Behavioral ecology
A heuristic approach based on the expectation that Darwinian fitness (reproductive success)
is improved by optimal behavior.
Benthic zone
The bottom surfaces of aquatic environments.
Benign
Not life-threatening or severe, and likely to respond to treatment, as a tumor that is not
malignant.
Biannuals
Occurring twice a year.
Biennial
A plant that requires two years to complete its life cycle.
Bilateral symmetry
Characterizing a body form with a central longitudinal plane that divides the body into two
equal but opposite halves.
Bilateria
Members of the branch of eumetazoans possessing bilateral symmetry.
Bile
A yellow secretion of the vertebrate liver, temporarily stored in the gallbladder and
composed of organic salts that emulsify fats in the small intestine.
Binary fission
The type of cell division by which prokaryotes reproduce; each dividing daughter cell
receives a copy of the single parental chromosome.
Binomial
The two-part Latinized name of a species, consisting of genus and specific epithet.
Biochemical pathway
An ordered series of chemical reactions in a living cell, in which each step is catalyzed by a
specific enzyme; different biochemical pathways serve different functions in the life of the
cell.
Biodiversity hotspot
A relatively small area with an exceptional concentration of species.
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