| TERM | GROUP | DEFINITION | |
|---|---|---|---|
| CALYPTERA | N | PLANTS | Pronunciation: Etymology: Small sheath of cells, derived from the archegonium, which covers the top of the capsule. |
| CALYX (CALYCES) | N | ANIMALS, PLANTS | Pronunciation: Etymology: A calyx is a cup-like structure. It is the cup from which the tentacles emerge and the viscera occur in crinoids. It also is the collective term for sepals in flowers. |
| CAMBIUM (CAMBIA OR CAMBIUMS) | N | PLANTS | Pronunciation: Etymology: A cambium is a zone of meristematic tissue which produces lateral growth in a plant axis. A vascular cambium produces xylem and phloem, a cork cambium occurs in the cortex and produces cork as a covering of older woody stems. |
| CANAL | N | PLANTS | Pronunciation: Etymology: Canals are open, empty spaces in the stems of certain plants, particularly the horsetails (Sphenophyta) in which a large central canal occupies the center of the stem. The central canal is surrounded by rings of smaller canals in the cortex. The carenal canal lies beneath each of the keel-like longitudinal ridges in the stem and is associated with the vascular tissue. The valecular canals are larger than the carenal canals and lie beneath the valleys of the fluted stems of horsetails. |
| CAPILLITIUM (CAPILLITIA OR CAPILLITIUMS) | N | PLANTS | Pronunciation: Etymology: A capillitium is a type of a myxotist sporangium that has a reticulating network of noncellular threads (capillitial threads). |
| CAPSULE | N | PLANTS | Pronunciation: Etymology: The sporangium of the sporophyte; elevated by the seta. |
| CARAPACE | N | ANIMALS | Pronunciation: Etymology: A carapace is the exoskeletal plate that extends from the head posteriorly to cover much or all of the rest of the body in crustaceans. It also is the bony shell formed of fused ribs in turtles. |
| CAROTENOID | N | PLANTS, PROTISTS, BACTERIA | Pronunciation: Etymology: Carotenoids are accessory pigments that are fat-soluable. Generally orange, red, yellow, or brown, carotenoids come in two major classes: carotenes and xanthophylls. |
| CARPOGONIUM (CARPOGONIA) | N | PLANTS | Pronunciation: Etymology: Carpogonium (carpogonia, pl.) is the oogonium-producing structure (gametangium) of red algae. |
| CARYOPSIS (CARYOPSES) | N | PLANTS | Pronunciation: Etymology: A dry, one-seeded in dehiscent fruit with the pericarp united to the seed. |
| CATKIN | N | PLANTS | Pronunciation: Etymology: A spicate, often pendulous, inflourescence of a unisexual apetalous flower. |
| CELL CAP | NP | PLANTS | Pronunciation: Etymology: A cell cap (also called apical cap) is a persistent portion of the parent wall that builds up as a series of caps on the dividing cells of Oedogonium. |
| CELL PLATE | NP | PLANTS | Pronunciation: Etymology: A cell plate is the type of cell wall formation that occurs in a centrifugal fashion. This occurs in some green algae, all embryophytes, and some of the brown algae. |
| CELLULOSIC PLATE | NP | PROTISTS | Pronunciation: Etymology: Armored dinoflagellates have cellulosic plates that fill the alveoli. The architecture of the particular plates is conserved within the species such that they can be determined according to the tabulation. The plates have flanges that allow them to overlap adjacent ones. Also, they are perforated with holes that allow for the discharge of trichocysts. |
| CENTRAL BODY | NP | PROTISTS | Pronunciation: Etymology: Central body refers to an inner silicaceous sphere that surrounds the nucleus of certain “radiolarians”. |
| CENTRARCH STELE | NP | PLANTS | Pronunciation: Etymology: A centrarch stele is a protostele with ptimary xylem in the center. |
| CENTRIC | ADJ | PROTISTS | Pronunciation: Etymology: Centric (adj) describes a type of diatom that is radially symmetrical. It also describes nuclear division in which centrioles are present. |
| CENTRIFUGALLY | ADV | PLANTS | Pronunciation: Etymology: Developing from the center toward the margin. |
| CENTRIOLE | N | PLANTS | Pronunciation: SEN-tri-ole Etymology: Centriole is the Latin diminutive of centrum, which means center. The centriole duplicates at the onset of mitosis or meiosis in animals and some other taxa. It then serves as the organizing center from which the microtubular spindle fibers develop and lead the chromosomes apart during nuclear division. Curiously, the centriole also seems to be identical to basal bodies, the organizing structure from which the array of microtubules emerge to form the eukaryotic flagellum. (see also microtubular flagellar roots) |
| CENTRIPETALLY | ADV | PLANTS | Pronunciation: Etymology: Developing from the margins toward the center. |
| CENTROLECITHAL | ADJ | ANIMALS | Pronunciation: Etymology: Centrolecithal (adj.) refers to a type of egg in which the yolk is concentrated in the center. |
| CENTROPLAST | N | PROTISTS | Pronunciation: Etymology: A centroplast is a central organizing center from which the radiating microtubular arrays form in many of the Actinopodotista. |
| CEPHALON | N | ANIMALS | Pronunciation: Etymology: The cephalon is the fused head shield of trilobites. |
| CEPHALOTHORAX | N | ANIMALS | Click here |
| CERCERIA (CERCARIAE) | N | ANIMALS | Pronunciation: Etymology: Cercariae are larval stages of flukes. They emerge from mollusks (usually snails) after the mollusk has been infected by a miracidium. Within the mollusk the miracidium undergoes asexual reproduction to produce many cercariae. A cercaria may emerge to infect another intermediate host (as a metacercaria) or, in some taxa, a cercaria infects the primary host. |
| CHARACTER | N | SYSTEMATICS | Click here |
| CHARACTER STATE | NP | SYSTEMATICS | Etymology: State is derived from the Latin status, which means an attribute or condition of a person or thing. A character can exist in multiple forms (character states) that can provide diversity of form in a species. All character states of a character must be homologous. |
| CHARACTER X TAXON MATRIX | NP | SYSTEMATICS | Pronunciation: KA-rak-tur TA-kson MA-triks (note the X is silent) Etymology: Character, taxon, and matrix have been defined. The X between character and taxon is the way of designating that the matrix is a set of values. In this case, the matrix is character by taxon. A character X taxon matrix is a data table of taxa described by their particular character states. The cladogram is a solution to the matrix. |
| CHELICERA (CHELICERAE) | N | ANIMALS | Pronunciation: Etymology: A chelicera (chelicerae, pl.) is a prehensile appendage at the anterior end of Cheliceriformes. In arachnids, the chelicerae are modified into poison-injecting fangs. |
| CHEMOHETEROTROPH | N | BACTERIA | Pronunciation: Etymology: Chemoheterotrophs are those organisms that use compounds from the environment to provide metabolic energy. |
| CHEMOLITHOTROPH | N | BACTERIA | Pronunciation: Etymology: Chemolithotrophs are autotrophs (make their own food) by using inorganic sources for energy and reducing power to fix carbon dioxide into food. |
| CHEMOORGANOTROPH | N | BACTERIA | Pronunciation: Etymology: Chemoorganotrophs utilize organic sources for energy and food production. |
| CHITIN | N | ANIMALS, PROTISTS, FUNGI | Pronunciation: Etymology: Chitin is a structural polysaccharide found in the cell walls of many fungi (as well as the exoskeletons of arthropods). |
| CHITOSAN | N | FUNGI | Pronunciation: Etymology: Polymer found in cell walls of some fungi. A component of chitin. |
| CHLAMYDOSPORE | N | PLANTS, PROTISTS, FUNGI | Pronunciation: Etymology: Thick-walled resting spore. |
| CHLOROPHYLL-A | NP | PLANTS, PROTISTS, BACTERIA | Pronunciation: Etymology: Chlorophyll A is a primary photosynthetic pigment of all photosynthetic eukaryotes (in the chloroplasts) and Cyanobacteria. It is membrane-bound on thyllakoids and absorbs mainly in the blue and red ranges of visible light. Its structure is that of a tetrapyrrole with a magnesium in the center. That is bound to a long aliphatic alcohol (phytol). Chlorophylls a, b, c, d, and e, together with the bacteriochlorophylls have similar structures and vary only in the structures of their side chains. |
| CHLOROPHYLL-B | NP | PLANTS, PROTISTS, BACTERIA | Pronunciation: Etymology: Chlorophyll B is a secondary photosynthetic pigment in the Prochlorophytes, Euglenoids, Chlorophytes, and the Viridiplantae. See Chlorophyll A. |
| CHLOROPHYLL-C | NP | PROTISTS | Pronunciation: Etymology: Chlorophyll C is a variant of Chlorophyll A. and a secondary photosynthetic pigment in the many of the photosynthetic heterokonts and dinoflagellates. See Chlorophyll A. |
| CHLOROSOME | N | BACTERIA | Pronunciation: Etymology: Chlorosomes are thyllakoid-like structures. |
| CHOANOCYTE | N | ANIMALS | Click here |
| CHORION | N | ANIMALS | Pronunciation: Etymology: The chorion is the tough covering of the insect egg, the mbryonic membrane that encloses the yolk and and amnion. |
| CHROMISTA | N | PROTISTS | Pronunciation: Etymology: Chromista is a term coined by Tom Cavalier-Smith to describe the chlorophyll a and c bearing organisms and their relatives. |
| CHROMOPHYTE | N | PROTISTS | Pronunciation: Etymology: Chromophytes are photosynthetic organisms that use chlorophylls a and c. |
| CHROMOPLAST | N | PLANTS, PROTISTS | Pronunciation: Etymology: Chromoplast is the general term for a photosynthetic organelle. Technically, a chloroplast is a particular chromoplast in which the dominant chlorophylls are A and B. |
| CHRYSOLAMINARIN | N | PROTISTS | Pronunciation: Etymology: Chrysolaminarin (also called leucosin) is a storage carbohydrate that is a polymer of glucopyranoside units. Typically it is found in photosynthetic heterokonts. |
| CILIUM (CILIA) | N | ANIMALS, PROTISTS | Pronunciation: Etymology: Cilia are eukaryotic flagella that operate by coordinated beats relative to each other. Structurally, cilia and flagella are identical (i.e. 9+2 axoneme from a basal body with associated flagellar roots). Usually cilia are shorter and more numerous than typical flagella. Also, they have an underlying structure of flagellar roots (kineties) that allow for coordination of the flagella. |
| CILIATED EPITHELIUM (CILIATED EPITHELIA) | NP | ANIMALS | Pronunciation: Etymology: Epithelium is a tissue that covers (or lines) a structure. Ciliated epithelium is made of epithelial cells that may have one or more flagella (=cilia) inserted into it. It is the chief means of locomotion for many invertebrates. |
| CINGULUM (CINGULA) | N | PROTISTS | Pronunciation: Etymology: A cingulum (also called a girdle or cinctum) is a groove that circles the dinoflagellate cell and in which lies the ribbon flagellum. |
| CIRCINATE VERNATION | NP | PLANTS | Pronunciation: Etymology: Circinate vernation is a type of leaf (or axis) emergence in which the appendage unrolls. The products of circinate vernation are called fronds. |
| CIRRUS (CIRRI) | N | ANIMALS, PROTISTS | Pronunciation: Etymology: Cirri (cirrus, sing.) are tendril-like structures. They occur on the terminal segments of some insects and crustaceans. They are the feeding structures of barnacles, respiratory and copulatory structures in annelids. Cirri also serve as copulatory structures in some mollusks and flatworms. |
| CITRIC ACID CYCLE | NP | ANIMALS, PLANTS, PROTISTS, FUNGI, BACTERIA | Pronunciation: Etymology: The citric acid cycle (also called the Krebs cycle or tricarboxylic acid cycle) is a fundamental set of reactions that occur in aerobic metabolism, particularly in the mitochondrion. Acetyl Co A, which is derived from pyruvate is completely oxidized to CO2 and reduces NAD and FAD. |
| CLADE | N | SYSTEMATICS | Click here |
| CLADOGRAM | N | SYSTEMATICS | Click here |
| CLAMP CONNECTION | NP | FUNGI | Pronunciation: Etymology: Short branches on many dikaryotic basidiomycetous hyphae, providing a bypass for one of the nuclei produced during synchronous division of the dikaryon, insuring their equal distribution between the new cells; croziers are possible homologues. |
| CLASS | N | SYSTEMATICS | Pronunciation & Etymology: Class is a common English word. Class is the taxonomic level that contains one or more orders. |
| CLEISTOTHECIUM (CLEISTOTHECIA) | N | FUNGI | Pronunciation: Etymology: Closed, spherical ascocarp. |
| CLITELLUM (CLITELLA) | N | ANIMALS | Pronunciation: Etymology: The clitellum is a swollen, glandular portion of some annelids. It secretes the cocoon, in which the embryo develops. |
| CLOCK-WISE BASAL BODIES | NP | PLANTS, PROTISTS | Click here |
| CLOSED CIRCULATORY SYSTEM | NP | ANIMALS | Pronunciation: Etymology: A closed circulatory system has veins and arteries connected by capillary beds. Thus, the blood elements are contained within vessels. |
| COCCUS (COCCI) | N | BACTERIA | Pronunciation: Etymology: A coccus (cocci, pl.) is a spherical cell form. |
| COCOON | N | ANIMALS | Pronunciation: Etymology: A cocoon is a secreted protective covering that protects larval stages of many animals. |
| COELENTERON | N | ANIMALS | Pronunciation: Etymology: A coelenteron is a digestive cavity with a single opening as in the Cnidaria and Ctenophores. |
| COELOM | N | ANIMALS | Click here |
| COENOBIUM (COENOBIA) | N | PLANTS, PROTISTS | Pronunciation: Etymology: A coenobium (coenobia) is a type of colony in which the number of cells is predetermined. So, after formation, the cells of the colony cannot continue to divide to add to it. |
| COLLAGEN | N | ANIMALS | Pronunciation: Etymology: Collagen is an animal protein that makes up extracellular skeletal materials. |
| COLLOBLAST | N | ANIMALS | Pronunciation: Etymology: A colloblast is a Ctenophore feeding cell that is analogous to the nematocyst of Cnidaria. |
| COLONIAL | N | ANIMALS, PLANTS, PROTISTS, FUNGI, BACTERIA | Click here |
| COLUMELLA (COLUMELLAE OR COLUMELLAS) | N | PLANTS | Pronunciation: Etymology: A small column of tissue running up through the center of the capsule. |
| COMMENSAL | ADJ OR N | ECOLOGY | Pronunciation: Etymology: A commensal is a symbiotic organism that benefits from the symbiosis without harming the host. |
| COMPANION CELL | NP | PLANTS | Pronunciation: Etymology: Companion cells are non-conducting cells associated with sieve tubes and function to load and unload food substances. |
| COMPLETE FLOWER | NP | PLANTS | Pronunciation: Etymology: Flowers with separate sepals, petals, stamens and carpels. |
| COMPOUND EYE | NP | ANIMALS | Pronunciation: Etymology: A type of eye characteristic of most arthropods. It is made of many individual simple ommatidia (ommatidium, sing.), each of which is like a simple eye with a lens and light-sensitive cells. |
| CONCEPTACLE | N | PROTISTS | Pronunciation: Etymology: Conceptacles are fertile regions that are in-folded on the thallus of organisms like Fucus such that the gametangia are contained within a pouch on the thallus. |
| CONCHOCELIS | N | PLANTS | Pronunciation: Etymology: The conchocelis stage is the small, branched sporophyte stage that grows on and in mollusk shells. It produces spores that are the consequence of meiosis called conchospores. |
| CONE SCALE | NP | PLANTS | Pronunciation: Etymology: A cone scale is an appendage of the compound ovulate strobili in gymnosperms. It is called a scale rather than a megasporophyll because it is a reduced axis of a simple cone. Thus, a gymnosperm ovulate cone is a cone of simple cone axes, each of which bears 2 seeds. |
| CONIDIUM (CONIDIA) | N | FUNGI, BACTERIA | Pronunciation: Etymology: Asexual reproductive spores formed on a conidiophore. |
| CONOID | ADJ OR N | PROTISTS | Pronunciation: Etymology: An conoid is part of the apical complex in the apicomplexa. It is made of a characteristic spiraled microtubular arrangement at the apex of the cell. |
| CONTINGENCY | N | EVOLUTION | Pronunciation: Etymology: Historical “accidents”; often play a role in course of evolution. |
| CONTRACTILE VACUOLES | NP | ANIMALS, PLANTS, PROTISTS | Pronunciation: Etymology: Contractile vacuoles are osmoregulatroy organelles that occur in many unicellular (particularly freshwater) species |
| CONVERGENT EVOLUTION | NP | EVOLUTION | Pronunciation: kon-VER-zhent e-vo-LU-shun Etymology: Convergent (evolution is defined elsewhere) comes from the Latin verb convergere, which means to bend together. Convergent evolution is the independent evolution of similar structures in different groups, likely as a result of similar environmental selection pressures (see Homoplasy). |
| COOPTION | N | EVOLUTION | Pronunciation: ko-OP-shun Etymology: Cooption is derived from two Latin roots that mean with (cum) and to choose (optare). The word is sometimes written co-option, cooptation, and co-optation. Cooption (n.) in evolutionary biology means a structure evolved by a species one purpose turns out to be useful for a novel purpose (see preadaptation). An example of cooption is the evolution of feathers as an insulating mechanism then being used as a means to produce a structure for powered flight. |
| CORAL | ADJ OR N | ANIMALS | Pronunciation: Etymology: Colonial organisms that occur in the Anthozoa. Many, but not all, produce mineralized (calcium carbonate) “skeletons”. |
| COROLLA | N | PLANTS | Pronunciation: Etymology: The inner perianth, composed of free or united petals. |
| CORONA | N | ANIMALS | Pronunciation: Etymology: The corona is the ciliated disc-like organ at the anterior end of Rotifers. Used for locomotion and feeding. |
| CORSIER | N | FUNGI | Pronunciation: Etymology: Hook formed by the terminal cells of ascogenous hyphae. |
| CORTEX (CORTICES) | N | PLANTS, PROTISTS, FUNGI | Pronunciation: Etymology: Cortex is a tissue of parenchymal cells that surrounds vascular tissue. |
| CORTICATED | ADJ | PLANTS, PROTISTS, FUNGI | Pronunciation: Etymology: A corticated filament has a large axial cell with smaller appressed branching cells so that the axis appears to be striped. |
| CORTICATION | N | PLANTS, PROTISTS | Pronunciation: Etymology: Cortications are outer cells of filaments in certain algal groups like the red algae, brown algae, and the charophytes. The outer layer is formed by filaments that lie apprised to the axial filament and produce a striped appearance to the organism. |
| CORYMB | N | PLANTS | Pronunciation: Etymology: A racemose inflorescence with pedicels of different lengths causing the flower cluster to be flat topped. |
| COSTA (COSTAE) | N | ANIMALS, PROTISTS | Pronunciation: Etymology: Costae are rib-like thickenings on the valves of diatoms. |
| COUNTER-CLOCKWISE BASAL BODIES | NP | PLANTS, PROTISTS | Click here |
| COXA (COXAE) | N | ANIMALS, | Pronunciation: Etymology: Coxae (coxa, sing.) are the joints of insect legs closest to the body. |
| CRESTA (CRESTAS OR CRESTAE) | N | PROTISTS | Pronunciation: Etymology: A cresta is a peculiar microfibrillar structure that lies at the base of trailing flagellum in certain Parabasalotista. |
| CRISTA (CRISTAE) | N | ANIMALS, PLANTS, PROTISTS, FUNGI | Pronunciation: Etymology: Cristae (crista, sing.) generally refer to folds of the inner membranes of mitochondria. |
| CROSS-STRIATED FLAGELLAR ROOT | NP | PROTISTS | Pronunciation: Etymology: Cross-striated (or cross-banded) root is a flagellar root that has a striated appearance. |
| CRUCIATE | ADJ | PLANTS | Pronunciation: Etymology: In the form of a cross. |
| CRUCIFORM DIVISION | NP | PROTISTS | Pronunciation: Etymology: Cruciform division is a cross-like appearance of the nucleus during metaphase in the plasmodiophorotists. The appearance of a cross comes from an elongate nucleolus perpendicular to the direction of the movement of the chromosomes in closed division. |
| CRUSTOSE | ADJ OR N | ANIMALS, PLANTS, PROTISTS, FUNGI | Pronunciation: Etymology: Crust-like thallus; stretched over and firmly fixed to substrate. |
| CRYSTAL SWARMER | NP | PROTISTS | Pronunciation: Etymology: Crystal swarmers are biflagellate motile propagules that are produced by certain “radiolarians”. They sparkle due to internal crystalline inclusions. They may be gametes. |
| CTENE | N | ANIMALS | Pronunciation: Etymology: A ctene is a row of ciliated cells on the surface of a Ctenophore, in which it functions as the locomotory organ. |
| CTENIDIUM (CTENIDIA) | N | ANIMALS | Pronunciation: Etymology: Ctenidia (ctenidium, sing.) are comb-like structures that function as respiratory organs in mollusks. Ctenidia can also be applied to the rows of fused cilia in ctenophores that form the ctenes. |
| CUP-SHAPED INDUSIUM (CUP-SHAPED INDUSIA) | NP | PLANTS | Pronunciation: Etymology: A cup-shaped indusium is produced by the sorus tissue becoming raised on the margin of the sorus. |
| CUPULE | N | PLANTS, FUNGI | Pronunciation: Etymology: A cup-shaped structure composed of coalescent bracts. |
| CUTICLE | N | ANIMALS | Pronunciation: KYU-ti-c’l Etymology: Cuticle is derived from the Latin, cuticula, a diminutive of cutis, which means skin. Cuticle is an acellular covering that is secreted by the epithelium in animals. It also is the waxy material, made of cutin, on the outside of plants. |
| CYDIPPID LARVA (CYDIPPID LARVAE) | NP | ANIMALS | Pronunciation: Etymology: A cydippid larva is the free-swimming, planktonic larval form of some Ctenophores. |
| CYST | N | ANIMALS, PLANTS, PROTISTS, FUNGI, BACTERIA | Pronunciation: Etymology: A cyst is a resting stage that is covered by a resistant outer covering. Usually, cysts are able to allow the cell to survive environmental extremes. They serve as the infective forms of parasitic protists. Usually in sexual microbial eukaryotic groups, the cyst is produced by the zygote. |
| CYSTACANTH | N | ANIMALS | Pronunciation: Etymology: An encysted stage of the Acanthocephalan parasite life cycle. |
| CYTOPHARYNX (CYTOPHARYNGES) | N | PROTISTS | Pronunciation: Etymology: A cytopharynx is an internal structure that is attached to the cytostome. |
| CYTOPLASMIC BACTERIUM (CYTOPLASMIC BACTERIA) | NP | PROTISTS, BACTERIA | Pronunciation: Etymology: Cytoplasmic bacteria are two types of endosymbiotic bacteria that occur through the cytoplasm of Pelomyxa. One is a methanogen and the other is a Gram positive Eubacterium. |
| CYTOSTOME | N | PROTISTS | Pronunciation: Etymology: Cytostome (literally cell mouth) is a permanent opening into the cell into which food particles move and are incorporated into food vacuoles. |
