (Hidrotropisme)
The growth of plant roots towards water or moisture.


I
Immune system (Sistem keimunan)
A system in vertebrates for the destruction of disease-causing microorganisms. It consists of white blood cells such as lymphocytes, and plasma cells and their products.


Immunity (Keimunan)
The ability of the body to defend itself against infection caused by pathogens or the harmful effects of their toxins.


Implantation (Penempelan)
The process in which the blastocyst attaches itself to the endometrium.


Inhalation (Tarik nafas)
In mammals, this is the act of drawing air into the lungs by enlarging the chest cavity.


Inheritance (Pewarisan)
Acquisition of characteristics by the transmission of genes from one generation to another.




J
Joint (Sendi)
A flexible region between two rigid units of an exoskeleton or endoskeleton, allowing for movement between the units. The joint is held together by various muscles and tendons.
(a) The hinge joint allows movement only in one plane, forward and backward (like the hinge of a door). Examples are the elbow, knee and knuckle joints.
(b) The ball-and-socket joint allows considerable movement - the bones can swivel and move in many directions. Examples are the hip joint and shoulder joint.


K
Karyotype (Kariotip)
A display of chromosome pairs of a somatic cell, arranged according to size and shape.


Knee jerk (Pantulan lutut)
A reflex action when a tendon under the knee cap is tapped. It involves only two neurones, an afferent neurone and an efferent neurone. The reflex will cause the quadriceps muscle to contract and bring the lower leg forward.


Kwashiorkor (Kwasyiorkor)
A protein-deficiency disease, usually occurring in children raised in tropical countries. The symptoms are a distended stomach (potbelly), changes in skin pigmentation and diarrhoea.




L
Lacteal (Lakteal)
A blind-ended, single, lymph capillary in each villus of the small intestine.


Law of independent assortment (Hukum pengaturan bebas)
During gamete formation, each member of a pair of alleles may combine randomly with either member of another pair of alleles.


Law of segregation (Hukum segregasi)
The law of segregation states that each individual characteristic of an organism is determined by a pair of alleles. The pair of alleles segregate during meiosis and only one from each pair of alleles can be present in a single gamete.


Leucocyte (Leukosit)
White blood cell


Ligament (Ligamen)
The elastic tissue that joins two bones together.


Lignin (Lignin)
A hard material that is embedded in the cell walls of plants. It increases the strength of plant tissues and thus provides support in terrestrial plants.


Locomotion (Pergerakan)
The ability of organisms to move from one place to another.


Lymph (Limfa)
The colourless fluid carried in the lymphatic vessels; similar to tissue fluid but does not contain red blood cells, platelets and plasma proteins.


M
Macrophage (Makrofaj)
A type of white blood cell that engulfs microorganisms and destroys them by phagocytosis.


Malignant (Malignan)
Life-threatening and invasive. Usually refers to the growth and spread of cancers.


Manometer (Manometer)
An instrument used to measure the pressure of a gas or liquid. The basic manometer consists of a U-tube containing a known liquid. For example, mercury. One side of the U-tube is connected to a gas supply, the pressure of which is to be measured and the other side is exposed to atmospheric pressure.


Medulla (Medula)
1. The inner portion of some organs, as compared to the outer cortex. For example, the adrenal medulla and the renal medulla.
2. It is also commonly used to refer to the medulla oblongata of the brain.


Mesophyll (Mesofil)
Specialised parenchyma cells beneath the epidermis of a leaf. There are often two layers or mesophylls, the closely packed upper palisade layer and the loosely packed lower spongy layer.


Monocot (Monokot)
Short for monocotyledon, a type of flowering plant characterised by embryos with one seed leaf or cotyledon.


Morphology (Morfologi)
The study of the form and structure of living things.
Morula (Morula)
A compact ball of cells formed from the repeated
mitotic division of a zygote, just before the blastocyst stage.


Mutagen (Mutagen)
An agent such as radiation and chemicals that causes mutations in an organism.


Mutation (Mutasi)
A sudden random change in the genetic material of a cell that alters the genotype and hence the phenotype and functions of the cell or organism.


Mutualism (Mutualisme)
A symbiotic relationship in which both participa-ting species benefit.


Myelin sheath (Salut mielin)
A wrapping of insulating membranes around the
axons and dendrons of many vertebrate nerve cells. It increases the transmission speed of nerve impulses.




N
Negative feedback (Suap balik negatif)
A situation in which a change initiates a series of events that tend to counteract the change and restore the original state. Negative feedback in physiological systems maintains homeostasis.


Nerve (Saraf)
A bundle of axons of nerve cells, bound together in a sheath.


Nerve tissue (Tisu saraf)
The tissue that makes up the brain, spinal cord and nerves. It consists of neurones and ganglia.


Nervous system (Sistem saraf)
The system which is made up of the central nervous system and the peripheral nervous system; it controls and coordinates responses of the body.


Nicotine (Nikotin)
A poisonous and addictive organic compound found in cigarette smoke.


Neurone (Neuron)
Nerve cell that conducts nerve impulses through the nervous system.


Nucleotides (Nukleotida)
The building blocks of a nucleic acid, each consis-ting of a five-carbon sugar linked to a nitrogenous base and phosphate group.


O
Obese (Gendut)
Excessively fat


Open circulatory system (Sistem peredaran terbuka)
A type of circulatory system found in some invertebrates, such as arthropods and mollusks, that includes an open space (the haemocoel) in which blood directly bathes body tissues.


Operculum (Operkulum)
An external flap, supported by bone, which covers and protects the gills of most fish.


Osmoregulation (Pengosmokawalaturan)
The control of the water content and the concentration of salts in the body.


Osteoporosis (Osteoporosis)
A condition in which bones become porous, weak, brittle and easily fractured; most common in elderly women.


Ovulation (Pengovuman)
The release of the secondary oocyte from the Graafian follicle in the ovary.


Ozone layer (Lapisan ozon)
The ozone-enriched layer of the upper atmosphere that filters out some of the sun’s ultraviolet radiation.


P
Palisade cell (Sel palisad)
A cell of the mesophyll layer, just beneath the upper epidermis, which contains a lot of chloroplasts.


Parasitism (Parasitisme)
A symbiotic relationship in which one organism (the parasite) benefits by feeding on the other (the host), which is normally harmed.


Parthenocarpy (Partenokarpi)
The formation and development of fruit without fertilisation; produces fruit without seeds.
Passive transport (Pengangkutan pasif)
Movement of substances into or out of cells along a concentration gradient, that is, from a region of higher concentration to a region of lower concentration. No energy is needed for this process. Diffusion is an example.


Pathogen (Patogen)
A microorganism or organism that causes disease.


Pectoral girdle (Lengkungan pektoral)
The bones that form the shoulder, consisting of the clavicle (collar bone) and scapula (shoulder blade).


Pectoral muscles (Otot pektoral)
The muscles that are attached to the sternum and collar bone of vertebrates.


Pedigree chart (Carta salasilah)
A diagram showing genetic relationships among a set of individuals, normally with respect to a specific genetic trait.


Pelvic girdle (Lengkungan pelvis)
The bones that form the hips; it forms a joint with the femur or thigh bone.


Peptide (Peptida)
A chain composed of two or more amino acids linked together by peptide bonds.


Peristalsis (in the digestive tract) (peristalsis)
Rhythmic, coordinated contraction and relaxation of the smooth muscles of the digestive tract that moves food through the digestive tract.


Petiole (Petiol)
The stalk that connects the blade of a leaf to the stem.


Phenotype (Fenotip)
Any observable or detectable characteristic of an organism.


Phloem (Floem)
The vessels that transport dissolved organic substances from the leaves to other parts of the plant.


Phytoplankton (Fitoplankton)
Community of photosynthetic microorganisms that drift or float in the well-lit surface layer (euphotic zone) in an aquatic environment.




Placenta (Plasenta)
A temporary organ derived from foetal and maternal tissue located in the uterus of higher mammals; it is the site of exchange of materials between the foetus and the mother.


Plasma (Plasma)
The liquid part of the blood in which the blood cells are suspended.


Platelet (Platlet)
A cellular fragment in blood that plays an important role in blood clotting.


Polar nuclei (Nukleus kutub)
The two nuclei in the centre of the embryo sac that are involved in double fertilisation; they fuse with a male gamete to form the triploid nucleus of the endosperm tissue.


Pollen tube (Tiub debunga)
The tube that grows out of a germinating pollen grain. It carries male gametes to the ovule.


Pollination (Pendebungaan)
The process in which pollen are transferred from the anther to the stigma of a flower.


Primary consumer (Pengguna primer)
An organism that feeds on plants or algae. Also known as herbivores. In terrestrial ecosystems, these organisms are mainly insects, rodents and ruminants. In aquatic ecosystems, they are mainly zooplankton.


Q
Quadrat (Kuadrat)
In ecological studies, an area of known size used to measure some property, for example, distribution number in a population.


R
Receptor (Reseptor)
A cell (receptor cell) or a group of cells (sensory organ) specialised to detect a particular stimulus and initiate the transmission of nerve impulses via afferent neurones.


Recessive allele (Alel resesif)
The phenotypic characteristic of a recessive allele is only expressed in the homozygous condition; it is not expressed in a heterozygote.
Reflex action (Tindakan refleks)
A rapid, automatic response to a stimulus which is not under conscious control.


Reflex arc (Arka refleks)
The pathway taken by impulses in a reflex action; the pathway involves receptors, afferent/sensory neurones, the central nervous system, efferent/motor neurones and effectors.


Replication (Replikasi)
The copying of the double-stranded DNA molecule, producing two identical DNA double helices.


Rh factor (Faktor Rh)
The antigen that determines the rhesus blood group. It is a protein present on the red blood cells of some people (Rh-positive) but not others (Rh-negative). The exposure of Rh-negative individuals to Rh-positive blood triggers the production of antibodies in response to the antigens on Rh-positive blood cells.


Response (Gerak balas)
The physiological, muscular or behavioural activity that reacts to a stimulus.


Root hair (Rerambut akar)
A fine projection of an epidermal cell of a young root that increases the absorptive surface area of the root.


Root nodule (Nodul akar)
A swelling on the root of a legume or other plants that consists of cortical cells (cells of the cortex) inhabited by nitrogen-fixing bacteria.


Root pressure (Tekanan akar)
A force that pushes water and dissolved minerals up from the root into the xylem vessels in the stem.




S
Saprophytes (Saprofit)/ Saprotrophs (Saprotrof)
Organisms, mainly bacteria and fungi, that get their nutrients by breaking down organic wastes and dead organisms. Also known as decomposers.


Scientific method (Kaedah saintifik)
A system in which a problem is identified, a hypothesis is made and tested through experimentation or additional observation, relevant data are gathered, and finally a conclusion is drawn.
Scientific name (Nama saintifik)
The name of an organism formed from the two smallest major taxonomic categories – the genus and the species.


Sclerenchyma (Sklerenkima)
Plant cells with walls thickened by cellulose and lignin; forms the wood of many trees.


Scurvy (Skurvi)
A deficiency disease caused by lack of vitamin C in the diet.


Secondary consumer (Pengguna sekunder)
An organism that feeds on primary consumers. Also called carnivores.


Sex chromosomes (Kromosom seks)
A pair of chromosomes containing genes that determine the sex of an individual.


Sex-linked gene (Gen terangkai seks)
A gene located on a sex chromosome.


Sickle-cell anaemia (Anemia sel sabit)
A genetic disease caused by a gene mutation which
alters the structure of haemoglobin; the abnormal haemoglobin distorts the red blood cell into a sickle shape and reduces the amount of oxygen that is carried to tissues thereby causing anaemia.


Sino-atrial node (Nodus sino-atrium)
The specialised neuro-muscular tissues in the heart that act as a pacemaker.


Skeletal muscles (Otot rangka)
Muscles which are attached to the skeleton; they contract to bring about movement.


Stimulus (Rangsangan)
Any change in the external or internal environment of an organism.


Stroke (Strok)
An interruption of blood flow to part of the brain caused by the rupture of an artery, or the blocking of an artery by a blood clot. Loss of blood supply leads to rapid death of the area of the brain affected.


Symbiosis (Simbiosis)
A close interaction between individuals of different species over an extended period. Symbiosis includes parasitism, mutualism and commensalism.
Synovial fluid (Bendalir sinovia)
The clear fluid present in joints that acts as a lubricant.


T
Taxis (pl. taxes) (Taksis)
The directed movement of an entire organism (as opposed to part of an organism) towards or away from a stimulus such as heat, light, gravity or chemicals.


Taxonomy (Taksonomi)
The science by which organisms are classified into hierarchically arranged categories that reflect their evolutionary relationships.


Tertiary consumer (Pengguna tertier)
A carnivore that feeds on other carnivores (secondary consumers).


Tertiary structure (Struktur tertier)
The complex, three-dimensional structure of a single peptide chain.


Thorax (Toraks)
1. In insects, it is the segmented region between the head and the abdomen to which structures used in locomotion (wings and legs) are attached.
2. In mammals, it is the area above the diaphragm which includes the heart and the lungs within the rib cage.


Trait (Trait)
Each variant of a characteristic.


Transect (Transek)
In ecology, a line, a strip or a profile for counting and mapping.


Translocation (Translokasi)
The transport of organic nutrients in the phloem of vascular plants.


Transpiration (Transpirasi)
The loss of water rapour from the plant to the atmosphere. It occurs mainly in the leaves through stomatal pores.


Tropism (Tropism)
A directional growth response shown by part of a plant in response to a unilateral stimulus.


Tube nucleus (Nukleus tiub)
The nucleus in the pollen tube that guides the direction of growth of the pollen tube.
U
Ultrafiltration (Ultraturasan)
The process in which hydrostatic pressure causes water and small, dissolved molecules to filter out from the blood plasma in the glomerulus into Bowman’s capsule of the nephron.


V
Variation (Variasi)
The differences between individuals of a species.


Vector-animal vector (Vector haiwan)
An organism that carries disease-causing organisms (pathogens) from one living thing to another. For
example, certain mosquitoes are vectors for the malaria parasite.


Vein (Vena)
A vessel that carries blood to the heart.


Ventricle (Ventrikel)
A lower chamber of the heart that receives blood from the atria and pumps it into the arterial system.


Vertebra (Vertebra)
Small, uniquely shaped bones that articulate with one another to form the vertebral column.


Vesicle (Vesikel)
A small, membrane-bound sac within the cytoplasm.


Villus (pl. villi) (Vilus)
A finger-like projection of the inner wall of the small intestine that increases the surface area for absorption of soluble food material.


Virus (Virus)
A non-cellular, parasitic particle that is composed of hereditary information (DNA or RNA) surrounded by a protein coat. A virus multiplies within a cell of a living organism (the host).


X
Xylem vessel (Vesel xilem)
A vessel that transports water and dissolved minerals from the roots to other parts of a plant.


Y
Yeast (Yis)
Unicellular fungi that reproduce by budding.


Z
Zooplankton (Zooplankton)
Non-photosynthetic, microscopic animals which feed on abundant phytoplankton that exist in the aquatic environment.


Zygote (Zigot)
The diploid cell that is produced when two haploid gametes fuse during fertilisation.