General Science Terms

Question 1

allotrope

Answer 1

A substance created when an element combines with itself to become a compound. Examples include O3 (ozone) and C6 (diamond).

Question 2

alloy

Answer 2

A metal that, unlike iron, gold, silver, or aluminum, is a mixture composed of metal elements. Examples include brass (Copper with a bit of zinc), bronze (copper and tin with a bit of zinc), pewter (tin with a bit of lead usually), and steel (iron with nickel 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 on 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; examples include many common flowers such as impatiens, 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 (spiders).

Question 8

avian

Answer 8

Of or relating to birds.

Question 9

bryophyta (mosses)

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. (544-489 million years ago).

Question 11

carnivorous

Answer 11

Describing an animal whose principal diet is meat based; examples include cats, birds of prey, sharks, etc.

Question 12

Cenozoic Era

Answer 12

Meaning “recent life,” when mammals and flowering plants began to flourish. (65 million years ago to present)

Question 13

class

Answer 13

A major subdivision of phyla into which organisms are classified. For instance, some of the major classes of chordata (vertebrates) are mammalia (mammals), ave (birds), reptilia (reptiles), and amphibia (amphibians).

Question 14

compound

Answer 14

Any mixture of elements, such as H2O (water) and NaCl (salt).

Question 15

coniferous

Answer 15

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

Question 16

Cretaceous Period

Answer 16

Part of the Mesozoic Era, the time during which dinosaurs peaked and then died out and mammals and flowering plants first appeared. (144-65 million years ago)

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 less than a period and greater than an age.

Question 20

era

Answer 20

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

Question 21

eukaryote

Answer 21

An organism composed of one or more cells containing visibly evident nuclei and organelles. Includes all plants and animals. Compare to prokaryote.

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 (the great apes).

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 into the genus Homo.

Question 26

granivore

Answer 26

An animal adapted to eating grains 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 part of group VIIA of the periodic table and exist in the free state normally as a diatomic molecules.

Question 28

herbivore

Answer 28

An animal whose principal diet is plant based; examples include deer, antelope, koala bears, rabbits, etc.

Question 29

igneous rocks

Answer 29

Rocks that solidify from a molten or partially molten state. Examples include basalt and granite.

Question 30

insectivore

Answer 30

An animal adapted to eating insects. Examples include anteaters, woodpeckers, etc.

Question 31

Jurassic Period

Answer 31

Part of the Mesozoic Era, the middle period of dinosaur dominance, known as the “age of giants.” (213-144 million years ago)

Question 32

kingdom

Answer 32

The most basic classification unit of living organisms. There are five kingdoms: Plant, Animal, Fungi, Moneran (bacteria, blue-green algae, and primitive pathogens that have prokaryotic cells), and Protista (primitive, animal-like organisms distinguished by method of locomotion).

Question 33

marsupial

Answer 33

Also known as “metatheria.” A form of mammal born without a placenta and therefore nourished in its mother’s pouch after birth. Its species include the kangaroo, the koala bear, and the 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. (248-213 million years ago)

Question 35

metamorphic rocks

Answer 35

Rocks that have been altered by heat, pressure, and/or the chemical action of fluids and gases. Examples include slate, quartzite, and marble.

Question 36

metatheria

Answer 36

Also known as “marsupial.” A form of mammal born without a placenta and therefore nourished in its mother’s pouch after birth. Its species include the kangaroo, the koala bear, and the opossum.

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, buy not always, enclosed in a shell.

Question 38

Moneran

Answer 38

One of the basic kingdoms under which living organisms are classified. Includes all 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 can’t mix with other elements, so they are called inert. 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, etc.

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 (placental mammals) are primates, rodentia (rodents), and cetacea (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 Chordata (vertebrates), Arthropoda (insects, crustaceans, and arachnids), and Mollusca (including, bivalves, snails, octopi, squid, etc.)

Question 46

piscivore

Answer 46

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

Question 47

pistil

Answer 47

The female reproductive organ of a plant.

Question 48

placental

Answer 48

See eutheria.

Question 49

prokaryote

Answer 49

A cellular organism (such as a bacterium or a blue-green algae) that does not have a distinct nucleus (compare to eukaryote). Comprises organisms of the Moneran Kingdom only.

Question 50

protheria

Answer 50

See monotreme.

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 include 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 (vascular plants)

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 the Mesozoic Era, the period when dinosaurs first appeared. (248-213 million years ago)