This glossary gives the English term, the BM equivalent, a short example and the word students most often confuse it with. It supports the SPM Biology guide. Check your textbook for the exact wording your school uses.
What do the main terms mean?
| Term (BM) | Meaning | Short example | Often confused with |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diffusion (resapan) | Movement of particles from higher to lower concentration | Oxygen moving from the alveolus into the blood | Osmosis |
| Osmosis (osmosis) | Movement of water across a partially permeable membrane | Water leaving a cell in a concentrated solution | Diffusion |
| Active transport (pengangkutan aktif) | Movement against a gradient using energy | Root hair cell taking in mineral ions | Diffusion |
| Enzyme (enzim) | A biological catalyst that speeds up a reaction | Amylase breaking down starch | The substrate |
| Substrate (substrat) | The substance an enzyme acts on | Starch for amylase | The product |
| Denaturation (penyahaslian) | Loss of an enzyme’s shape, so it stops working | An enzyme stopping at a high temperature | Being killed |
| Respiration (respirasi) | Release of energy from food in cells | Glucose releasing energy in muscle cells | Breathing |
| Ventilation (pengudaraan) | Movement of air in and out of the lungs | Ribs and diaphragm moving | Gas exchange |
| Photosynthesis (fotosintesis) | Making glucose from carbon dioxide and water using light | A leaf making starch in light | Respiration |
| Mitosis (mitosis) | Division giving two identical cells | Growth and repair | Meiosis |
| Meiosis (meiosis) | Division giving four cells with half the chromosomes | Making gametes | Mitosis |
| Gene (gen) | A section of DNA that codes for a protein | The gene for a flower colour | Allele |
| Allele (alel) | A version of a gene | Tall or short versions of one gene | Gene |
| Genotype (genotip) | The combination of alleles an organism has | Tt | Phenotype |
| Phenotype (fenotip) | The observable trait | A tall plant | Genotype |
| Homeostasis (homeostasis) | Keeping the internal environment stable | Blood glucose returning to normal | Feedback |
| Antigen (antigen) | A substance the body recognises as foreign | A protein on a virus | Antibody |
| Antibody (antibodi) | A protein made to bind a specific antigen | A protein binding a virus | Antigen |
| Habitat (habitat) | The place where an organism lives | A mangrove swamp | Ecosystem |
| Ecosystem (ekosistem) | Living things and their surroundings interacting | A pond with its organisms and water | Habitat |
Which question words should I know?
| Question word (BM) | What it asks you to write |
|---|---|
| State (nyatakan) | A short fact, with no reasoning |
| Describe (huraikan) | What happens, step by step or feature by feature |
| Explain (terangkan) | What happens and why, with a reason for each point |
| Compare (bandingkan) | Similarities and differences using the same criteria |
| Suggest (cadangkan) | An answer using knowledge in a new situation |
| Justify (justifikasikan) | A decision supported by evidence or a reason |
How do the confused pairs differ?
Take respiration and breathing. Breathing, or ventilation, moves air. Respiration releases energy from food inside cells. A question on one does not want an answer about the other.
Take gene and allele. A gene is the instruction for a trait, and an allele is one version of it. When a question says “two alleles of a gene”, keep them apart in your answer.
For a pair that is hard to separate, see comparing two Biology processes clearly. The BM and English terminology bridge adds Chinese explanations. If you want a teacher to go through the question words with you, see online one-to-one Biology tuition.