mcas_vocabulary_review_20140509184115 Flashcards
23 Chromosome Pairs
Humans have 23 pairs of chromosomes in each cell.
46 Chromosomes
The number of chromosomes in a typical human cell.
Ammonia
A compound; NH3
Animal Kingdom
Organisms are multi-cellular; have tissues (specialized cells); nucleus in each cell; heterotrophic
Atom
The smallest part of an element that is still the element; made of protons, neutrons, electrons
Beaker
A glassware used for holding liquids, not for accurate measurements.
Boiling Point
The temperature at which a substance will go from a liquid to a gas; the amount of the substance present does not change the boiling point.
Carbon Dioxide
Made by cell respiration; used by photosynthesis; greenhouse gas; a compound, CO2
Cell Membrane
The border between cell and outside environment; controls what enters and leaves all cells; inside the cell wall if cell wall is present.
Cell Wall
The outer layer of plant cell; provides protection and support.
Cell
The smallest building block of life; all organisms are composed of cells.
Chemical Change
A new substance is made because chemical bonds are made or broken.
Chloroplast
Green; found in plants cells; turns sunlight, water, carbon dioxide into sugar (glucose), and oxygen (photosynthesis).
Chromosome
A long piece of DNA containing many genes; humans have 48 in a typical cell
Cilia
Short hair-like projections on a cell used for movement; paramecium have cilia
Circulatory System
The heart, blood, blood vessels; carries oxygen and resources to the body
Closed System
This system traps matter from within; mass stays the same in a closed system due to the Law of Conservation of Mass.
Common Ancestor
Species that other organisms have evolved from; species trace their lineage back to a common ancestor.
Compound
Pure substance where all of the molecules are the same, made up of more than one types of element chemically bonded together.
Conduction
Heat transfer through materials coming into direct contact with each other.
Constant speed
When something does not change how far it goes every second; straight diagonal line on a graph
Contour lines
Markings on a map that show elevation
Convection Currents
In liquid, gas, or amorphous solid; heated material becomes less dense and rises; cooled material becomes less dense and sinks; creates winds and plate tectonics.
Crust
The thinnest layer of Earth; made of solid rock.
Cytoplasm
The cell filling; other organelles found here.
Decomposers
Break down materials in food chain; e.i. bacteria, fungi
Density
Mass / volume; measures how much mass fits into a given space.
Digestive system
Breaks down food into smaller pieces; absorbs nutrients.
Dominant allele
Version of a gene that codes for a trait that will show up if allele is present.
E. coil
Example of bacteria (unicellular, no nuclei)
Earth’s Axis
An imaginary line around which Earth spins; results in direct and indirect sunlight on the Earth, determines seasons
Earthquake
Shacking of the crust case by Earth’s tectonics plates shifting quickly.
Ecosystem
A web of relations between consumers, producers, and decomposers.
Elastic Potential Energy
Stored energy in an object that stretches or bends; E.i. bow, spring, rubber band
Element
A pure substances where all the atoms are the same
Erosion and Weathering
Rocks break down due to wind, rain, glaciers; create sediments.
Evolution
Species change slowly over time, from generation to generation through natural selection.
Flagella
Long hair-like structures on a cell used for movement; Ex. euglena, sperm cells
Fungi Kingdom
Organism are unicellular or multicellular; have cell walls; have nuclei; are decomposers.
Galaxy
A collection of stars and solar systems held together by gravity; many of these in the universe
Gas
State of matter where particles move freely and can spread out; volume and shape can change.
Gene
A section of DNA on a chromosome that instructs the cell to make a protein
Glacial Erratic
Round boulder moved by a glacier and left behind.
Glacial Moraine
Rock and gravel left behind by glacier. E.i. Cape Code
Glossopteris
Fossil plant; found in many continents proving continental drift to Alfred Wegener
Glucose
Sugar; made by photosynthesis; a compound
Graduated Cylinder
A thin tube used for accurately measuring the volume of liquids; measures to top of meniscus
Gravitational Potential Energy
Stored energy in an object based on its mass, height, and the gravitational pull acting on it
Gravity
The attraction of all matter to other matter; pulls towards the center of the Earth; larger object’s mass, the more gravity it has.
Heat
A form of energy; temperature changes occur because heat is taken away or added.
Homologous structures
similar bone or body structures that show similar decent from a common ancestor.
Hydrogen
lightest element; 2 of them in H2O; smallest amount you can have is an atom
Igneous Rock
Rock that formed from cooling lava or magma.
Inner Core
Innermost layer of the Earth; made of metals; solid; most dense.
Kettle Ponds
sandy, round ponds created by glaciers pressing into sand
Kinetic energy
The energy of an object in motion; fast speed or high mass give an object a large kinetic energy.
Kingdom Monera
Large group of organisms, including bacteria; no nuclei in cells, all unicellular.
Land-Sea Breeze
Patterns of wind based on convection currents caused by the difference in heating/cooling of land and water
Liquid
A state of matter where particles can move freely; constant volume but no constant shape.
Lunar eclipse
When the moon is not visible do to the Earth being in-between the moon and the Sun.
Mantle
Layer of earth, under crust; convects
Mass
the amount of material in an object; measured by triple-beam balance; remains the same regardless of gravity; NOT THE SAME AS WEIGHT.
Melting Point
the point at which a solid turns into a liquid; the amount of the substance present does not change the melting point.
Meniscus
Curved bottom of a liquid in graduated cylinder; measure the volume of liquid to the bottom of the meniscus.
Metamorphic Rock
Rock that has changed due to heat or pressure.
Meter stick
measures distance; metric system
Mitochondria
Turns sugar into energy for cell; does cellular respiration
Mitosis
Divides the cell’s DNA and creates two new cells with DNA identical to the first cell.
Mixture
Made of two or more substances not bonded together; NaCl, H2O, O2.
Moon
Orbits planet because of gravity
Mountain
Made by two continents colliding or an ocean plate subducting under a continental plate.
Multi-Cellular
Composed of more than one cell; (e.i. all plants, animals, some fungus, a few protists)
Natural Selection
Process through which the environment selects the best traits to be passed to the next generation; leads to evolution.
Nervous System
Brain, nerves, spinal cord; processes information and send signals around the body.
Nucleus
Holds DNA in cell; bacteria do not have one
Open System
Allows material to escape during an experiment; will not show the Law of Conservation of Mass
Organ
Made of tissues; does a specific job for the body; makes up organ systems; E.i. stomach
Outer Core
Layer of earth, made of liquid metal
Pangaea
Supercontinent proposed by Alfred Wegener
Phase Change
When matter moves from one state to another due to change in heat energy; e.i. solid > liquid
Photosynthesis
Done by chloroplast in plants; some bacteria and some protists; creates sugar and oxygen.
Physical Change
Atoms and molecules are rearranged, no bonds are changed- nothing new is created
Planet
Solid or gaseous satellite that orbits a star
Plant Kingdom
Organisms that do photosynthesis, have a cell wall, are multi-cellular with tissues
Plate Boundary
The edge of a tectonic plates where earthquakes and volcanoes occur most often.
Primary Consumer
Eats the producer in a food chain; E.i. mouse eats a plant
Producers
Make the energy (they make their own food through photosynthesis) for an ecosystem; eaten by consumer; E.i. plants
Protist Kingdom
uni- or multi-cellular organisms; their cells have nuclei ; autotrophic or heterotrophic
Pseudopod
“Fake foot”; used for movement and feeding in amoeba (a protist)
Pure substance
all of the atoms OR all of the molecules are the same; can be an element or a compound; the opposite of an mixture
Radiation
Method of heat transfer where the objects do not need to be in direct contact; lights heats by radiation.
Recessive Allele
A version of a gene that “hides” when the dominant allele is present.
Respiration
The process by which cells make energy from sugar in the mitochondria; produces carbon dioxide.
Respiratory System
Lungs, mouth, nose; exchanges gases with environment; oxygen in, carbon dioxide out
Ring of Fire
The area around the Pacific ocean that follows the boundaries of many plates; there are many earthquakes and volcanoes due to plate tectonics
Seasons
Created by the uneven heating of Earth (direct versus indirect light) due to the tilt of the Earth on its axis; NOT related to how close the Earth is to the sun.
Secondary Consumer
Eats the primary consumer in an ecosystem (E.i. hawks eats a mouse)
Sedimentary Rock
Created by smaller particles cemented together; E.i. sandstone, limestone, shale
Sediments
Small pieces of rock (sand); created by erosion; compacted together to become sedimentary rock
Sodium Chloride
A compound; table salt; one atom of sodium and one atom chlorine bonded; NaCl
Solar Eclipse
When the moon moves between the Earth and the Sun so that you cannot see the Sun
Solar System
Consists of one or more stars at its center; planets orbit the star
Solid
State of matter where the particles cannot move freely; definite volume and shape.
Speed
How fast an object is going; s= d/t
Star
Ball of gas; center of solar system
The Law of Conservation of Energy
Energy cannot be created nor destroyed, only transformed from one type to another.
The Law of Conservation of Mass
Mass cannot be created nor destroyed; demonstrated best by experiments done in a closed system.
Thermal Energy
The energy that changes when heat enters or leaves a system.
Tides
The cyclic rise and fall of sea levels due to the gravity of the moon and the sun.
Tissue
A group of specialized cells with special jobs in a multi- cellular organism.
Triple Beam Balance
Measures mass (NOT WEIGHT) of an object.
Uni-cellular
Organism is made up of only one cell; E.i. Amoeba, paramecium, bacteria, yeast.
Universe
These are many galaxies in a universe
Vacuole
Stories materials for cells
Velocity
Speed in a specific direction; NOT EXACTLY THE SAME AS SPEED
Volcano
Created by moving plates; magma leaves the crust for Earth’s surface, becoming lava.
Volume
The amount of space an object takes up; v= l * w * h
Weight
A measure of the downward force created by gravity and the mass of an object; NOT THE SAME AS MASS
Yeast
Single-celled fungi; used to make carbon dioxide in baking.
