Life Cycle, Processes & Properties, CLE-CYT
None of us are born looking exactly the way that we do today; this is because humans, like other species, undergo a series of changes as they mature and age, in accordance with their biological life cycle. This process can look very different across different species. In many simple organisms and in higher animals, the life cycle is completed within a single generation, while in most plants, the life cycle is multigenerational.
Life Cycle, Processes & Properties Encyclopedia Articles By Title
Clever Hans, a performing horse in Berlin in the late 19th and early 20th centuries celebrated for demonstrating......
cloaca, (Latin: “sewer”), in vertebrates, common chamber and outlet into which the intestinal, urinary, and genital......
clonorchiasis, chronic infection caused by the Chinese liver fluke (Clonorchis sinensis), a parasitic worm some......
clostridial infection, any of several infectious conditions in humans and other animals resulting from Clostridium......
clubfoot, congenital twisting of the foot. In the most common type, called talipes equinovarus, the heel bends......
clubroot, disease of plants of the mustard family (Brassicaceae) caused by the funguslike soil pathogen Plasmodiophora......
cluster headache, Vascular headache that recurs in clusters. Cluster headaches, which occur predominantly in men,......
cocaine, white crystalline alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the coca plant (Erythroxylum coca), a bush......
coccidioidomycosis, an infectious disease caused by inhalation of spores of the fungus Coccidioides immitis or......
coccidiosis, any of several gastrointestinal infections of humans and other animals produced by sporozoan parasites......
cocoon, a case produced in the larval stage of certain animals (e.g., butterflies, moths, leeches, earthworms,......
coffee rust, devastating foliar disease of coffee plants caused by the fungus Hemileia vastatrix. Coffee rust has......
cold-bloodedness, the state of having a variable body temperature that is usually only slightly higher than the......
colic, in horses, any of a number of disease conditions that are associated with clinical signs of abdominal pain.......
colic, pain produced by the contraction of the muscular walls of any hollow organ, such as the renal pelvis, the......
coloboma, failure of one or more structures in the eye to fuse during embryonic life, creating a congenital fissure......
colony, in zoology, a group of organisms of one species that live and interact closely with each other. A colony......
colony collapse disorder (CCD), disorder affecting honeybee colonies that is characterized by sudden colony death,......
Colorado tick fever, acute febrile viral infection usually transmitted to humans by the bite of the Rocky Mountain......
coloration, in biology, the general appearance of an organism as determined by the quality and quantity of light......
- Introduction
- Interference, Pigments, Structural
- Carotenoids, Melanins, Flavonoids
- Nitrogenous Pigments
- Indole, Pigments, Biology
- Pigments, Melanin, Camouflage
- Camouflage, Mimicry, Signaling
- Countershading, Camouflage, Adaptation
- Camouflage, Mimicry, Warning
- Illumination, Camouflage, Adaptation
- Camouflage, Mimicry, Signaling
- Adaptation, Camouflage, Mimicry
colorectal cancer, disease characterized by uncontrolled growth of cells within the large intestine (colon) or......
colour blindness, inability to distinguish one or more of the three colours red, green, and blue. Most people with......
colour vision, ability to distinguish among various wavelengths of light waves and to perceive the differences......
coma, state of unconsciousness, characterized by loss of reaction to external stimuli and absence of spontaneous......
combat fatigue, a neurotic disorder caused by the stress involved in war. This anxiety-related disorder is characterized......
common cold, acute viral infection that starts in the upper respiratory tract, sometimes spreads to the lower respiratory......
Many people are familiar with the friendly ladybug or handled a woolly bear caterpillar as a child, but fewer,......
comorbidity, in medicine, a disease or condition that coexists with but often is independent of another disease......
complement, in immunology, a complex system comprising a large number of proteins that act in concert to help eliminate......
concealing coloration, in animals, the use of biological coloration to mask location, identity, and movement, providing......
concussion, a temporary loss of brain function typically resulting from a relatively mild injury to the brain,......
conduct disorder (CD), behavior disorder characterized by a pattern of aggression toward others, a lack of concern......
cone, light-sensitive cell (photoreceptor) with a conical projection in the retina of the vertebrate eye, associated......
congenital adrenal hyperplasia, any of a group of inherited disorders that are characterized by enlargement of......
congenital disorder, abnormality of structure and, consequently, function of the human body arising during development.......
congenital heart disease, any abnormality of the heart that is present at birth. Cardiac abnormalities are generally......
congenital hip dislocation, disorder of unknown cause in which the head of the thighbone (femur) is displaced from......
congestive heart failure, Heart failure resulting in the accumulation of fluid in the lungs and other body tissues.......
conidium, a type of asexual reproductive spore of fungi (kingdom Fungi) usually produced at the tip or side of......
conjoined twin, one of a pair of twins who are physically joined and often share some organs. Fusion is typically......
conjugation, in biology, sexual process in which two lower organisms of the same species, such as bacteria, protozoans,......
conjunctivitis, inflammation of the conjunctiva, the delicate mucous membrane that lines the inner surface of the......
connective tissue disease, any of the diseases that affect human connective tissue. Diseases of the connective......
constipation, delayed passage of waste through the lower portion of the large intestine, with the possible discharge......
contact dermatitis, localized redness and swelling of the skin, together with the formation of vesicles (blisters)......
conversion disorder, a type of mental disorder in which a wide variety of sensory, motor, or psychic disturbances......
convulsion, condition characterized by violent, uncontrolled spasmodic contractions and relaxations of the voluntary......
cooperative foraging, in biology, the process by which individuals in groups benefit by working together to gain......
coprophagy, eating of dung, or feces, considered abnormal among human beings but apparently instinctive among certain......
cor pulmonale, enlargement of the right ventricle of the heart, resulting from disorders of the lungs or blood......
corm, vertical, fleshy, underground stem that acts as a food-storage structure in certain seed plants. It bears......
corn, in skin disease, horny thickening of the skin on the foot or toes, produced by repeated friction or pressure.......
corn earworm, larva of the moth Heliothis zea (in some classifications H. armigera; family Noctuidae). The smooth,......
corn smut, plant disease caused by the fungus Ustilago maydis, which attacks corn (maize) and teosinte plants.......
cornea, dome-shaped transparent membrane about 12 mm (0.5 inch) in diameter that covers the front part of the eye.......
George Washington Corner was an American anatomist and embryologist, best known for his contributions to reproductive......
coronary circulation, part of the systemic circulatory system that supplies blood to and provides drainage from......
coronary heart disease, disease characterized by an inadequate supply of oxygen-rich blood to the heart muscle......
cottonseed, seed of the cotton plant, important commercially for its oil and other products. Cottonseed oil is......
cotyledon, seed leaf within the embryo of a seed. Cotyledons help supply the nutrition a plant embryo needs to......
cough, an expulsive reflex initiated when the respiratory tract is irritated by infection, noxious fumes, dust,......
courtship, in animals, behaviour that results in mating and eventual reproduction. Courtship may be rather simple,......
COVID-19, highly contagious respiratory illness, the cause of the COVID-19 pandemic. COVID-19 was first detected......
These questions and answers have been provided to Britannica by the HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology, a......
COVID-19 has become a household term. But what does COVID-19 mean? And why does the virus that causes COVID-19......
cow, in common parlance, a domestic bovine, regardless of sex and age, usually of the species Bos taurus. In precise......
cowpox, uncommon mildly eruptive disease of animals, first observed in cows and occurring particularly in cats,......
cramp, painful, involuntary, and sustained contraction of muscle, most common in the limbs but also affecting certain......
craniopharyngioma, benign brain tumour arising from the pituitary gland. Although most common in children, it can......
craniosynostosis, any of several types of cranial deformity—sometimes accompanied by other abnormalities—that result......
crawling, a pattern of prone locomotion in which the abdomen is in contact with the surface of support. The onset......
Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD), rare fatal degenerative disease of the central nervous system. CJD occurs throughout......
cri-du-chat syndrome, congenital disorder caused by partial deletion of the short arm of chromosome 5. It is named......
Crohn disease, chronic inflammation of the digestive tract, usually occurring in the terminal portion of the ileum,......
cross-fertilization, the fusion of male and female gametes (sex cells) from different individuals of the same species.......
cross-pollination, type of pollination in which sperm-laden pollen grains are transferred from the cones or flowers......
croup, acute respiratory illness of young children characterized by a harsh cough, hoarseness, and difficulty breathing.......
crown gall, plant disease, caused by the bacterium Agrobacterium tumefaciens (synonym Rhizobium radiobacter). Thousands......
crush injury, any of the effects of compression of the body, as caused by collapsing buildings, mine disasters,......
cryoglobulinemia, presence in the blood of proteins called cryoglobulins that precipitate at temperatures below......
cryptococcosis, a chronic fungal infection of humans caused by Cryptococcocus neoformans and C. gattii. The fungi......
cryptorchidism, disorder in which one or both of the testes do not descend spontaneously to the usual position......
cumulative incidence, in epidemiology, estimate of the risk that an individual will experience an event or develop......
curly top, viral disease affecting numerous cultivated and wild plants worldwide. Diseased plants are usually stunted......
Cushing syndrome, disorder caused by overactivity of the adrenal cortex. If caused by a tumour of the pituitary......
cutaneous leishmaniasis, infectious skin disease that is caused by any of multiple different trypanosome parasites......
cutis laxa, rare disorder in which the skin hangs in loose folds. The cause of cutis laxa is unknown, but the defect......
cutworm, Larva of certain species of owlet moths (family Noctuidae). The cutworm (not a true worm) is a serious......
cyanide poisoning, harmful effects of inhaling hydrogen cyanide or of ingesting the salts of hydrogen cyanide,......
cyclic vomiting syndrome, condition characterized by sudden repeated episodes of severe nausea and vomiting, the......
cyst, in biology, enclosed sac within body tissues, having a distinct membrane and generally containing a liquid......
cystathioninuria, metabolic disorder involving the amino acid methionine. Cystathioninuria generally is hereditary......
cystic fibrosis (CF), an inherited metabolic disorder, the chief symptom of which is the production of a thick,......
cystinosis, inborn error of metabolism resulting in the deposition of crystals of the amino acid cystine in various......
cystinuria, hereditary error of metabolism characterized by the excessive excretion into the urine of four amino......
cystitis, acute or chronic inflammation of the urinary bladder. The bladder, the storage sac for urine, is lined......
cytochrome, any of a group of hemoprotein cell components that, by readily undergoing reduction and oxidation (gain......
cytokinesis, in biology, the process by which one cell physically divides into two cells. Cytokinesis represents......
cytopathic effect (CPE), structural changes in a host cell resulting from viral infection. CPE occurs when the......
cytoplasmic streaming, the movement of the fluid substance (cytoplasm) within a plant or animal cell. The motion......
