algae: A single-celled organism that was once thought to be a plant (though it is not actually a plant). As aquatic organisms, they grow in water. Like green plants, they rely on sunlight to make food.
amoeba: A single-celled microorganism that moves around by capturing food by extending finger-like projections of colorless material called protoplasm. Amoebas live freely in moist environments or are parasites.
carbon: A chemical element that is the physical basis of all life on Earth. Carbon exists freely as graphite and diamond. It is an important part of coal, limestone, and petroleum, and can chemically self-combine to form a vast number of chemically, biologically, and commercially important molecules.
carbon dioxide:(or CO2) A colorless, odorless gas produced by all animals when the oxygen they breathe reacts with the carbon-rich food they eat. Carbon dioxide is also released when organic materials (including fossil fuels such as oil and gas) are burned. Carbon dioxide acts as a greenhouse gas, trapping heat in the Earth's atmosphere. Plants convert carbon dioxide into oxygen during photosynthesis. This process is used to make their own food.
cell: (in biology) the smallest structural and functional unit of an organism. They are usually too small to be seen with the naked eye and consist of a watery fluid surrounded by a membrane or wall. Depending on their size, animals are made up of thousands to trillions of cells. Most living organisms, such as yeast, molds, bacteria, and some algae, are made up of only one cell.
DNA: (abbreviation for deoxyribonucleic acid) A long, double-stranded, helical molecule that is present in most living cells and carries genetic instructions. It is built on a skeleton of phosphorus, oxygen, and carbon atoms. In all living things, from plants and animals to microorganisms, these instructions tell cells which molecules to make.
environment: The sum of everything that exists around an organism, or the processes and conditions that those things produce. Environment can also refer to the weather or ecosystem in which an animal lives, or the temperature and humidity (or the placement of objects near the item of interest).
eukaryotes: Any living thing whose cells have a nucleus. Eukaryotes include all multicellular organisms (plants, animals, fungi, etc.) and certain types of unicellular microorganisms.
fungi: (sing: fungus) An organism with one or more cells that reproduces through spores and feeds on living or decaying organic matter. Examples include mold, yeast, and mushrooms.
kelp: A type of large seaweed that is usually a type of brown algae. They grow underwater, forming large forests and providing habitat for many creatures. Some kelp forests are so large that they can be seen from space.
malaria: A disease caused by a parasite that invades red blood cells. This parasite is transmitted primarily by mosquitoes in tropical and subtropical regions.
Case: Something that occupies space and has mass. All substances on Earth have a property called “weight.”
multicellularity: Having or consisting of a large number of cells. This includes all animals and plants, as well as various types of fungi.
nuclear: The plural is nuclear. (in biology) a dense structure present in many cells. The nucleus, which is usually a single round structure enclosed within a membrane, contains genetic information.
nutrients: vitamins, minerals, fats, carbohydrates, or proteins that plants, animals, and other living things need as part of their food to survive.
organic: (in chemistry) an adjective indicating that something contains carbon. It is also a term related to the basic chemicals that make up living things.
Life: All living things, from elephants and plants to bacteria and other types of single-celled organisms.
photosynthesis: (verb: photosynthesis) The process by which green plants and other organisms use sunlight to produce food from carbon dioxide and water.
malaria parasite: A form within the life cycle of some simple organisms, such as slime molds, usually consisting of a mass of naked protoplasm containing many nuclei. (In medicine) Also refers to the genus of protozoa that causes the disease malaria. The genus Plasmodium includes over 100 species. Just five are responsible for most cases of malaria in humans.
protists: A broad group of primarily unicellular organisms that are neither plants nor animals. Some, like algae, look like plants. What are known as protozoa can also look like animals. Additionally, some look like fungi.
slime mold: A simple organism consisting of a single cell of creeping, jelly-like protoplasm containing a nucleus. Despite its name, it is not a mold. It's not even closely related to fungi.
Source: www.snexplores.org
