Glossary

Chemistry & neuroscience

Amyloid plaques

protein aggregates in Alzheimer's brains, associated with neuron death. — in lions mane

Blood-brain barrier

the selective membrane shielding the brain from most large molecules in the blood. — in lions mane

H. pylori (Helicobacter pylori)

a stomach bacterium implicated in ulcers and gastric cancer. — in lions mane

Metabolite

a compound an organism makes for defence or competition, not basic survival. — in lions mane

Neurite outgrowth

the growth of new axons and dendrites — the connections between neurons. — in lions mane

NGF biosynthesis

production of Nerve Growth Factor — a protein neurons need to survive and regenerate. — in lions mane

Oxidative stress

cellular damage from reactive oxygen molecules, implicated in ageing. — in lions mane

Ecology & habitat

Buna-rin (ブナ林)

Japanese beech forest — the cool, humid montane forest of Honshu. — in lions mane

Endophytic

living inside plant tissue without immediate visible harm. — in lions mane

Functional sapwood

the living outer wood beneath the bark that conducts water. — in lions mane

Large-diameter dead wood

thick dead trees that hold moisture for years; the substrate it requires. — in lions mane

Taiga

the northern conifer-forest biome — not the broadleaf trees this fungus needs. — in lions mane

Fungal biology

Basidiomycota

the fungal division that makes spores on club-shaped cells. — in lions mane

Fruiting body

the reproductive structure — the visible mushroom. — in lions mane

Mycelium

the fungus's true body — a network of hair-thin threads (hyphae). — in lions mane

Parasite

lives at the expense of a living host without immediately killing it. — in lions mane

Primordia

the pin-stage fruiting bodies — the earliest visible bumps. — in lions mane

Saprotroph

an organism that feeds on dead organic matter, breaking it down externally. — in lions mane

Spawn

the "seed" culture — mycelium pre-grown to start new substrate. — in lions mane

Spores

single-celled reproductive units — like seeds in function, not structure. — in lions mane

Subclade

a branch within a species' family tree showing how populations diverged. — in lions mane

White-rot fungus

a wood-decomposer that breaks down both lignin and cellulose. — in lions mane

Music theory

6/8

a compound duple time signature — six eighth notes per bar, grouped into two dotted-quarter beats. — in creature half alive

BPM (beats per minute)

the standard measure of a song's speed; typical pop sits 100–130 BPM, 70 BPM is slow and deliberate. — in creature half alive

Chord progression

the sequence of chords that forms a song's harmonic backbone. — in creature half alive

Common time

the time signature 4/4 — four quarter-note beats per bar; the most prevalent in Western pop. — in creature half alive

Compound duple meter

a meter with two main beats per bar, each dividing naturally into three — a lilting, rolling feel. — in creature half alive

Compression

a technique reducing a signal's dynamic range — quiet parts louder, loud parts tamed — for evenness and closeness. — in creature half alive

Diction

a singer's style and precision of consonant articulation — how sharply or softly they hit word boundaries. — in creature half alive

Enharmonic

two differently-written notes (or keys) that sound identical — G♯ and A♭ are enharmonic equivalents. — in creature half alive

Falsetto

a vocal register where only the edges of the vocal cords vibrate — lighter, higher, often breathier than full chest voice. — in creature half alive

Head voice

the upper resonant register of the singing voice — adjacent to, but slightly fuller than, pure falsetto. — in creature half alive

Key signature

the set of sharps or flats at the start of a piece indicating its home key. — in creature half alive

Minor key

a tonal system on a scale with a flattened third — conventionally tied to tension, weight, or melancholy in Western music. — in creature half alive

Outro

the closing section of a song — typically a repeated or intensifying passage that winds it toward its end. — in creature half alive

Placement

a singer's imagined location of vocal resonance — "forward" resonates in the face, "back" in the chest/throat. — in creature half alive

Producer's fingerprint

the recognisable set of sonic choices — effects, mixing, arrangement philosophy — a producer applies across their work. — in creature half alive

Relative major

the major key that shares the same notes as a given minor key — G♯ minor's relative major is B major. — in creature half alive

Reverb

an effect simulating acoustic space — the tail of a sound echoing as if in a physical room. — in creature half alive

Self-backing vocalist

an artist who records their own harmonies and layered vocal parts. — in creature half alive

Tenor

the highest standard adult male voice type, roughly C3–C5, with extension above via falsetto. — in creature half alive

Timbre

the tonal "colour" of a sound — what makes a violin and a flute differ on the same note. (Said TAM-ber.) — in creature half alive

Time signature

the numerical notation at the start of a piece telling the performer how beats are organised per bar. — in creature half alive