Leukotriene
A type of prostaglandin produced by various white blood cells involved in the inflammatory
and immune responses and in allergic reactions.
Lichen
An organism formed by the symbiotic association between a fungus and a photosynthetic
alga.
Life cycle
The entire sequence of stages in the life of an organisms, from the adults of one generation
to the adults of the next.
Life-history pattern
A group of traits, such as size and number of offspring, length of maturation, age at first
reproduction, and the number of times reproduction occurs, that affect reproduction,
survival, and the rate of population growth.
Life table
A table of data summarizing mortality in a population.
Ligament
A type of fibrous connective tissue that joins bones together at joints.
Ligand
A molecule that binds specifically to a receptor site of another molecule.
Ligand-gated ion channel receptor
A signal receptor protein in a cell membrane that can act as a channel for the passage of a
specific ion across the membrane. When activated by a signal molecule, the receptor either
allows or blocks passage of the ion, resulting in a change in ion concentration that usually
affects cell functioning.
Light-dependent reactions
The reactions of the first stage of photosynthesis, in which light energy is captured by
chlorophyll molecules and converted to chemical energy stored in ATP and NADPH
molecules.
Light-independent reactions
The carbon-fixing reactions of the second stage of photosynthesis; energy stored in ATP and
NADPH by the light-dependent reactions is used to reduce carbon from carbon dioxide to
simple sugars; light is not required for these reactions.
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