/ English Dictionary |
BIOLOGICAL PROCESS
Pronunciation (US): | (GB): |
I. (noun)
Sense 1
Meaning:
A process occurring in living organisms
Synonyms:
biological process; organic process
Classified under:
Nouns denoting natural processes
Hypernyms ("biological process" is a kind of...):
physical process; process (a sustained phenomenon or one marked by gradual changes through a series of states)
Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "biological process"):
replication ((genetics) the process whereby DNA makes a copy of itself before cell division)
regulation ((embryology) the ability of an early embryo to continue normal development after its structure has been somehow damaged or altered)
regeneration ((biology) growth anew of lost tissue or destroyed parts or organs)
quickening (the process of showing signs of life)
quellung; quellung reaction (the swelling of the capsule surrounding a microorganism after reaction with an antibody; the basis of certain tests for identifying microorganisms)
preservation (a process that saves organic substances from decay)
perennation (the process of living through a number of years (as a perennial plant))
pathologic process; pathological process (an organic process occurring as a consequence of disease)
birth; birthing; giving birth; parturition (the process of giving birth)
oxidative phosphorylation (an enzymatic process in cell metabolism that synthesizes ATP from ADP)
ovulation (the expulsion of an ovum from the ovary (usually midway in the menstrual cycle))
ossification (the developmental process of bone formation)
organification (the process of organ formation)
nutrition ((physiology) the organic process of nourishing or being nourished; the processes by which an organism assimilates food and uses it for growth and maintenance)
nondevelopment (failure of normal development to occur)
nitrogen fixation (the assimilation of atmospheric nitrogen by soil bacteria and its release for plant use on the death of the bacteria)
nitrogen cycle (the circulation of nitrogen; nitrates from the soil are absorbed by plants which are eaten by animals that die and decay returning the nitrogen back to the soil)
metabolism; metamorphosis (the marked and rapid transformation of a larva into an adult that occurs in some animals)
metabolic process; metabolism (the organic processes (in a cell or organism) that are necessary for life)
maturation; maturement; ripening (coming to full development; becoming mature)
blistering; vesication; vesiculation (the formation of vesicles in or beneath the skin)
vascularisation; vascularization (the organic process whereby body tissue becomes vascular and develops capillaries)
ulceration (the process of ulcer formation; the process of becoming ulcerated)
tumefaction (the process of tumefying; the organic process whereby tissue becomes swollen by the accumulation of fluid within it)
transpiration (the emission of water vapor from the leaves of plants)
translocation (the transport of dissolved material within a plant)
translocation ((genetics) an exchange of chromosome parts)
folding; protein folding (the process whereby a protein molecule assumes its intricate three-dimensional shape)
translation ((genetics) the process whereby genetic information coded in messenger RNA directs the formation of a specific protein at a ribosome in the cytoplasm)
transduction ((genetics) the process of transfering genetic material from one cell to another by a plasmid or bacteriophage)
transcription ((genetics) the organic process whereby the DNA sequence in a gene is copied into mRNA; the process whereby a base sequence of messenger RNA is synthesized on a template of complementary DNA)
synezesis; synizesis (the contraction of chromatin towards one side of the nucleus during the prophase of meiosis)
synapsis (the side by side pairing of homologous maternal and paternal chromosomes at the start of meiosis)
symphysis (a growing together of parts or structures)
summation ((physiology) the process whereby multiple stimuli can produce a response (in a muscle or nerve or other part) that one stimulus alone does not produce)
shedding; sloughing (the process whereby something is shed)
segregation ((genetics) the separation of paired alleles during meiosis so that members of each pair of alleles appear in different gametes)
secernment; secretion (the organic process of synthesizing and releasing some substance)
ageing; aging; ripening (acquiring desirable qualities by being left undisturbed for some time)
reabsorption; resorption (the organic process in which the substance of some differentiated structure that has been produced by the body undergoes lysis and assimilation)
reproduction (the process of generating offspring)
erythropoiesis (the process of producing red blood cells by the stem cells in the bone marrow)
effacement (shortening of the uterine cervix and thinning of its walls as it is dilated during labor)
ecchymosis (the escape of blood from ruptured blood vessels into the surrounding tissue to form a purple or black-and-blue spot on the skin)
eburnation (a change that occurs in degenerative joint disease in which bone is converted into a dense smooth substance resembling ivory)
digestion (the organic process by which food is converted into substances that can be absorbed into the body)
deossification (the loss of the mineral content of bone tissue)
defoliation (the loss of foliage)
crossing over; crossover (the interchange of sections between pairing homologous chromosomes during the prophase of meiosis)
cell division; cellular division (the process in reproduction and growth by which a cell divides to form daughter cells)
catabolism; destructive metabolism; dissimilation; katabolism (breakdown in living organisms of more complex substances into simpler ones together with release of energy)
carbon cycle (the organic circulation of carbon from the atmosphere into organisms and back again)
activity; bodily function; bodily process; body process (an organic process that takes place in the body)
bloom; blooming (the organic process of bearing flowers)
bacteriostasis (inhibition of the growth of bacteria)
autoregulation ((physiology) processes that maintain a generally constant physiological state in a cell or organism)
absorption; assimilation (the process of absorbing nutrients into the body after digestion)
antisepsis; asepsis (the process of inhibiting the growth and multiplication of microorganisms)
anovulation (the absence of ovulation due to immaturity or post-maturity or pregnancy or oral contraceptive pills or dysfunction of the ovary)
ageing; aging; senescence (the organic process of growing older and showing the effects of increasing age)
agglutination (a clumping of bacteria or red cells when held together by antibodies (agglutinins))
adaptation; adaption; adjustment (the process of adapting to something (such as environmental conditions))
lysogenisation; lysogenization (the process by which a bacterium acquires a phage that becomes integrated into its genome)
lymphopoiesis (the formation of lymphocytes in the bone marrow and lymph nodes and thymus and spleen)
citric acid cycle; Krebs citric acid cycle; Krebs cycle; tricarboxylic acid cycle (in all plants and animals: a series of enzymatic reactions in mitochondria involving oxidative metabolism of acetyl compounds to produce high-energy phosphate compounds that are the source of cellular energy)
keratinisation; keratinization (organic process by which keratin is deposited in cells and the cells become horny (as in nails and hair))
karyokinesis (organic process consisting of the division of the nucleus of a cell during mitosis or meiosis)
cytokinesis (organic process consisting of the division of the cytoplasm of a cell following karyokinesis bringing about the separation into two daughter cells)
involution (reduction in size of an organ or part (as in the return of the uterus to normal size after childbirth))
infolding; introversion; intussusception; invagination (the folding in of an outer layer so as to form a pocket in the surface)
inhibition ((physiology) the process whereby nerves can retard or prevent the functioning of an organ or part)
implantation; nidation ((embryology) the organic process whereby a fertilized egg becomes implanted in the lining of the uterus of placental mammals)
epistasis; hypostasis (the suppression of a gene by the effect of an unrelated gene)
humification (the process of the formation of humus from plant remains)
heredity (the biological process whereby genetic factors are transmitted from one generation to the next)
haematogenesis; haematopoiesis; haemogenesis; haemopoiesis; hematogenesis; hematopoiesis; hemogenesis; hemopoiesis; sanguification (the formation of blood cells in the living body (especially in the bone marrow))
development; growing; growth; maturation; ontogenesis; ontogeny ((biology) the process of an individual organism growing organically; a purely biological unfolding of events involved in an organism changing gradually from a simple to a more complex level)
glycogenesis (the formation in animals of glycogen from glucose)
gastrulation (the process in which a gastrula develops from a blastula by the inward migration of cells)
extravasation (the process of exuding or passing out of a vessel into surrounding tissues; said of blood or lymph or urine)
expression ((genetics) the process of expressing a gene)
evolution; organic evolution; phylogenesis; phylogeny ((biology) the sequence of events involved in the evolutionary development of a species or taxonomic group of organisms)
eutrophication (excessive nutrients in a lake or other body of water, usually caused by runoff of nutrients (animal waste, fertilizers, sewage) from the land, which causes a dense growth of plant life; the decomposition of the plants depletes the supply of oxygen, leading to the death of animal life)
Context examples:
GO provides three structured networks of defined terms, molecular function, biological process, and cellular component, to describe gene product attributes.
(Gene Ontology, NCI Thesaurus)
Utilized to examine the involvement of a gene in a complex biological process.
(Gene Knockout, NCI Thesaurus)
A term that helps define and render a biological process concept unique by further defining or describing a specific aspect of a biological process.
(Biological Process Qualifier, NCI Thesaurus)
Autophagy is a biological process that involves the lysosomal degradation of intracellular components using it a cell's own machinery.
(Autophagy, NCI Thesaurus)
A biological process that selectively removes autoantigenic lymphocytes by targeting them for programmed cell death.
(Clonal Regression, NCI Thesaurus)
Cancer Genetics; the science of heredity and the biological process of transmission of characteristics from progenitor to offspring, especially concerning a heritable predisposition to cancer susceptibility.
(Cancer Genetics, NCI Thesaurus)
The enzyme participate in various of biological process including DNA replication, transcription and recombination.
(DNA Helicase, NCI Thesaurus)
A biological process that involves the transfer and growth of cancer cells from the site of the primary tumor.
(Distant metastasis, NCI Thesaurus)
A biological process that refers to the maturation of erythrocytes.
(Erythrocyte Differentiation, NCI Thesaurus)
A series of biochemical reactions which occurs in a known sequence and can result in all or part of the initiation, progression or completion of a biological process or function.
(Biochemical Pathway, NCI Thesaurus)