Biology, FIB-GRE

How do plants feed themselves? How did dogs evolve from wolves? What good is the appendix in humans, anyway? Such questions fall within the domain of biology, which seeks to understand living organisms and their vital processes (although the jury’s still out on what our appendixes are for). Biology’s diverse fields include botany, ecology, evolution, genetics, medicine, physiology, and zoology.
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Biology Encyclopedia Articles By Title

fibrosarcoma
fibrosarcoma, rare malignant tumour of fibrous tissue most commonly found in middle-age adults and primarily occurring......
fibrous dysplasia
fibrous dysplasia, rare congenital developmental disorder beginning in childhood and characterized by replacement......
fight-or-flight response
fight-or-flight response, response to an acute threat to survival that is marked by physical changes, including......
filariasis
filariasis, a group of infectious disorders caused by threadlike nematodes of the superfamily Filarioidea that......
filovirus
filovirus, any virus belonging to the family Filoviridae. Filoviruses have enveloped virions (virus particles)......
fingerprint
fingerprint, impression made by the papillary ridges on the ends of the fingers and thumbs. Fingerprints afford......
fire blight
fire blight, plant disease, caused by the bacterium Erwinia amylovora, that can give infected plants a scorched......
fistula
fistula, abnormal duct or passageway between organs. Fistulas can form between various parts of the body, including......
flagellate
flagellate, (subphylum Mastigophora), any of a group of protozoans, mostly uninucleate organisms, that possess,......
flagellum
flagellum, hairlike structure that acts primarily as an organelle of locomotion in the cells of many living organisms.......
flatfoot
flatfoot, congenital or acquired flatness of the longitudinal arch of the foot. Usually associated with loss of......
flatulence
flatulence, the presence of excessive amounts of gas in the stomach or intestine, which sometimes results in the......
flavivirus
flavivirus, any virus belonging to the family Flaviviridae. Flaviviruses have enveloped and spherical virions (virus......
flexor muscle
flexor muscle, any of the muscles that decrease the angle between bones on two sides of a joint, as in bending......
fluid
fluid, in physiology, a water-based liquid that contains the ions and cells essential to body functions and transports......
fly agaric
fly agaric, (Amanita muscaria), poisonous mushroom in the family Amanitaceae (order Agaricales) found in forests,......
food allergy
food allergy, immunological response to a food. Although the true prevalence of food allergy is unclear, studies......
food poisoning
food poisoning, acute gastrointestinal illness resulting from the consumption of foods containing one or more representatives......
foodborne illness
foodborne illness, any sickness that is caused by the consumption of foods or beverages that are contaminated with......
foot-and-mouth disease
foot-and-mouth disease (FMD), a highly contagious viral disease affecting practically all cloven-footed domesticated......
foraminiferan
foraminiferan, any unicellular organism of the rhizopodan order Foraminiferida (formerly Foraminifera), characterized......
forebrain
forebrain, region of the developing vertebrate brain; it includes the telencephalon, which contains the cerebral......
founder principle
founder principle, in genetics, the principle whereby a daughter population or migrant population may differ in......
frailty
frailty, medical condition that occurs as a result of aging-associated declines in energy, strength, and function......
freckle
freckle, a small, brownish, well-circumscribed, stainlike spot on the skin occurring most frequently in red- or......
fructosuria
fructosuria, disturbance of fructose metabolism resulting from a hereditary disorder or intolerance. Normally,......
fruit
fruit, the fleshy or dry ripened ovary of a flowering plant, enclosing the seed or seeds. Thus, apricots, bananas,......
fruit spot
fruit spot, symptom of plant disease, usually caused by fungi and bacteria. A spot is a definite, localized area.......
Fröhlich’s syndrome
Fröhlich’s syndrome, rare childhood metabolic disorder characterized by obesity, growth retardation, and retarded......
Fuligo
Fuligo, genus of true slime molds (class Myxomycetes; q.v.) whose large fruiting body (compound sporangia), 5 centimetres......
fusarium wilt
fusarium wilt, widespread plant disease caused by many forms of the soil-inhabiting fungus Fusarium oxysporum.......
G protein-coupled receptor
G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR), protein located in the cell membrane that binds extracellular substances and......
Gaia hypothesis
Gaia hypothesis, model of the Earth in which its living and nonliving parts are viewed as a complex interacting......
gait analysis
gait analysis, in biology and medicine, the study of locomotion, particularly patterns of limb movements. In humans,......
galactosemia
galactosemia, a hereditary defect in the metabolism of the sugar galactose, which is a constituent of lactose,......
gall
gall, an abnormal, localized outgrowth or swelling of plant tissue caused by infection from bacteria, fungi, viruses,......
gallbladder
gallbladder, a muscular membranous sac that stores and concentrates bile, a fluid that is received from the liver......
gamete
gamete, sex, or reproductive, cell containing only one set of dissimilar chromosomes, or half the genetic material......
gametogenesis
gametogenesis, in embryology, the process by which gametes, or germ cells, are produced in an organism. The formation......
gametophyte
gametophyte, in plants and certain algae, the sexual phase (or an individual representing the phase) in the alternation......
ganglion
ganglion, dense group of nerve-cell bodies present in most animals above the level of cnidarians. In flatworms......
gangrene
gangrene, localized death of animal soft tissue, caused by prolonged interruption of the blood supply that may......
gasteromycetes
gasteromycetes, name often given to a subgroup of fungi consisting of more than 700 species in the phylum Basidiomycota......
gastric gland
gastric gland, any of the branched tubules in the inner lining of the stomach that secrete gastric juice and protective......
gastritis
gastritis, acute or chronic inflammation of the mucosal layers of the stomach. Acute gastritis may be caused by......
gastrocnemius muscle
gastrocnemius muscle, large posterior muscle of the calf of the leg. It originates at the back of the femur (thighbone)......
gastroenteritis
gastroenteritis, acute infectious syndrome of the stomach lining and the intestine. It is characterized by diarrhea,......
gastrointestinal tract
gastrointestinal tract, pathway by which food enters the body and solid wastes are expelled. The gastrointestinal......
Gaucher disease
Gaucher disease, rare inherited metabolic disorder characterized by anemia, mental and neurologic impairment, yellowish......
gender dysphoria
gender dysphoria (GD), formal diagnosis given by mental health professionals to people who experience distress......
gene
gene, unit of hereditary information that occupies a fixed position (locus) on a chromosome. Genes achieve their......
gene flow
gene flow, the introduction of genetic material (by interbreeding) from one population of a species to another,......
gene pool
gene pool, sum of a population’s genetic material at a given time. The term typically is used in reference to a......
gene-for-gene coevolution
gene-for-gene coevolution, a specific form of reciprocal evolutionary change based on the idea that, if one member......
genetic drift
genetic drift, a change in the gene pool of a small population that takes place strictly by chance. Genetic drift......
genetic epidemiology
genetic epidemiology, the study of how genes and environmental factors influence human traits and human health......
genetics
genetics, study of heredity in general and of genes in particular. Genetics forms one of the central pillars of......
genetics, human
human genetics, study of the inheritance of characteristics by children from parents. Inheritance in humans does......
genome-wide association study
genome-wide association study (GWAS), systematic approach to rapidly scanning the human genome for genetic variations,......
genomics
genomics, one of several omic branches of biological study, concentrates on the structure, function, and inheritance......
genotype
genotype, the genetic constitution of an organism. The genotype determines the hereditary potentials and limitations......
genus
genus, biological classification ranking between family and species, consisting of structurally or phylogenetically......
geographic mosaic theory of coevolution
geographic mosaic theory of coevolution, in ecology, the theory postulating that the long-term dynamics of coevolution......
germ theory
germ theory, in medicine, the theory that certain diseases are caused by the invasion of the body by microorganisms,......
germ-plasm theory
germ-plasm theory, concept of the physical basis of heredity expressed by the 19th-century biologist August Weismann......
germination
germination, the sprouting of a seed, spore, or other reproductive body, usually after a period of dormancy. The......
gestation
gestation, in mammals, the time between conception and birth, during which the embryo or fetus is developing in......
gestational age
gestational age, length of time that a fetus grows inside the mother’s uterus. Gestational age is related to the......
gestational diabetes mellitus
gestational diabetes mellitus, temporary condition in which blood sugar (glucose) levels increase during pregnancy......
gestational trophoblastic disease
gestational trophoblastic disease, any of a group of rare conditions in which tumours develop in the uterus from......
giant cell
giant cell, large cell characterized by an arc of nuclei toward the outer membrane. The cell is formed by the fusion......
gigantism
gigantism, excessive growth in stature, well beyond the average for the individual’s heredity and environmental......
gill
gill, in biology, type of respiratory organ found in many aquatic animals, including a number of worms, nearly......
gizzard
gizzard, in many birds, the hind part of the stomach, especially modified for grinding food. Located between the......
gland
gland, cell or tissue that removes specific substances from the blood, alters or concentrates them, and then either......
glanders
glanders, infectious disease of primarily horses, but also mules and donkeys, that is caused by the bacterium Burkholderia......
glaucoma
glaucoma, disease caused by an increase in pressure within the eye as a result of blockage of the flow of aqueous......
gliding bacterium
gliding bacterium, any member of a heterogeneous group of microorganisms that exhibit creeping or gliding forms......
glottis
glottis, either the space between the vocal fold and arytenoid cartilage of one side of the larynx and those of......
gluconeogenesis
gluconeogenesis, formation in living cells of glucose and other carbohydrates from other classes of compounds.......
gluteus muscle
gluteus muscle, any of the large, fleshy muscles of the buttocks, stretching from the back portion of the pelvic......
glycogen storage disease
glycogen storage disease, any of a group of enzymatic deficiencies resulting in altered glycogen metabolism. They......
glycogenesis
glycogenesis, the formation of glycogen, the primary carbohydrate stored in the liver and muscle cells of animals,......
glycogenolysis
glycogenolysis, process by which glycogen, the primary carbohydrate stored in the liver and muscle cells of animals,......
goitre
goitre, enlargement of the thyroid gland, resulting in a prominent swelling in the front of the neck. The normal......
goitrogen
goitrogen, substance that inhibits the synthesis of the thyroid hormones (thyroxine and triiodothyronine), thereby......
golden algae
golden algae, (class Chrysophyceae), class of about 33 genera and some 1,200 species of algae (division Chromophyta)......
Golgi apparatus
Golgi apparatus, membrane-bound organelle of eukaryotic cells (cells with clearly defined nuclei) that is made......
gonad
gonad, in zoology, primary reproductive gland that produces reproductive cells (gametes). In males the gonads are......
Gonyaulax
Gonyaulax, genus of dinoflagellate algae (family Gonyaulacaceae) that inhabit marine, fresh, or brackish water.......
good genes hypothesis
good genes hypothesis, in biology, an explanation which suggests that the traits females choose when selecting......
gout
gout, metabolic disorder characterized by recurrent acute attacks of severe inflammation in one or more of the......
Gram-negative bacterium
Gram-negative bacterium, any of various types of bacteria that are characterized by having a thin peptidoglycan......
Gram-positive bacterium
Gram-positive bacterium, any of various types of bacteria that are characterized by having a thick peptidoglycan......
granulocyte
granulocyte, any of a group of white blood cells (leukocytes) that are characterized by the large number and chemical......
gray mold rot
gray mold rot, disease of plants growing in humid areas that is caused by fungi in the genus Botrytis, usually......
green algae
green algae, members of the division Chlorophyta, comprising between 9,000 and 12,000 species. The photosynthetic......
gregarine
gregarine, any protozoan of the sporozoan class Gregarinidea (or Gregarinea). Gregarines occur as parasites in......

Biology Encyclopedia Articles By Title