General Science Terms

Question 1

allotrope

Answer 1

a substance created when an element combines with itself to become a compound. O3 is(ozone)

Question 2

alloy

Answer 2

A metal, that unlike iron, gold, silver, or aluminum, is a mixture composed of metal elements. Examples: Brass, Bronze, Pewter,, and Steel (iron, nickle, and titanium).

Question 3

amber

Answer 3

petrified sap: many early fossils have been found preserved in amber.

Question 4

ambergris

Answer 4

a waxy substance found floating in or on the shores of tropical waters. originates in the intestines of the sperm whale.

Question 5

annual

Answer 5

a plant that grows over only one season: inpatients, zinnias, and sunflowers.

Question 6

apiary

Answer 6

a place where bees are kept.

Question 7

arthropod

Answer 7

a huge animal phylum that includes insects, crustaceans, and arachnids.

Question 8

avian

Answer 8

of or relating to birds.

Question 9

bryophyta

Answer 9

the category of plants that includes all mosses.

Question 10

Cambrian Period

Answer 10

Part of the Paleozoic Era, the period that began when the oldest easily identifiable fossils first appeared.

Question 11

carnivourous

Answer 11

describing an animal whose principal diet is meat based

Question 12

Cenozoic Era

Answer 12

Meaning “recent life” when mammals and flowering plants began to flourish.

Question 13

class

Answer 13

a major subdivision of phyla into which organisms are classified. Examples Chordata (vertebrates), mammalia (mammals), ave (birds)

Question 14

compound

Answer 14

any mixture of elements, such as H2O

Question 15

coniferous

Answer 15

describing cone-bearing trees, such as pines, spruce, and yews, that usually don’t loose their leaves in the winter and usually have pines as leaves.

Question 16

Cretaceous Period

Answer 16

Part of the Mesozoic Era, the time during which dinosaurs peaked and then died our and mammals and flowering plants first appeared.

Question 17

deciduous

Answer 17

describing trees that lose their leaves in the winter, such as maple, oak, and sycamore.

Question 18

eon

Answer 18

great span of time defined by major events

Question 19

epoch

Answer 19

division of geologic time that includes two or more periods grouped together.

Question 20

era

Answer 20

unit of geologic time less than a period and greater than an age.

Question 21

eukaryote

Answer 21

an organism composed of one or more cells containing visibly evident nuclei and organelles. Includes all plants and animals.

Question 22

eutheria

Answer 22

also known as “placental.” the subclass of mammals that includes most mammals, which bear young live and nourish the fetus with a placenta. This subclass includes dogs, people, bats, and even whales.

Question 23

family

Answer 23

a subdivision of an order in the classification of living organisms. For instance, under the order of primates, humans are classified into the family of hominidae, which also includes the gorilla, chimpanzee, and orangutan.

Question 24

formicary

Answer 24

another word for an ant’s nest

Question 25

genus

Answer 25

a subdivision of a family under the classification of living organisms, For instance, under the order of primates, humans are classified as HOMO

Question 26

granivore

Answer 26

an animal adapted to eating rains and seeds, examples include squirrels, voles, and many bird species.

Question 27

halogen

Answer 27

any of the five elements fluorine (F), chlorine (Cl), bromine (Br), iodine (I), and astatine (At) that form the group called VIIA of the periodic table and exist in the free state normally as diatomic molecules.

Question 28

herbivore

Answer 28

an animal whose principal diet is plant based.

Question 29

igneous rocks

Answer 29

rocks the solidify from a molten or partially molten state. Examples includes basalt and granite.

Question 30

insectivore

Answer 30

an animal adapted to eating insects. anteaters, woodpeckers

Question 31

Jurassic Period

Answer 31

Part of the Mesozoic Era, the middle period of dinosaur dominance, known as the “age of giants”

Question 32

kingdom

Answer 32

the most basic classification unit of living organisms. There are Five Kingdoms, Plant, Animal, Fungi, Moneran, and Protista.

Question 33

Marsupial

Answer 33

also known as “metatheria” A form of mammal born without a placenta and therefore nourished in its mothers pouch after birth. Kangaroo, Koala Bear, Opossum

Question 34

Mesozoic Era

Answer 34

Geologic era between the Paleozoic Era to the Cenozoic Era, marked by the rise and fall of the dinosaurs.

Question 35

metamorphic rocks

Answer 35

rocks that have been altered by heat, pressure, and or the chemical action of fluids and gases. Includes slate, quartz, and marble.

Question 36

metatheria

Answer 36

also known as “marsupial” a form of mammal born without a placenta.

Question 37

mollusk

Answer 37

any of a large phylum (Mollusca) of invertebrate animals (including snails, clams, octopi, and squids) with a soft, unsegmented body usually, but not always, enclosed in a shell.

Question 38

Moneran

Answer 38

one of the basic kingdoms under which living organisms are classified. includes prokaryotic organisms, including bacteria, blue-green algae, and primitive pathogens.

Question 39

monotreme

Answer 39

also known as “protheria” A strange primitive form of mammal that reproduces by laying eggs.Found only in Australia, the order comprises platypuses and echidnas

Question 40

noble gases

Answer 40

elements found in the far right hand side of the periodic table. They cant mix with other elements so they are also called inhert. Examples include argon (Ar), helium (He), Krypton (Kr), neon (Ne) and Xenon (Xe)

Question 41

omnivore

Answer 41

an animal adapted to eating both plant and animal matter, examples include humans, and other primates, bears, many turtle, species, ravens.

Question 42

order

Answer 42

a subdivision of a class of living organisms. For instance some of the orders found under the class mammalia eutheria are primates, rodents, and whales.

Question 43

perennial

Answer 43

a plant that has more than one growing cycle and does not need to be replanted; examples include tulips, azaleas, and maple trees.

Question 44

period

Answer 44

subdivision of an era marked by evolutionary changes less dramatic than those used to differentiate eras.

Question 45

phylum

Answer 45

a primary unit of division of a kingdom. For instance, major phyla of the Animal Kingdom include Choradata

Question 46

piscivore

Answer 46

an animal whose principal diet is fish based; examples are seals, loons, penguins, and many fish species.

Question 47

pistil

Answer 47

the female reproductive organ of a plant

Question 48

placental

Answer 48

mammals that birth and nourish their babies with a placenta

Question 49

prokaryote

Answer 49

a cellular organism that does not have a distinct nucleus.

Question 50

protheria

Answer 50

a strange primitive form of animal that reproduces by laying eggs. Platypus and echidnas

Question 51

protista

Answer 51

one of the basic kingdoms under which living organisms are classified. Consists of primitive, animal like organisms distinguished by method of locomotion

Question 52

sedimentary rocks

Answer 52

rocks that are formed by becoming compacted and cemented over time. examples are shale, sandstone, and limestone.

Question 53

species

Answer 53

a subdivision of a genus and the final division of classification for living organisms. For instance, under the genus Homo, humans are classified as the species Homo sapiens.

Question 54

stamen

Answer 54

the male reproductive organ of a plant

Question 55

tracheophyta

Answer 55

plants with water-carrying systems that allow them to live on land solo, unlike mosses. These include most flowering plants.

Question 56

Triassic Period

Answer 56

Part of Mesozoic Era, the period when dinosaurs first appeared.