Glossary - Paradise by the bioluminescent light

Algal bloom: A fast accumulation of cells in an algal population in aquatic systems.

Catalyse: To increase the speed at which a chemical reaction takes place.

Enzyme: A protein that quickens chemical reactions.

Endogenous: Naturally occurring or produced in that organism.

Eukaryotes: Organisms that have cells with a nucleus. They include animals, plants and fungi.

Genome: The total of genetic information of an organism.

Genus: A taxonomic rank in biological classification. The hierarchy of the classification from general to specific is: Domain, Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, Species.

Homology: Evolutionary trait derived from a common ancestor

Krill: A small group of animals that feed primarily on phytoplankton. They are near the bottom of the food chain and make up a large part of the diet of larger animals.

Mutualism: A symbiotic relationship between two organisms in which both organisms benefit from each other.

Natural selection: Darwin's theory that characteristics of an organism become more or less frequent in a population because they are either advantageous for an organisms or they are not.

Organelle: Structure inside a cell that carries out certain specific functions.

Oxidative stress: The accumulation of ROS levels that causes significant damage to cell structures.

Photon emission: Molecules consist of atoms. Atoms, in turn, are built up by three different types of particles. The first are protons, positive particles that form, in part, the nucleus of the atom. The second are neutrons, which are also located in the nucleus and have no charge. The third type are electrons, negative particles which are mostly present in orbits around the nucleus. These orbits determine the energy of an electron. An electron in an orbit far from the nucleus has more energy than an electron closer to the nucleus. An electron in an atom can get kicked out of its low-energy orbit close to the nucleus. This is due to absorption of energy by the electron. Now the electron is located in one of the outer orbits of the atom, this is called an electron in its excited state. An atom in this state is not stable and the electron will fall back into a low-energy orbit. When it does so, energy in the form of a photon is produced. A photons colour depends on the amount of energy that is released. The difference in energy is determined by the falling back-distance of the electron. The further it falls, the more energy is released.

Phylogeny: The grouping of organisms into evolutionary related groups.

Phylum: A taxonomic rank in biological classification. The hierarchy of the classification from general to specific is: Domain, Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, Species. Can also be seen as a group of clades with the same characteristics.

Plastids: Cell organelles that have their own DNA.

Promoter: The switch of a gene, which determines if a gene will be transcribed or not. In a way, a gene can be put on and off, by using the switch. There is an array of different promoters that are sensitive to specific internal and external stimuli, which makes the transcription of a gene dependent on the environment.

Protein: A generic term for molecules produced in cells, which can carry out an array of different functions. They consist of a sequence of molecules called 'amino acids'. This sequence is unique for every single protein and is determined by the DNA.

Sequence: In biology, a sequence is the order of the building blocks of DNA, called nucleotides. It might also refer to the sequence of protein building blocks, called amino acids. The order of these building blocks are very important for the function of DNA and proteins.

Symbiosis: A close cooperation between organisms.