Science Flashcards
Acid
A substance with a pH less than 7
Adaptive immune system
A kind of passive or active immunity in which antibodies to a particular antigen are present in the body
Adrenal
A gland above the kidney that produces hormones to regulate heart rate, blood pressure, and other functions
Aveoli
Microscopic air sac in the lungs where exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide takes place
Anatomical position
Standard positioning of the body; standing; feet together; arms to the side; head, eyes and palms of hands forward
Anion
A negatively charged ion
Antibody
A specific blood protein produced in response to a specific antigen
Antigen-presenting cells (APC)
A cell that displays foreign antigens with major histocompatibility complexes on their surfaces
Antigens
A molecule that elicits a response from immune cells
Antimicrobial
A substance that kills or inhibits growth of microorganisms with minimal damage to the host
Anus
The opening of the rectum from which solid waste is expelled
Arteries
Blood vessels that deliver blood from the heart to other parts of the body
Asthma
A lung disease characterized by inflamed, narrow airways and difficulty breathing
Atom
The most basic complete unit of an element
Autonomic nervous system (ANS)
The part of the peripheral nervous system that regulates unconscious body functions such as breathing and heart rate
Axon
A nerve fiber that carries a nerve impulse away from the neuron cell body
B cell
Lymphocytes that mature in bone marrow and make antibodies in response to antigens
Barrier
A divider between parts of the body
Base
A substance with a ph greater than 7
Bias
Prejudice in favor of or against an idea
Boiling point
The temperature at which a liquid boils and turns into vapor
Boiling
The transition of liquid to gas when a substance has acquired enough thermal energy
Bolus
A mass of food that has been chewed and swallowed
Bone
Hard, calcified material that makes up the skeleton
Brittle bone disease
A group of genetic disease that affect collagen and results in fragile bones
Bronchi
The main passage directly attached to the lungs
Bronchioles
Small passages in the lungs that connect bronchi to the alveoli
Canaliculi
Microscopic canals in ossified bone
Capillary
A small blood vessel that connects arterioles to venules
Carbohydrates
Sugar and starches composed of monosaccharides
Cardiovascular system
The system comprised of heart and blood vessels
Cartilage
Tough, elastic connective tissue found in parts of the body such as the ear and on ends of long bones
Catalyst
A substance that increases the rate of chemical reaction without undergoing permanent chemical change
Cation
A positively charged ion
Cause
An element that makes up something
Cell
The basic structural unit of an organism from which living things are created and at which level of life functions can take place
Cellular function
Process that include growth, metabolism, replication, protein synthesis, regulation and movement
Cervix
The passage that forms the lower part of the uterus
Chemical equation
Mathematic representation of a chemical reaction
Chemical properties
Characteristics of a material that present during a chemical reaction or chemical change
Chromatid
One of the two duplicates of a chromosome formed during the cell cycle
Chromosome
A structure made of condense DNA and histone proteins that contains genetic information
Chyme
The semifluid mass of partly digested food that moves from the stomach to the small intestine
Collagen
The primary structural protein of connective tissue that adds tensile strength to the matrix of bones
Complement
The group of proteins in blood serum and plasma that works with antibodies to destroy particular antigens
Compound
A substance made of two or more elements
Conclusion
An end judgement based on data
Condensation
The transition of gas to liquid
Constrict
To become narrower
Contraction
The process of leading to shortening or development of tension in a muscle
Control variable
Something kept constant during an experiment
Covalent bond
A chemical bond in which electrons pairs are shared between atoms
Critical point
The temperature at which the liquid and gas phase of a substance have the same density
Cystic fibrosis
A genetic disorder that affects the lungs and other organs, characterized by difficulty breathing, coughing up sputum, and lung infections
Data
A collection of information
Density
The amount of mass per volume
Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA)
Organic molecule with a double-helix structure that contains genetic information for the transmission of inherited traits
Deoxyribose sugar
The sugar portion of a deoxyribose nucleotide
Dependent variable
What is measured in an experiment as a possible effect after another variable is changed in that experiment. (Result of the experiment)
Deposition
The transition of a gas to a solid without passing through the liquid stage
Dermis
The middle layer of the skin
Diastole
The portion of the cardiac cycle in which the heart refills with blood
Diffusion
Passive movement of substances form areas of high concentration to areas of low concentration
Dihybrid cross
A cross between parents of heterozygous at two specific genes
Dilate
To become wider
Directional terminology
Words use to explain relationships of locations of anatomical elements (distal, posterior, medial, etc)
Dominant
An allele or trait that is always expressed if present
Effect
A result of a cause
Electron
A negatively charged atomic particle
Element
Pure substances that cannot be broken down into simpler substances
Empirical
Based on observation
Enzymatic digestion
The break down of food by enzymes for absorption
Enzyme
A protein produced by a living thing that acts as a catalyst
Epidermis
The outer layer of the skin
Estrogen
Female sex hormones
Evaporation
The transition of liquid to gas that happens with or without the substance acquiring enough thermal energy to reach its boiling point
Excretion
Elimination of metabolic waste from the body
Experiment
A scientific procedure to test a hypothesis
Fallopian tubes
Tubes that carry eggs from the ovaries to the uterus
Freezing
The transition of a liquid to a solid
Gallbladder
Organ that stores bile
Gas
A state of matter that does not have a definite volume or shape and is highly compressible
Gene
The unit of hereditary information; a sequence of nucleotides that occupies a fixed position on a chromosome
Genotype
The set of alleles that determine the trait being studied
Gland
An organ that secrets substances
Graduated cylinder
A narrow cylinder with measurement marks or gradations that is used to measure liquid volume
Group
A column of elements in the periodic table with common chemical properties
Gram
Metric unit of mass