discrimination, secernment - the cognitive process whereby two or more stimuli are distinguished

contradistinction - a distinction drawn on the basis of contrast; "sculpture in contradistinction to painting"

dividing line, demarcation, contrast, line - a conceptual separation or demarcation; "there is a narrow line between sanity and insanity"

hairsplitting, word-splitting - making too fine distinctions of little importance; "they didn't take his hairsplitting seriously"

mathematical operation, mathematical process, operation - (mathematics) calculation by mathematical methods; "the problems at the end of the chapter demonstrated the mathematical processes involved in the derivation"; "they were learning the basic operations of arithmetic"

biological science, biology - the science that studies living organisms

adaptation, adjustment - the process of adapting to something (such as environmental conditions)