On-Line Biology Book: GLOSSARY

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families  1. In taxonomy, term applied to subcategories within orders. 2. Term applied to a group of similar things, such as languages, chromosomes, etc. PICTURE

fats  1. Triglycerides that are solid at room temperature. 2. A legendary pool player from Minnesota?

fauna Term referring collectively to all animals in an area. The zoological counterpart of flora.

feces  Semisolid material containing undigested foods, bacteria, bilirubin, and water that is produced in the large intestine and eliminated from the body. Frequently noted as "hitting the fan".

femur  The upper leg bone.

fermentation  The synthesis of ATP in the absence of oxygen through glycolysis. PICTURE 1 | PICTURE 2

fertilization  The fusion of two gametes (sperm and ovum) to produce a zygote that develops into a new individual with a genetic heritage derived from both parents. Strictly speaking, fertilization can be divided into the fusion of the cells (plasmogamy) and the fusion of nuclei (karyogamy).

fibroblast A term applied to a cell of connective tissue that is separated from similar cells by some degree of matrix material; fibroblasts secrete elastin and collagen protein fibers. PICTURE

fibrous root  A root system found in monocots in which branches develop from the adventitious roots, forming a system in which all roots are about the same size and length.

filaments  Slender, thread-like stalks that make up the stamens of a þower; topped by the anthers. PICTURE

filter feeders  Organisms such as sponges that feed by removing food from water that Þlters through their body.

filtration  The removal of water and solutes from the blood; occurs in the glomerulus of the nephron.

first law of thermodynamics (conservation) Energy is neither created nor destroyed, it changes from one form to another.

fitness  A measure of an individual's ability to survive and reproduce; the chance that an individual will leave more offspring in the next generation than other individuals.

flagella long, whip-like locomotion organelles found in both prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells; sing.: flagellum. Eukaryotic flagella have an internal arrangement of microtubules in a 9 + 2 array. PICTURE

flame cell  A specialized cell at the blind end of a nephridium that Þlters body þuids.

flora Term collectively applied to all