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 Calyx: In flowers, the sepals that protect the flowering body.
Carbohydrate: One of four main classes of macromolecules used in biological systems. They generally have the form of CH2On, and are used for energy storage.
 Carotenoid: Light-absorbing pigments than can give some plants and other organisms an red, orange, yellowish, or purplish color. Examples include tomatoes and carrots (pictured at right).
Carpel: In flowering plants, the female reproductive organ of a flower, comprised of an ovary, an ovule, a stigma, and a style.
Carpophore: The fruiting body in some fungi that contain either the asci or the basidia.
Catabolic Pathway: A reaction in a metabolic pathway that break down complex molecules into smaller ones, usually giving off some energy. Compare with anabolic.
Catalysis: A chemical reaction that is accelerated by a catalyst.
Catalyst: Any substance that speeds up a chemical reaction.
Cell: The smallest biological unit, bound by a membrane, which is capable of replication.
Cell Wall: A rigid external wall that surrounds the cells of most bacteria, some protoctists, and all fungi and plants.
Cellulose: The material that makes up plant cell walls.
 Centromere: A specialized region on a chromosome where spindle fibers form during cell division.
Chitin: A nitrogen-containing polysaccharide found in some animals and the cell walls of many fungi and some protoctists. Chitin is also found in the outer covering of arthropods, called the cuticle.
Chitinous: Anything that contains chitin.
Chlorophyll: The green, light-absorbing pigment found in plants, and in some other organisms, which is used for photosynthesis.
Chondrite: A stony meteor that contains chondrules.
Chondrule: Very small, glassy silicate structures commonly found in chondrites.
Chromatic aberration: A false coloration in lens caused by wavelengths that are refracted or reflected by different amounts.
Chromatid: One of the two daughter strands that form after a chromosome has self-replicated.
Chromosome: The self-replicating structure on which DNA is organized, and genes are carried.
Circulation: The flow of blood through the heart and the blood vessels of the body.
Class: A taxonomic division that is above order and below phylum (or subphylum).
 Clavicle: In anatomy, the bone that braces the shoulder, and allows the forelimb (or arm) to swing freely from the trunk of the body. Also known as the collarbone.
Image courtesy of Handball City: Shoulder Injuries.
Cleavage: In reproduction, refers to the cell division of a zygote. In biochemistry, refers to the severing of bonds between two or more macromolecules.
 Codon: The basic unit of genetic structure that has three nucleotide sequences of mRNA which is translated into one amino acid during protein synthesis.
Commensalism: A type of symbiosis where one (or more) species benefits greatly, while another species remains unaffected. An example of commensalism can be found with oysters which attach themselves to mangrove roots. The mangrove roots provide a stable surface for the oysters to live on, which is of great benefit, and the mangrove itself remains unaffected.
Concentration gradient: A term that refers to the difference in amount of elements (usually molecules) between two adjoining regions.
Connective tissue: A type of non-cellular tissue that serves various functions, such as connecting with other tissues, or organs.
Coprophilous: A term that refers to fungi that grow on the fecal matter of animals.
Corolla: In flowering plants, another name for all of the petals, which is enclosed by the calyx.
Corm: In plants, a bulb-like stem that sends out a root when the growing season begins.
 Cotyledon: The first leaf that is borne on embryonic seed plants.
Plants that have a cotyledon can be separated into two groups: monocots and dicots.
Image can be found at Morphology of the Monocots.
Cranial Nerves XI: Also known as the accessory nerves. A pair of nerves from the brainstem and the spinal cord that supply motor impulses to the throat muscles for swallowing and speech.
Culture: Any organism or living cell that is grown in a laboratory medium (such as agar).
Cuticle: Any type of protective covering secreted by the epidermis, or outer layer of cells. In plants, the cuticle is a waterproof, waxy layer called cutin. Some animals, such as endoparasites (tapeworms, flukes), produce a non-waterproof secretion. Arthropods produce a chitinous cuticle which is waterproof, and also serves as an exoskeleton.
Cutin: A group of substances chemically related to fatty acids that form a continuous cuticle layer on the epidermis of plants. It is waterproof, and helps reduce water loss by transpiration, and also provides a protective barrier against parasites.
Cytoplasm: All of the cell parts found in between the plasma membrane and the nucleus (or nucleoid in bacteria).
 Cytosine: A nitrogenous base that pairs with guanine in both DNA and RNA. When you see a string of letters that are used to describe DNA, such as AGTCCGTTATATTGC, "C" stands for cytosine.
Cytoskeleton: A network of filaments that provide a structure for cytoplasm.
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