biology-dictionary_11-06-2009

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Glycogenolysis
The biochemical breakdown of glycogen to glucose.
Glycolipids
Organic molecules similar in structure to fats, but in which a short carbohydrate chain rather
than a fatty acid is attached to the third carbon of the glycerol molecule; as a result, the
molecule has a hydrophilic "head" and a hydrophobic "tail." Glycolipids are important
constituents of the plasma membrane and of organelle membranes.
Glycolysis
The splitting of glucose into pyruvate. Glycolysis is the one metabolic pathway that occurs in
all living cells, serving as the starting point for fermentation or aerobic respiration.
Glycoprotein
A protein with covalently attached carbohydrate.
Glyoxisomes/Microbodies
Glyoxisomes are basically a kind of Microbodies. They are mainly present in plants. They are
required for the processing of food in the body.
Gnathostomata
Comprising all vertebrates with upper and lower jaws
Golgi apparatus
An organelle in eukaryotic cells consisting of stacks of flat membranous sacs that modify,
store, and route products of the endoplasmic reticulum.
Golgi bodies
A network of stacked membranous vesicles present in most living cells that functions in the
formation of secretions within the cell. Also called Golgi body, Golgi complex.
Golgi vesicles
A network of stacked membranous vesicles present in most living cells that functions in the
formation of secretions within the cell. Also called Golgi body, Golgi complex.
Golgi vacuoles
A small cavity in the cytoplasm of a cell, bound by a single membrane and containing water,
food, or metabolic waste.
Gonadotropins
Hormones that stimulate the activities of the testes and ovaries; a collective term for
follicle-stimulating and luteinizing hormones.

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