Across
- 3. Often called the "powerhouse," this is where oxygen and sugar are turned into usable energy.
- 10. A specialized cell designed to send electrical signals throughout the nervous system.
- 13. Organisms at the bottom of the food chain that create their own energy using sunlight.
- 14. A specialized protein that acts like a pair of chemical scissors or glue to speed up reactions.
- 15. The physical trait you can actually see, like blue eyes or tall height.
- 17. The internal "balancing act" your body performs to keep things stable, like sweating to cool down.
- 19. A "mini-organ" inside a cell that has a specific job, like the mitochondria or ribosome.
- 21. The green structure in plant cells where the magic of making food happens.
- 24. The protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen to the rest of the body.
- 25. The basic building block of DNA, made of a sugar, a phosphate, and a base.
- 27. The specific pigment that captures light energy and gives plants their color.
- 28. When the ribosome reads mRNA to string together a chain of amino acids.
- 32. A complex cell with a defined nucleus; it’s what you and all plants are made of.
- 36. A measure of how many different types of species are living in a specific area.
- 37. The simple sugar molecule that acts as the primary fuel for living things.
- 38. The longest part of the cell cycle where the cell grows and copies its DNA before dividing.
- 39. The evolutionary process by which a new and distinct species is formed.
Down
- 1. The actual letter combinations (like Aa or BB) that represent an organism's genes.
- 2. A process that happens without any oxygen present, like fermentation in tired muscles.
- 4. The process of rewriting DNA instructions into a portable mRNA message.
- 5. A simple, single-celled organism (like bacteria) that lacks a protected nucleus.
- 6. A biomolecule that provides quick energy; think of it as the "sugar and starch" group.
- 7. The process of unzipping DNA to make an exact copy of the genetic code.
- 8. The twisted ladder shape that DNA takes.
- 9. Transport Moving molecules across a membrane using energy, often pushing them "uphill" against a gradient.
- 11. An inherited trait that gives an organism a better chance of surviving in its environment.
- 12. A fancy name for fats and oils that help store energy for the long haul.
- 13. The main building block of the cell membrane, featuring a head that loves water and a tail that hates it.
- 16. Selection The process where "survival of the fittest" determines which traits get passed on.
- 18. The specific "job" or role an organism has within its habitat.
- 20. A "marker" on a cell or virus that tells the immune system whether it belongs there or is an invader.Hypothesis An educated guess you make before starting an experiment.
- 22. The tiny protein-making factory found floating in the cytoplasm or on the ER.
- 23. The non-living parts of an environment, such as rocks, sunlight, and water.
- 26. The tiniest of blood vessels where oxygen and waste are actually swapped.
- 29. A permanent change in the DNA sequence that can be helpful, harmful, or neutral.
- 30. A structure that used to be useful to an ancestor but no longer serves a purpose (like a tailbone).
- 31. Having two different versions of a gene, one dominant and one recessive.
- 33. The main "currency" or battery of the cell that provides energy for all activities.
- 34. The branch of science concerned with naming and grouping organisms.
- 35. The very final step of cell division where the cytoplasm pinches into two separate pieces.