Glossary

427 vocabulary terms to help you understand the book

A-Z Index

A

Abiotic Non-living physical and chemical factors in an environment. Abiotic factors incl... Acoustic Communication Communication using sound signals, including vocalizations, vibrations, and othe... Adaptation A trait that increases an organism's fitness in its environment, or the evolutio... Adaptive Radiation The rapid diversification of a single ancestral species into many new species, e... Adenine One of the four nucleotide bases in DNA and RNA, abbreviated as 'A'. Adenine pai... Adrenaline A hormone and neurotransmitter released during stress that prepares the body for... Aerobic Requiring or occurring in the presence of oxygen. Aerobic respiration is the mos... Aging The gradual decline in biological function over time, leading to increased vulne... AI (Artificial Intelligence) Artificial Intelligence: computer systems designed to perform tasks that typical... Alarm Calls Vocalizations produced by animals to warn others of predator presence. Often enc... Albumin The most abundant protein in blood plasma, responsible for maintaining osmotic p... Allee Effect A phenomenon where individual fitness or population growth rate increases with p... Allele One of two or more alternative forms of a gene that arise by mutation and are fo... Allometric Describing growth or scaling relationships where different parts or properties c... Allopatric Speciation The evolution of new species from populations that are geographically isolated f... Alternative Stable States Multiple stable configurations an ecosystem can occupy under the same environmen... Alveoli Tiny air sacs in the lungs where gas exchange occurs. The alveoli provide enormo... Ambush Predation A hunting strategy where the predator remains concealed and motionless until pre... Amino Acid The building blocks of proteins. Twenty standard amino acids combine in various... Ammonification The decomposition of organic nitrogen compounds into ammonia. How nitrogen in de... Amortization The process of spreading the cost of an intangible asset or loan over its useful... Amphibian A cold-blooded vertebrate that typically begins life in water with gills, then m... Amylase An enzyme that breaks down starch into sugars. Present in saliva and pancreatic... Anabolism The set of metabolic pathways that construct molecules from smaller units, requi... Anaerobic Not requiring or occurring in the absence of oxygen. Anaerobic metabolism is les... Analogous Structures that perform similar functions but evolved independently in unrelated... Angiogenesis The formation of new blood vessels from existing vessels. Essential for growth,... Antibody Y-shaped proteins produced by B cells that recognize and bind to specific foreig... Antifragile A property of systems that gain strength, improve, or thrive when exposed to vol... Antigen Any molecule that can trigger an immune response, typically by being recognized... Antioxidant A molecule that prevents oxidation of other molecules by neutralizing free radic... API (Application Programming Interface) Application Programming Interface: a standardized way for different software sys... Apical Relating to or situated at the apex or tip. In biology, apical refers to the gro... Apical Dominance The phenomenon where the main central stem of a plant grows more strongly than l... Apoptosis Programmed cell death, a controlled process where cells systematically dismantle... Aposematism Warning coloration or signals that advertise an organism's unprofitability to pr... Arbuscular Describing a type of mycorrhizal fungus that forms tree-like branching structure... Arthropod An invertebrate animal with an exoskeleton, segmented body, and jointed appendag... Asymptote A value that a function approaches but never quite reaches. In biology, often de... ATP (Adenosine Triphosphate) The primary energy currency of cells. A molecule that stores and transfers energ... Austerity An economic policy of reducing government spending and increasing taxes to decre... Authentication The process of verifying the identity of a user, device, or system, typically th... Autonomic Relating to the autonomic nervous system, which controls involuntary body functi... Autophagy The cellular process of degrading and recycling damaged or unnecessary component... Autotroph An organism that produces its own food from inorganic substances, typically thro... Auxin A plant hormone that regulates growth, particularly cell elongation. Auxin gradi... Axon The long, slender projection of a neuron that conducts electrical impulses away...

B

B2B (Business-to-Business) Business-to-business: companies that sell products or services to other companie... B2C (Business-to-Consumer) Business-to-consumer: companies that sell products or services directly to indiv... Bacteria Single-celled prokaryotic microorganisms lacking a nucleus. Bacteria are among t... Batesian Mimicry A harmless species evolving to resemble a harmful or unpalatable species, gainin... Benthic Relating to the bottom of oceans, lakes, or other water bodies. Benthic organism... Bilayer A two-layered structure, particularly the phospholipid bilayer that forms cell m... Bioaccumulation The gradual buildup of substances (especially toxins or pollutants) in an organi... Biofilm Formation The process by which microorganisms attach to surfaces and secrete extracellular... Biogeography The study of the distribution of species and ecosystems across geographic space... Biomagnification The increasing concentration of a substance (especially toxins) in organisms at... Biomass The total mass of living organisms in a given area or ecosystem, typically expre... Biotic Relating to or resulting from living organisms. Biotic factors in an ecosystem i... Black Swan A highly improbable event with three characteristics: it is unpredictable, carri... Bottleneck (Population) A sharp reduction in population size that reduces genetic diversity. Surviving i... Brownian Motion The random, erratic movement of particles suspended in a fluid, caused by collis... Burn Rate The rate at which a company spends its cash reserves, typically measured monthly...

C

CAC (Customer Acquisition Cost) The total cost of acquiring a new customer, including marketing, sales, and rela... CapEx (Capital Expenditure) Funds spent by a company to acquire, upgrade, or maintain physical assets such a... Capillary The smallest blood vessels, where exchange of oxygen, nutrients, and waste occur... Carnivore An animal that feeds primarily on other animals. Carnivores have adaptations for... Carrying Capacity The maximum population size an environment can sustain indefinitely given availa... Catabolism The set of metabolic pathways that break down molecules into smaller units, rele... Cellulose A complex carbohydrate that forms the primary structural component of plant cell... Central Place Foraging A foraging strategy where animals return repeatedly to a central location (nest,... Cephalopod A class of mollusks including octopuses, squids, cuttlefish, and nautiluses, cha... Cheater Detection Mechanisms that identify individuals who benefit from cooperation without contri... Checkpoint (Cell Cycle) Control points in the cell cycle where the cell verifies that conditions are cor... Chemical Signaling Communication between organisms or cells using chemical compounds. Includes pher... Chemotaxis Directed movement of an organism or cell in response to chemical gradients—towar... Chitin A tough, protective polysaccharide that forms the exoskeletons of insects and cr... Chlorophyll The green pigment in plants that captures light energy for photosynthesis. Chlor... Chromatin The complex of DNA and proteins (mainly histones) that makes up chromosomes. How... Chromosome A structure of tightly coiled DNA and proteins that carries genetic information.... Churn The rate at which customers stop doing business with a company, typically expres... Circadian Rhythm Internal biological cycles with approximately 24-hour periods that regulate slee... Clawback A contractual provision allowing an organization to reclaim previously distribut... Climax Community A stable, self-perpetuating ecological community that represents the endpoint of... Cline A gradual change in a characteristic across a geographic area, typically corresp... Co-Evolution Reciprocal evolutionary change in interacting species, where each exerts selecti... Coalition A temporary alliance between individuals who cooperate to achieve goals they cou... Coalition Formation The formation of alliances between individuals or groups to achieve goals unatta... Codon A sequence of three nucleotides that codes for a specific amino acid during prot... Coevolution The process by which two or more species reciprocally affect each other's evolut... Cohort A group of individuals of the same age in a population, or more generally, a gro... Collateral An asset pledged as security for a loan, which the lender can seize if the borro... Commensalism A relationship between two species where one benefits and the other is neither h... Competitive Exclusion The principle that two species competing for exactly the same resources cannot c... Concentration The amount of a substance per unit volume. Concentration gradients—differences i... Connectome A comprehensive map of neural connections in a brain or nervous system. The comp... Contact Inhibition The phenomenon where normal cells stop dividing when they contact neighboring ce... Convergent Evolution The independent evolution of similar features in species that are not closely re... Cortisol A steroid hormone released during stress that mobilizes energy reserves and supp... Costly Signaling Signals that are reliable because they are expensive to produce or maintain. The... Countercurrent Exchange A mechanism where fluids flow in opposite directions on either side of a barrier... Critical Point A specific condition (temperature, pressure, or other parameter) at which a phas... Crustacean A large group of arthropods including crabs, lobsters, shrimp, barnacles, and co... Cryptobiosis A state of suspended animation where metabolism stops or becomes undetectable. A... Cultural Transmission The transfer of learned behaviors, knowledge, or traditions between individuals... Cytoplasm The gel-like substance filling cells between the nucleus and cell membrane. Cont... Cytosine One of the four nucleotide bases in DNA and RNA, abbreviated as 'C'. Cytosine pa...

D

Decomposer Organisms, primarily bacteria and fungi, that break down dead organic matter int... Defense Mechanisms that protect organisms from threats including predators, parasites, p... Denaturation The process by which proteins or nucleic acids lose their three-dimensional stru... Dendrite The branching extensions of a neuron that receive signals from other neurons. De... Denitrification The microbial conversion of nitrate back to nitrogen gas, returning nitrogen to... Density-Dependent Factors whose effects on population growth vary with population density. Competi... Density-Independent Factors affecting populations regardless of density—typically environmental even... Deterministic A system or process whose future state is completely determined by its current s... Detritivore Animals that feed on dead organic matter (detritus), fragmenting it and accelera... Dewlap A flap of loose skin hanging below the throat of many vertebrates, especially li... Diapause A period of suspended development in insects and some other organisms, typically... Digestion The process of breaking down food into molecules small enough to be absorbed and... Dilutive Describing a transaction that reduces earnings per share or ownership percentage... Dinoflagellate Single-celled organisms with two flagella, found primarily in marine environment... Diploid Having two complete sets of chromosomes, one from each parent. Most animal cells... Diseconomies of Scale The phenomenon where increasing the scale of production leads to higher per-unit... Disintermediation The removal of intermediaries from a supply chain or transaction, connecting pro... Dispersal The movement of organisms away from their place of birth to new locations where... Distributed Intelligence Intelligence that emerges from interactions among many simple components rather... Disturbance (Ecological) A discrete event that disrupts ecosystem structure, changing resources, substrat... Disturbance Adaptation Traits that enable organisms to survive, tolerate, or exploit periodic environme... Divergent Evolution The process by which related species become increasingly different over time as... Diversity The variety of different types within a system. Biodiversity includes genetic di... Dominance Hierarchy Social ranking system where individuals have consistent dominant-subordinate rel... Dopamine A neurotransmitter associated with reward, motivation, and pleasure. Plays key r... Dormancy A state of minimal metabolic activity that allows organisms to survive unfavorab...

E

Ecological Release The expansion of an organism's niche when competitors, predators, or other limit... Ecological Succession The predictable, directional change in community composition over time following... Ecosystem Engineer An organism that physically modifies its environment, creating or maintaining ha... Ecosystem Engineering Physical modification of the environment by organisms that affects resource avai... Ecotone A transition area between two adjacent ecological communities, containing specie... Ectotherm An organism that regulates body temperature primarily through external sources o... Ectothermy A metabolic strategy where body temperature depends primarily on external heat s... Edge Effect Changes in population or community structures that occur at the boundary of two... Electrochemical Relating to chemical reactions that involve the transfer of electrons, creating... Embryo An early stage of development in multicellular organisms, from fertilization unt... Emergence The arising of novel properties or behaviors in complex systems that cannot be p... Encephalization The ratio of actual brain size to expected brain size for an animal of that body... Encryption The process of encoding information so that only authorized parties can access i... Endemic Native and restricted to a particular geographic area or ecosystem. In epidemiol... Endemic Species A species that exists naturally only in one particular geographic location and n... Endogenous Originating from within an organism or system. The opposite of exogenous (extern... Endoplasmic Reticulum A network of membranes within cells that synthesizes, processes, and transports... Endosymbiosis A symbiotic relationship where one organism lives inside the cells of another. T... Endotherm An organism that generates body heat internally through metabolic processes, mai... Energy Budget The accounting of energy intake, storage, and expenditure in an organism. All en... Entrainment The synchronization of an organism's biological rhythms to external environmenta... Enzyme A protein that catalyzes (speeds up) specific biochemical reactions without bein... Epidemic A disease outbreak affecting many individuals in a community or region at the sa... Epigenetics Heritable changes in gene expression that occur without changes to the underlyin... Epistemic Relating to knowledge or the conditions for acquiring it. Epistemic humility ack... Equilibrium A state of balance where opposing forces or processes are equal, resulting in no... Estivation A state of dormancy similar to hibernation but occurring during hot, dry periods... Eukaryote Organisms whose cells contain a membrane-bound nucleus and other membrane-bound... Eutrophication Excessive nutrient enrichment of water bodies, typically from agricultural runof... Evolutionary Arms Race Reciprocal adaptation between species locked in antagonistic relationships, wher... Evolutionary Stasis Long periods during which a species shows little morphological change despite en... Evolvability The capacity of a system to generate heritable, selectable variation. A measure... Excretion The biological process of eliminating metabolic waste products from the body, in... Exogenous Originating from outside an organism or system. The opposite of endogenous (inte... Exponential Growth Growth at a constant percentage rate, producing a J-shaped curve where larger po... Externalities Costs or benefits that affect parties not directly involved in a transaction. Ne... Extreme Survival Adaptations enabling organisms to survive conditions lethal to most life: extrem...

F

Facilitation A positive interaction where one species improves conditions for another, often... Facultative Optional or capable of but not requiring a particular mode of life. The opposite... Fat Tails A statistical distribution where extreme events are more common than a normal (b... Fecundity The reproductive rate of an organism—the number of offspring produced per indivi... Feedback Loop A system structure where the output of a process influences its own input. Posit... Fertilization The fusion of male and female gametes (sex cells) to form a new individual. In s... Fibrous Root System A root system with many similarly-sized roots spreading out from the base of the... Firmware Permanent software programmed into a hardware device's read-only memory, providi... Fitness (Evolutionary) An organism's relative ability to survive and reproduce in its environment. Meas... Flagellum A whip-like appendage that enables cell movement. Bacterial flagella rotate like... Flocking Coordination The mechanisms by which groups of animals achieve coordinated movement without c... Flywheel A self-reinforcing business cycle where each component feeds the next, building... Founder Effect A loss of genetic variation that occurs when a new population is established by... Fractal A geometric pattern that repeats at every scale—the same basic shape appears whe... Frequency-Dependent Selection Natural selection where fitness depends on how common or rare a trait is in the... Frugivore An animal that primarily eats fruit. Frugivores play crucial roles in seed dispe... Fungus A kingdom of organisms including yeasts, molds, and mushrooms. Fungi are decompo...

G

Ganglia Clusters of nerve cell bodies located outside the central nervous system. Gangli... Gastric Relating to the stomach. Gastric juices contain hydrochloric acid and enzymes th... Gene A sequence of DNA that encodes instructions for building a specific protein or R... Gene Flow The transfer of genetic material between populations through migration, dispersa... Genetic Drift Random changes in allele frequencies from one generation to the next due to chan... Genome The complete set of genetic instructions in an organism, encoded in DNA (or RNA... Genotype The complete genetic makeup of an organism—the specific combination of alleles i... Germline The cell lineage that produces reproductive cells (eggs and sperm). Only genetic... Ghrelin A hormone produced by the stomach that stimulates appetite. Often called the 'hu... Gibberellin A class of plant hormones that promote stem elongation, seed germination, flower... Glucagon A hormone produced by the pancreas that raises blood glucose levels by triggerin... Gluconeogenesis The metabolic pathway that synthesizes glucose from non-carbohydrate sources lik... Glycolysis The metabolic pathway that breaks down glucose into pyruvate, producing a small... Graceful Degradation The ability of a system to continue functioning at reduced capacity when compone... Gradient A gradual change in a quantity across space or time. Biological gradients includ... Grandmother Effect The evolutionary advantage of post-reproductive survival, where older individual... Greenwashing The practice of making misleading claims about the environmental benefits of a p... Guanine One of the four nucleotide bases in DNA and RNA, abbreviated as 'G'. Guanine pai...

H

Habitat The natural environment or physical location where an organism lives. The 'addre... Handicap Principle The theory that reliable signals must be costly to the signaler, making them imp... Hemoglobin The iron-containing protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen from lungs to... Herbivore An animal that feeds primarily on plants. Herbivores have specialized digestive... Herbivory The consumption of plants or plant parts by animals. A major ecological interact... Herbivory Defense Adaptations that reduce herbivore damage to plants, including physical structure... Heterotroph An organism that cannot produce its own food and must consume other organisms fo... Hibernation A state of prolonged torpor in which body temperature, heart rate, and metabolic... Homeostasis The maintenance of relatively stable internal conditions despite changing extern... Homologous Structures or genes that share a common evolutionary origin, even if they have d... Horizontal Gene Transfer The movement of genetic material between organisms other than by parent-to-offsp... Hormesis A dose-response phenomenon where low doses of a stressor that is harmful at high... Hormone Chemical messengers produced by glands or cells that travel through the bloodstr... Hub (Network) A node in a network with significantly more connections than average. Hubs are c... Hydrophilic Water-loving or water-attracting. Hydrophilic molecules dissolve easily in water... Hydrophobic Water-fearing or water-repelling. Hydrophobic molecules don't dissolve in water... Hyphae The thread-like filaments that form the body (mycelium) of a fungus. Hyphae grow... Hypoxia Abnormally low oxygen levels in water or tissues. In aquatic ecosystems, hypoxic...

I

Imbibition The absorption of water by a seed, the first step in germination. Water uptake t... Immune Relating to the body's defense system against pathogens and foreign substances.... Inbreeding Depression The reduced fitness and health of offspring resulting from mating between close... Inheritance The transmission of genetic information from parents to offspring. Inheritance d... Insulin A hormone produced by the pancreas that regulates blood glucose levels by promot... Invasive Species Non-native organisms that spread aggressively in new environments, often outcomp... Invertebrate An animal without a backbone. Invertebrates include insects, spiders, worms, mol... Isometric Describing scaling where proportions remain constant regardless of size—each dim... Iteroparous A reproductive strategy where organisms breed multiple times throughout their li...

J

JIT (Just-In-Time) A production strategy that aligns raw material orders and production scheduling...

K

K-Selection Reproductive strategy emphasizing few offspring with high parental investment, a... K-Strategist A species adapted for stable environments near carrying capacity. Characterized... Kaizen A Japanese business philosophy of continuous incremental improvement involving a... Kanban A scheduling system for lean manufacturing that uses visual signals (cards, boar... Ketosis A metabolic state where the body burns fat for fuel instead of glucose, producin... Keystone Species A species that has a disproportionately large effect on its ecosystem relative t... Kin Selection Natural selection that favors behaviors benefiting genetic relatives, even at co... Kleiber's Law The observation that metabolic rate scales with body mass to the 3/4 power acros...

L

Larva A juvenile form of an animal that differs significantly from the adult, typicall... Leadership Currencies The various resources and capabilities that confer leadership status in differen... Leptin A hormone produced by fat cells that signals satiety to the brain. Leptin levels... Lévy Flight A random walk pattern characterized by many short moves interspersed with occasi... Lichen A composite organism formed by a symbiotic partnership between a fungus and a ph... Lignin A complex polymer that provides structural support in plant cell walls, particul... Logistic Growth Population growth that starts exponentially but slows as it approaches the envir... LTV (Lifetime Value) The total revenue a business can expect from a single customer account throughou... Lymphocyte White blood cells that are central to adaptive immunity. Includes T cells (cellu...

M

Mammal A warm-blooded vertebrate characterized by hair or fur, mammary glands that prod... Marginal Value Theorem A mathematical model predicting when a forager should leave a depleting resource... Mast Seeding Synchronized, highly variable seed production across tree populations, with year... Mating The pairing of organisms for sexual reproduction. Mating involves mate selection... Meiosis A type of cell division that produces gametes (sex cells) with half the normal c... Melanin A pigment that gives color to skin, hair, and eyes. Melanin absorbs UV radiation... Melatonin A hormone produced by the pineal gland that regulates sleep-wake cycles. Secreti... Membrane A thin, flexible barrier that surrounds cells and organelles, controlling what e... Meristem Plant tissue consisting of undifferentiated cells capable of division and growth... Metabolic Rate The rate at which an organism consumes energy, typically measured as oxygen cons... Metabolic Scaling The mathematical relationship between body size and metabolic rate. Metabolic ra... Metabolism The sum of all chemical reactions occurring within an organism to maintain life,... Metamorphosis A biological process of dramatic physical transformation from juvenile to adult... Metapopulation A population of populations—a set of local populations in separate habitat patch... Methylation The addition of a methyl group to DNA or proteins, often silencing gene expressi... Migration The seasonal movement of animals from one region to another, typically for feedi... Mitochondria Membrane-bound organelles in eukaryotic cells that generate most of the cell's A... Mitosis The process of cell division that produces two genetically identical daughter ce... Moat A sustainable competitive advantage that protects a business from competitors, l... Modularity The degree to which a system's components can be separated and recombined—high i... Monoculture The agricultural practice of growing a single crop species over a large area. Mo... Morphology The form and structure of an organism, including size, shape, color, and arrange... MRR/ARR (Monthly/Annual Recurring Revenue) The predictable, recurring revenue a subscription business generates monthly (MR... mTOR (Mechanistic Target of Rapamycin) A protein kinase that acts as a central regulator of cell growth, proliferation,... Mutation A change in DNA sequence that alters genetic information. Mutations can be harmf... Mutualism A symbiotic relationship where both species benefit from the interaction. Both p... MVP (Minimum Viable Product) The simplest version of a product that can be released to test core assumptions... Mycelium The vegetative part of a fungus, consisting of a network of fine white filaments... Mycorrhizal Network Underground fungal networks that connect the roots of multiple plants, enabling... Mycorrhizal Networks Underground fungal networks connecting plant roots, enabling resource and inform...

N

Natural Selection The process by which organisms with traits better suited to their environment su... Necrosis Uncontrolled cell death caused by external factors like injury, infection, or la... Net Energy Gain The difference between energy acquired from food and energy expended to obtain i... Network Effects A phenomenon where a product or service becomes more valuable as more people use... Neurotransmitter Chemical messengers that transmit signals across synapses from one neuron to ano... Niche The ecological role of a species in its environment—what it eats, where it lives... Niche Partitioning The process by which competing species evolve to use resources differently, divi... Nitrification The microbial conversion of ammonia to nitrite and then nitrate. A key step in t... Nitrogen Fixation The conversion of atmospheric nitrogen (N2) into biologically usable forms like... Node An individual element in a network—a point connected to other points by links or... Nucleus The membrane-bound organelle in eukaryotic cells that contains the chromosomes a... Nutrient A substance that provides nourishment essential for growth and life maintenance.... Nutrient Cycling The continuous movement of nutrients through ecosystems as they pass from the en...

O

Obligate Required or necessary; describing organisms that must live in a particular way a... OKR (Objectives and Key Results) A goal-setting framework that defines measurable objectives and the key results... Omnivore An animal that feeds on both plants and animals. Omnivores have flexible diets a... Optimal Foraging Theory A framework for predicting foraging behavior based on the assumption that natura... Organism An individual living thing capable of carrying out life processes: metabolism, g... Oxytocin A hormone and neurotransmitter involved in social bonding, trust, and reproducti...

P

Parasite An organism that lives in or on a host organism, deriving nutrients at the host'... Parasitism A relationship where one organism (the parasite) benefits at the expense of anot... Pareto Distribution A power law probability distribution describing the pattern where a small fracti... Pathogen A microorganism or other agent that causes disease in a host. Includes bacteria,... Pelagic Relating to the open water column of oceans or lakes, as opposed to the bottom (... Peto's Paradox The observation that cancer rates do not increase proportionally with organism s... Phase Transition A transformation of a system from one state to another, like water freezing into... Phenotype The observable physical, physiological, or behavioral characteristics of an orga... Phenotypic Plasticity The ability of an organism to change its phenotype (observable characteristics)... Pheromone A chemical substance produced and released by an organism that affects the behav... Pheromone Signaling Chemical communication between organisms of the same species. Pheromones can tri... Phospholipid A type of lipid molecule with a hydrophilic (water-loving) head and hydrophobic... Phosphorylation The addition of a phosphate group to a molecule, typically a protein. A key mech... Photoperiod The relative length of light and dark periods in a 24-hour cycle. Many organisms... Photosynthesis The process by which plants, algae, and some bacteria convert light energy, carb... Phototropism The growth of a plant in response to light direction—typically bending toward li... Phylogenetic Relating to evolutionary relationships among organisms or groups. Phylogenetic t... Phylogeny The evolutionary history and relationships among species or groups of organisms.... Phytoplankton Microscopic photosynthetic organisms that drift in water bodies. The foundation... Pioneer Species The first species to colonize a disturbed or newly created habitat, initiating e... Pivot A fundamental change in business strategy while keeping one foot planted—changin... Pleiotropy When a single gene affects multiple phenotypic traits. Changes to pleiotropic ge... Pollen Microscopic grains containing male reproductive cells of seed plants. Pollen mus... Pollination The transfer of pollen from male to female plant parts, enabling fertilization.... Pollinator An animal that transfers pollen between flowers, enabling plant reproduction. Ma... Polymerase An enzyme that synthesizes long chains of nucleic acids (DNA or RNA) by reading... Population A group of individuals of the same species living in the same area at the same t... Positive Feedback Loops System dynamics where outputs amplify inputs, creating self-reinforcing cycles t... Power Law A mathematical relationship where one quantity varies as a power of another: y =... Predation An interaction where one organism (the predator) kills and consumes another (the... Predator An organism that hunts and kills other organisms (prey) for food. Predators occu... Predator-Prey Dynamics The cyclical population interactions between predators and their prey. Predator... Prey An organism that is hunted and consumed by predators. Prey species have evolved... Primary Producer Organisms that produce organic compounds from inorganic substances, forming the... Primary Succession Ecological succession that begins on bare substrate where no soil exists—newly e... Product-Market Fit The degree to which a product satisfies strong market demand. Achieved when cust... Profit Margin The percentage of revenue remaining after costs are subtracted. Gross margin exc... Prokaryote Single-celled organisms lacking a membrane-bound nucleus and other membrane-boun... Promoter (Genetics) A DNA sequence where RNA polymerase binds to begin transcription. Promoters cont... Prosocial Behavior that benefits others or society as a whole, often at some cost to the i... Prosocial Leadership Leadership based on providing benefits to followers rather than through dominanc... Protein Large molecules made of amino acid chains that perform most cellular functions.... Punctuated Equilibrium A theory that evolutionary change occurs in rapid bursts separated by long perio...

Q

Quorum Sensing A system of cell-to-cell communication that enables bacteria to coordinate group...

R

r-Strategist A species adapted for rapid reproduction and population growth in unstable or un... Receptor A protein molecule that receives and responds to specific signals, typically loc... Reciprocal Altruism Cooperation between unrelated individuals based on the expectation of future ret... Redundancy The duplication of critical components or functions in a system so that failure... Regeneration The ability to regrow lost or damaged body parts. Ranges from wound healing to r... Replication The process by which DNA makes a copy of itself before cell division. Each stran... Reproduction The biological process by which organisms produce offspring. Reproduction can be... Reptile A cold-blooded vertebrate with scaly skin that typically lays eggs on land. Incl... Respiration (Cellular) The metabolic process by which cells break down glucose and other organic molecu... Rhizome A horizontal underground stem that sends out roots and shoots from nodes. A meth... Ribosome Cellular structures that synthesize proteins by reading genetic instructions fro... Riparian Relating to the banks and adjacent areas of rivers, streams, and other waterways... Risk-Sensitive Foraging Foraging behavior that accounts for variance in resource availability, not just... Runway The amount of time a company can continue operating before running out of cash,...

S

SaaS (Software as a Service) Software as a Service: software accessed over the internet on a subscription bas... SAM (Serviceable Addressable Market) The portion of the Total Addressable Market (TAM) that a company can realistical... Scale Invariance The property where a relationship or pattern remains the same regardless of the... Scale-Free Network A network whose degree distribution follows a power law, meaning a few nodes (hu... Scaling Law A mathematical relationship describing how a quantity changes as the size of a s... Scaling Laws Mathematical relationships describing how properties change with size. Many biol... Scarification The process of weakening or breaking a seed coat to promote germination. Can occ... Secondary Succession Ecological succession that occurs after a disturbance that removes existing vege... Self-Organization The spontaneous emergence of order and pattern in a system through local interac... Self-Similarity The property where a pattern or structure looks the same at different scales—zoo... Semelparous A reproductive strategy where organisms breed only once in their lifetime, typic... Semelparous Reproduction A reproductive strategy with a single reproductive episode followed by death. Al... Senescence The biological process of aging—the gradual deterioration of functional characte... Series A/B/C Funding Sequential rounds of venture capital investment, each typically larger than the... Serotonin A neurotransmitter that regulates mood, sleep, appetite, and social behavior. Of... Sexual Selection A form of natural selection where traits are favored because they increase matin... Signal Information transmitted between cells, organisms, or systems that triggers a res... Sirtuins A family of NAD⁺-dependent enzymes that regulate cellular health, stress resista... Small-World Network A network where most nodes are not direct neighbors but can be reached from any... SOM (Serviceable Obtainable Market) The portion of the Serviceable Addressable Market (SAM) that a company can reali... Somatic Relating to body cells as opposed to reproductive (germline) cells. Somatic cell... Speciation The evolutionary process by which new species arise, typically through geographi... Species The fundamental unit of biological classification—a group of organisms capable o... Steady State A condition where system properties remain constant over time because inputs equ... Stigmergy Coordination through environmental modification rather than direct communication... Stochastic Random or probabilistic; involving chance. In biology, refers to processes whose... Stolon A horizontal stem that grows along the ground surface, producing new plants at i... Stomata Microscopic pores on leaf surfaces that open and close to regulate gas exchange... Stratification A period of cold, moist conditions required by some seeds before they can germin... Substrate The molecule(s) upon which an enzyme acts. The starting material that is transfo... Succession (Ecological) The predictable sequence of species replacement in an ecosystem over time follow... Swarm Intelligence Collective problem-solving behavior that emerges from simple individual actions... Switching Costs The costs a customer incurs when changing from one product or supplier to anothe... Symbiont An organism living in close physical association with another organism (the host... Symbiosis Close, long-term biological interaction between two different species. Can be mu... Sympatric Speciation The evolution of new species from a single ancestral species while living in the... Synapse The junction between two nerve cells where signals are transmitted from one neur...

T

TAM (Total Addressable Market) The total market demand for a product or service—the maximum revenue opportunity... Taproot A large, central, dominant root from which other roots sprout laterally. Taproot... Taxis Directed movement of an organism in response to a stimulus. Distinguished from t... Taxon A named group of organisms at any rank in the biological classification system.... Taxonomy The science of classifying and naming organisms based on shared characteristics.... Telomere Repetitive DNA sequences at chromosome ends that protect genetic information. Te... Temporal Buffering Mechanisms that smooth out short-term environmental fluctuations, allowing organ... Testosterone A steroid hormone primarily produced in testes (males) and ovaries (females). Dr... Thermogenesis The production of heat by metabolic processes. Endotherms use thermogenesis to m... Thermoregulation The ability of an organism to maintain its body temperature within certain bound... Threshold A critical point or level that, once crossed, triggers a significant change in s... Thymine One of the four nucleotide bases in DNA, abbreviated as 'T'. Thymine pairs with... Tit-for-Tat A simple strategy for repeated interactions: cooperate on the first move, then c... Topology (Network) The arrangement and pattern of connections in a network—how nodes are linked to... Torpor A state of reduced physiological activity, typically characterized by lowered bo... Trait A distinguishing characteristic or quality of an organism. Traits can be physica... Transcription The process of copying a gene's DNA sequence into messenger RNA. RNA polymerase... Translation (Biology) The process by which ribosomes decode messenger RNA to build proteins. Each thre... Transpiration The process by which water evaporates from plant leaves through stomata. Transpi... Trophic Relating to feeding and nutrition. Describes the position of organisms in a food... Trophic Cascade A chain of effects through a food web caused by adding or removing top predators... Trophic Cascades Indirect effects that propagate down the food chain when top predator population... Tropism A growth movement of a plant in response to an environmental stimulus. The direc...

U

Unit Economics The direct revenues and costs associated with a particular business unit—typical...

V

Vasoconstriction The narrowing of blood vessels, reducing blood flow to specific areas. A respons... Vector (Disease) An organism that transmits a pathogen from one host to another without itself be... Vernalization The process by which prolonged cold exposure enables a plant to flower. A mechan... Vertebrate An animal with a backbone (spinal column). Vertebrates include fish, amphibians,... Vesicle A small membrane-bound sac that transports materials within cells or between cel... Virulence The degree of pathogenicity of a microorganism—how much damage it causes to a ho... Virus A microscopic infectious agent that can only replicate inside living cells. Viru...

W

Weismann Barrier The principle that genetic information passes only from germline (reproductive)...

Z

Zooplankton Small animals and animal-like organisms that drift in water bodies. Primary cons...