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Browse Qlopedia topics grouped under Biology.
59 topics, showing 1-24 on page 1 of 3.
Environmental DNA, or eDNA, is genetic material collected from water, soil, sediment, snow, air, or other surroundings rather than directly from an organism. It helps scientists detect species, monitor ecosystems, find invasive organisms, and study biodiversity with less disturbance than many traditional survey methods.
Soundscape ecology studies the full pattern of sounds in a place, including animal calls, wind and water, and human-made noise. By listening over time, researchers can track biodiversity, habitat change, seasonal rhythms, human disturbance, and the acoustic character of landscapes and seascapes.
An ecotone is a transition zone between neighboring ecological communities, such as forest and meadow, wetland and upland, or tundra and boreal forest. Ecotones can concentrate biodiversity, reveal environmental change, and complicate conservation planning.
An indicator species is a plant, animal, fungus, microbe, or other organism whose presence, absence, abundance, behavior, or health can reveal something about environmental conditions.
A soil seed bank is the reserve of viable seeds stored in leaf litter, on the soil surface, or within soil. It helps plant communities persist through drought, fire, cultivation, grazing, and other disturbances, but it can also keep weeds returning year after year.
Endosymbiotic theory explains how key parts of eukaryotic cells, especially mitochondria and chloroplasts, originated from bacteria that became long-term partners inside other cells. It is one of biology's clearest examples of evolution through cooperation as well as competition.
Crossing over is the exchange of matching DNA segments between homologous chromosomes during meiosis, creating new allele combinations in gametes.
Interphase is the part of the eukaryotic cell cycle between divisions, when a cell grows, performs normal functions, copies its DNA, and prepares for mitosis or meiosis.
Cytokinesis is the physical division of a cell's cytoplasm, usually after nuclear division, producing separate daughter cells with their own membranes and cellular contents.
Apoptosis is a regulated form of programmed cell death that lets organisms remove damaged, unneeded, infected, or dangerous cells without the messy tissue damage associated with uncontrolled cell death.
The cell cycle is the ordered sequence of growth, DNA replication, preparation, and division that lets cells produce new cells while controlling timing and genetic accuracy.
Meiosis is a specialized form of eukaryotic cell division that halves chromosome number and creates genetically varied haploid cells used in sexual reproduction.
Mitosis is the eukaryotic process that divides one replicated nucleus into two genetically matched nuclei, helping cells grow, replace worn tissue, and reproduce asexually.
The nucleolus is a dense region inside the nucleus of most eukaryotic cells where ribosomal RNA is made and early ribosome assembly begins.
A vesicle is a small membrane-bound sac that transports, stores, releases, or digests material inside cells and between cellular compartments.
A vacuole is a membrane-bound compartment that stores water, ions, nutrients, waste products, pigments, and other materials, with especially large roles in plant, fungal, and protist cells.
The cytoskeleton is a dynamic network of protein filaments that gives cells shape, organizes internal structures, supports movement, and helps move cargo inside the cell.
A peroxisome is a small membrane-bound organelle in eukaryotic cells that helps break down fatty acids, manage hydrogen peroxide, and support specialized metabolic reactions.
A lysosome is a membrane-bound organelle in many eukaryotic cells that uses digestive enzymes and an acidic interior to break down macromolecules, worn cell parts, and material taken in from outside the cell.
The endoplasmic reticulum is a membrane network in eukaryotic cells that helps make, fold, modify, store, and transport proteins and lipids.
The Golgi apparatus is a membrane-bound organelle in eukaryotic cells that modifies, sorts, and packages proteins and lipids for delivery to other parts of the cell or outside it.
Adaptive radiation is rapid diversification from a common ancestor into multiple species or forms adapted to different ecological roles, often after new habitats or resources become available.
Evolutionary fitness is a measure of reproductive success: how well a trait, genotype, or organism contributes genes to future generations in a particular environment.
Sexual selection is evolutionary change driven by differences in mating and fertilization success. It helps explain ornaments, weapons, displays, mate choice, competition, and sexual dimorphism.