Essential Science Vocabulary: Life Science: Cell Biology

Whether you want to brush up on biology, study space science, or prep for a physics test, this collection of science vocabulary is for you! Our lists cover essential terms and concepts from all major scientific disciplines.
22 words 5051 learners

Learn words with Flashcards and other activities

Definition First
Print Flashcards

Other learning activities

Answer a few questions about each word. Use this to prep for your next quiz! Compete with other teams in real time to see who answers the most questions correctly! Test your spelling acumen. Read the definition, listen to the word and try spelling it!

Teaching tools

Create and assign quizzes to your students to test their vocabulary. Assign learning activities including Practice, Vocabulary Jams and Spelling Bees to your students, and monitor their progress in real-time.

Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. cell
    the basic structural and functional unit of all organisms
  2. chromosome
    a threadlike strand of DNA that carries genes
  3. cellulose
    a polysaccharide that is the chief constituent of all plant tissues and fibers
  4. chloroplast
    organelle in which photosynthesis takes place
  5. cytoplasm
    the substance inside a cell, not including the nucleus
  6. diffusion
    movement of a substance from an area of high concentration
  7. eukaryote
    an organism of one or more cells with membrane-bound nuclei
  8. lysosome
    a membrane-bound organelle containing digestive enzymes
  9. meiosis
    cell division that produces reproductive cells
  10. membrane
    a sheet of tissue that lines or connects organs or cells
  11. mitochondrion
    part of a cell involved in energy production
  12. mitosis
    the process by which a cell divides into two new cells
  13. nucleolus
    a round body in a cell that is involved in protein synthesis
  14. nucleus
    a part of the cell responsible for growth and reproduction
  15. organelle
    a specialized part of a cell; analogous to an organ
  16. osmosis
    diffusion of molecules through a semipermeable membrane
  17. permeable
    allowing fluids or gases to pass or diffuse through
  18. photosynthesis
    formation of compounds in plants aided by radiant energy
  19. prokaryote
    a unicellular organism lacking a membrane-bound nucleus
  20. respiration
    process converting nutrients into energy in a cell
  21. ribosome
    a particle in a cell that helps synthesize proteins
  22. vacuole
    a tiny cavity filled with fluid in the cytoplasm of a cell
Created on Tue Aug 03 10:44:44 EDT 2021 (updated Thu Nov 18 09:05:58 EST 2021)

Sign up now (it’s free!)

Whether you’re a teacher or a learner, Vocabulary.com can put you or your class on the path to systematic vocabulary improvement.