Glossary

Aerobic heterotroph - Organisms that cannot synthesise their own food, and therefore rely on other food sources found within the oxygen-rich environment. Many bacteria and fungi are heterotrophs, and are parasitic therefore leech the energy from other organisms in order to survive

 

Antibiotic resistance - Antibiotics are used in medicine due to their capability of inhibiting or neutralising alien agents that enter the human body. Antibiotics are naturally produced by organisms as a means of defense and hence survival. Through natural selection, organisms that fall prey to antibiotics begin to develop a resistance, and the effects of the antibiotics diminish over time until the organisms are immune to its effect.

 

Biodiversity - Pertaining to the diversity and frequency of organisms in a given area.

 

Biome - The classification of certain physical and chemical characteristics of an environment, such as tundra, grassland etc.

 

Cellulose - a polysaccharide that is the chief constituent of all plant tissues and fibers.

 

Chloroplast - Chloroplasts contain chlorophyll, a photosynthetic pigment used in the process of photosynthesis. The chief structures within the chloroplast are the stroma and granum, which host the photochemical and thermochemical stages of photosynthesis.

 

Cyanobacterium - Division of photosynthetic prokaryotes formerly classified as blue-green algae.

 

Eczema - An inflammatory disease of the skin, characterized by the presence of redness and itching, an eruption of small vesicles, and the discharge of a watery exudation, which often dries up, leaving the skin covered with crusts; -- called also tetter, milk crust, and salt rheum.

 

Epithelium - membranous tissue covering internal organs and other internal surfaces of the body.

 

Genome - The genome of an organism is its set of chromosomes, containing all of its genes and associated DNA.

 

Lignin - a complex polymer; the chief non-carbohydrate constituent of wood; binds to cellulose fibers to harden and strengthen cell walls of plants.

 

Macrobiotic - Living organisms that can be seen with the naked eye.

 

Microbiotic - Living organisms that cannot be seen with the naked eye; requires using a microscope.

 

Plastid - cellular organelle containing pigment, especially in plants, e.g. chloroplast.

 

Protist - free-living or colonial organisms with diverse nutritional and reproductive modes.

 

Rosacea - a skin disease of adults (more often women) in which blood vessels of the face enlarge resulting in a flushed appearance

 

Sebaceous Glands - a cutaneous gland that secretes sebum (usually into a hair follicle) for lubricating hair and skin

 

Sustainable Management - To manage or maintain an area that will meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

 

Ubiquitous - Existing or being everywhere, or in all places, at the same time; omnipresent.

 

Uric Acid - a white tasteless odorless crystalline product of protein metabolism; found in the blood and urine

 

Virulence Factor - mechanism(s) that allows for increased rate of survival for microbes.