extinction complete disappearance from Earth of all
members of a species. (15.3)
extirpation disappearance of a species from areas
that were once part of its range. (15.3)
ex vivotherapy in gene therapy, culturing some
of the target cells from a patient’s body and
re-implanting genetically modified cells. (9.4)fallopian tubes in a human female, two tubes that
transfer eggs from the ovaries to the uterus. (6.3)
fecundity the average number of young produced by
a female over her lifetime in a population. (14.4)
feedback inhibition type of non-competitive
inhibition in which the end product of the
pathway binds at an allosteric site on the first
enzyme of the pathway. (2.2)
fermentation metabolic process that makes ATP
from glucose in the absence of oxygen. The
process does not use the electron transport chain;
it produces either lactic acid or ethanol and CO 2.
(3.1)
fertility rate the average number of children born
alive to each woman in a population during her
lifetime. (15.1)
fimbriae finger-like projections that sweep eggs from
where they exit the ovaries into the fallopian
tubes. (6.3)
fitness the suitability of an organism to its
environmental conditions. (10.1)
5 ′cap modified form of the G nucleotide added to
the 5 ′end of a pre-mRNA molecule. (8.2)
fixed describes a population in which all members
are homozygous for the same allele. (11.1)
follicle one of many like cells held in the ovaries.
Each one of these cells contains an ovum that
will develop. (6.3)
follicular stage the first stage of the menstrual cycle,
during which increased levels of FSH stimulate
the follicles to release increased quantities of
estrogen into the bloodstream. The endometrium
thickens and the hypothalamus releases LH. (6.3)
food chain the transfer of nutrients from one
trophic level to the next through a trophic
structure. (13.2)
food web an interconnection of several possible
food chains in an ecosystem. (13.2)
fossil fuels oil, gas, and other hydrocarbon fuels
that were produced over millions of years, during
which time large amounts of organic detritus
built up, was buried, and was compressed. (13.4)
fossil record remains and traces of past life found
in sedimentary rock, which has layers that
correspond to time periods. The fossil recordreveals the history of life on earth and the kinds
of organisms that were alive in the past. (10.3)
founder effect cause of genetic drift due to a small
group of individuals colonizing a new area; the
small group probably will not contain all the
genes represented in the parent population. (11.3)
fovea centralis concentration of cones on the retina
located directly behind the centre of the lens.
(5.3)
frameshift mutation permanent change in the
genetic material of a cell caused by the insertion
or deletion of one or two nucleotides within a
sequence of codons. (9.1)
frequency the number of occurrences of a particular
allele in a population divided by the total
number of alleles in the population. (11.1)
frontal lobe the part of the brain that is involved in
the control of motor area muscles and integration
of information to help reasoning processes. (5.1)
functional groups specific groups of bonded atoms
attached to a molecule such as a protein. (1.2)GABA gamma aminobutyric acid; the most common
inhibitory neurotransmitter of the brain. (5.2)
gel electrophoresis method in which molecules
travel through a gel subjected to an electrical
current. It is used to separate molecules
according to mass and charge, and enables
fragments of DNA to be separated for analysis.
(9.2)
gene specific sequence of DNA that has the
potential to be expressed; a discrete unit of
hereditary information. (7.4)
gene flow movement of new genes into a gene pool.
This movement can reduce differences between
populations that were caused by isolation and
genetic drift. (11.3)
gene pool the total of all the genes in a population
at any one time. (10.1)
generalist organism that is flexible in its
requirements and can be found in a wide variety
of habitats. (13.1)
gene therapy the process of changing the function
of genes in order to treat genetic disorders. (9.4)
genetic drift the change of frequencies of particular
alleles in a small population, caused by chance
alone. The change can be drastic. (11.3)
genetic structure the frequencies of all the alleles
and genotypes in a population. (11.1)
genome the sum of all of the DNA carried in an
organism’s cells. (7.4)
genotype genetic make-up; remains constant
throughout an individual’s life. (11.1)G
F
576 MHR • Glossary