Science Complete Flashcards
What supercontinent broke apart 200 million years ago to form the continents we know today?
Pangea
What is the longest river in the world?
Nile River
What is the deepest area found in any of the world’s oceans?
Mariana Trench
What are the three layers the Earth is divided into?
Crust, Mantle, Core
What type of fossils are formed when an organism dies and is trapped in tree resin?
Amber Fossil
What is a chain of islands called?
Archipelago
What large landform is comprised solely of densely-packed layers of ice formed over time?
Glacier
What is the tallest waterfall on Earth?
Angel Falls
What phenomenon is caused when gases in Earth’s lower atmosphere absorb the sun’s radiation?
Greenhouse Effect
What landform is surrounded by water on three sides and connects to land on the remaining side?
Peninsula
What’s the name for a resource that is able to replenish over time?
Renewable
About how many years ago did dinosaurs exist? (Excluding birds)
Between about 250 and 65 million years ago
What form of precipitation consists of hard ice pellets typically formed by thunderstorms?
Hail
What two gases together make up 99% of Earth’s atmosphere?
Nitrogen, Oxygen
What theory describes the movement of large sections of the Earth’s crust over the its mantle?
Plate Tectonics
Desert, aquatic, forest, grassland, and tundra are collectively known as the 5 types of ______ on Earth.
Biomes
What coordinate system is used to measure and navigate the Earth?
Lines of Latitude and Longitude
What two names are given to molten rock, the first being trapped beneath the Earth’s surface and the second being exposed through a crack, fissure, or volcanic vent?
Magma, Lava
What do we call the preserved remains of ancient plants and animals, whether bones, teeth, droppings, or just imprints left by their bodies?
Fossils
What coastal land feature is formed when fresh water from a river meets and intermingles with salt water from the ocean?
Estuary
__________ science is the study of the mind & intelligence, while __________ science is the study of the anatomy & physiology of the brain.
Cognitive science / Neuroscience
What part of the inner brain resembles a seahorse and is responsible for regulating learning & memory?
Hippocampus
What is the cognitive science term for when you think of an answer in your head (rather than just recognizing it on a list of multiple choices)?
Active recall
What is the cognitive science term for reflecting upon your existing knowledge or thought processes?
Metacognition
What is the cognitive science term for spreading successive exposures to a concept across longer and longer intervals of time, to strengthen the memory trace?
Spaced repetition
What is the cognitive science term for that “sweet spot” where you are just at the fringe of your knowledge or skill capacity?
Zone of proximal development (ZOPD)
What is the term for new knowledge or skills being “too hard” due to cognitive overload?
Cognitive load
What is the cognitive science term for frequently switching between different subjects while studying?
Interleaving practice
__________ knowledge is conscious knowledge of facts & concepts that can be verbalized, whereas __________ knowledge involves knowing HOW to do something.
Declarative / Procedural
The cerebral _______ is the outer layer of the cerebrum, where most complex reasoning takes place.
Cortex
What are the four lobes of the human brain?
Frontal, Parietal, Occipital, Temporal
True or false: Logical people use more of the left side of their brain, and creative people use more of the right side.
What is the name of the effect in which the brain’s adaptive neuronal connections strengthen or weaken depending on the functions needed?
Brain plasticity
True or false: Humans only use 10 percent of the brain.
What are a human’s five basic senses?
Sight, Hearing, Smell, Touch, Taste
True or false: If you flip a fair coin 10 times and it lands on heads 10 times, the odds are high that it will land on tails on the 11th flip.
What diagram is depicted in this picture?
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
What do psychologists call the ability to recall information in smaller bits?
Chunking
What is the term for the ability to apply previous learning to new situations?
Transfer (of learning)
What three distinct components comprise the mind, according to Sigmund Freud?
Id, Ego, Super-ego
What family of drugs is used to reduce the activity of a certain part of the brain or body?
Depressant
What family of drugs induces alertness or wakefulness, and improves mental or physical functioning?
Stimulants
Which psychological disorder is commonly diagnosed during childhood and is characterized by a lack of self-control and overactivity?
ADHD
What is the term used for the loss of memories, such as facts, information, and experiences?
Amnesia
What is the most common psychological disorder in developed countries?
Anxiety
What neurodevelopmental disorder appears within the first three years of a child’s life and presents through difficulty with socialization?
Autism
What psychological disorder results in extreme mood swings?
Bipolar disorder
What neurological condition presents through difficulty reading or writing and is typically first noticed during childhood?
Dyslexia
______ is an eating disorder that is characterized by severe food restriction, meaning that a person suffering from this condition hardly eats.
Anorexia
What disorder is characterized by a racing heartbeat, shortness of breath, and fear in situations where such a degree of fear may not be justified?
Panic disorder
A type of anxiety that manifests itself in the form of an extreme fear is called a(n) ______.
Phobia
Which psychological disorder is often characterized by delusions, hallucinations, and disorganized speech or behavior?
Schizophrenia
Which type of memory is the extension of short-term memory that applies cognitive processes, such as reasoning, to the items currently held in short-term memory?
Working memory
During which stage of the sleep cycle does most dreaming occur?
REM sleep
What is the name for the electrically excitable cell that is found in the brain and nervous system, and functions to process and transmit impulses through the body?
Neuron
What is the chemical in the brain that transmits signals between neurons?
Neurotransmitter
True or false: Dopamine is the “reward chemical” that your brain produces when achieving a goal.
Which hormone and neurotransmitter is also commonly referred to as adrenaline?
Epinephrine
What is the name of the inhibitory neurotransmitter involved in the regulation of mood, sleep, appetite, and memory?
Serotonin
Which 19th-century psychologist famously conditioned his dog to salivate by simply ringing a bell, even if there was no food in sight?
Ivan Pavlov
What are the five tastes humans perceive?
Salty, Sweet, Bitter, Sour, Umami
Which 20th-century psychologist is known as the father of Behaviorism and developed the operant conditioning chamber?
B.F. Skinner
Which 19th-century psychologist is best known for his contributions to educational psychology and reform, and is recognized as a founder of functional psychology?
John Dewey
Which 19th and 20th-century scientist is recognized as the Father of Psychoanalysis and is particularly famous for his analyses of dreams and the subconscious?
Sigmund Freud
“____ vs ____” is the phrase typically used to describe the controversy over whether behavior is inherited vs. learned from experience.
Nature vs Nurture
What term is used for an error in speech that is believed to be the result of some unconscious belief or desire?
Freudian slip
In taxonomy, archaea, bacteria, protista, fungi, plantae, and animalia are known as the _____ of life.
Kingdoms
Which English scientist developed early theories about evolution in the 1800s?
Charles Darwin
______ are the parts of a cell that work together to allow the cell to function properly.
Organelles
______ creatures convert food into energy in order to maintain a stable body temperature (through a process called homeostasis).
Warm-blooded
What is Dolly the Sheep’s claim to fame?
She was the first mammal to be cloned
What group of vertebrate organisms are cold-blooded and spend their life both on land and in water?
Amphibian
What group of vertebrate organisms are warm-blooded, produce their own milk, and, with very few exceptions, give birth to live young?
Mammal
There are 11 human body systems of which 9 are listed below. Which 2 are missing?
Respiratory System, Nervous System
What is the largest bone in the human body?
Femur
What is the name for the process by which plants use energy from sunlight to create their food?
Photosynthesis
What is the name of the disease caused when cells in some part of the body grow out of control?
Cancer
Plant cells contain organelles called ______, which are used in the process of photosynthesis to make the plant’s food.
Chloroplasts
What is the largest living structure on Earth?
The Great Barrier Reef
What impacts human blood type?
The antigens on a person’s blood cells
What are the four major human blood types?
A, B, AB, and O
Which blood type is known as the ‘universal donor’ because anyone can accept their blood?
Type O-
Which Swedish scientist developed binomial nomenclature, a system for categorizing and naming species, in the 1700s?
Carl Linnaeus
Which thread-like structures, located in the nucleus of a cell, contain all of the DNA of an organism?
Chromosomes
What phrase refers to your body’s natural ability to regulate and carry out functions over a 24-hour cycle?
Circadian rhythm
What chronic disease disrupts the body’s ability to produce or process insulin correctly?
Diabetes
Brown eyes, brown hair, and curly hair are all examples of _____ traits, whereas blue eyes, blonde hair, and straight hair are all examples of _____ traits.
Dominant; recessive
A cold-blooded animal that uses lungs to breathe and has a backbone and scales is called a ______.
Reptile
Besides hearing, what other function does the inner ear serve?
Balance
What kind of organism infects another organism, multiplies inside it, and deprives it of resources like nutrients?
Parasite
What is the term for a microscopic organism that can infect living things?
Germ
Which body system is responsible for transporting blood and other nutrients throughout the body?
The circulatory system
What is term is applied to organisms whose genes have been altered using genetic engineering techniques?
GMO (Genetically Modified Organism)
Which scientist conducted the famous experiment with pea plants that demonstrated how dominant and recessive traits are passed from parents to children?
Gregor Mendel
What life-threatening medical condition occurs when part of the heart muscle doesn’t get enough blood, possibly due to a blockage in an artery?
Heart attack
What term is used to describe the body’s ability to maintain a state of steady internal, physical, and chemical conditions?
Homeostasis
How many bones does the adult human skeleton have?
206
Who was the first scientist to discover bacteria?
Antonie van Leeuwenhoek
Which body system contains a complex network of cells, tissues, and organs that help the body fight infections and other diseases?
The immune system
Why are bees crucial to human survival?
They are pollinators of crops
Which English scientist is iconic for her research on chimpanzees and their social dynamics?
Jane Goodall
Which human body system is responsible for transmitting signals throughout the body and controlling actions (both voluntary and involuntary)?
The nervous system
Which American medical researcher developed the first polio vaccine?
Jonas Salk
What is the largest organ in the human body?
The skin
Which 19th-century Frenchman, who was blinded as a child, later developed a system of reading and writing for the blind?
Louis Braille
What is the term for food grown without pesticides or harmful methods of fertilization?
Organic food
What is the name of the technique used to kill bacteria in food and drink?
Pasteurization
What large, complex organic molecule is made up of strings of amino acids and plays a crucial role in all living things?
Protein
What medical emergency is characterized by a reduction or elimination of blood flow to the brain?
Stroke
Which human body system is responsible for the inhalation of oxygen and the expulsion of carbon dioxide?
Respiratory system
What do you call a biological preparation that is used to introduce a dead or weakened part of the virus, bacteria, or analogue into the body in order to strengthen the immune system against a threat?
Vaccine
What is the term for a microorganism that is not a living cell but that reproduces by duplicating itself inside the cells of another organism?
Virus
Which two scientists are credited with the discovery of DNA?
James Watson & Francis Crick
What kind of bird is a bat?
TRICK QUESTION! Bats are actually mammals, not birds.
When two species cooperate to help each other grow and multiply, they are said to have a _____ relationship.
Symbiotic
Which 20th-century German-born physicist is considered the father of modern physics, thanks to his development of the general theory of relativity?
Albert Einstein
Sound is measured in _____.
decibels
Which 20th- and 21st-century English physicist wrote the famous science nonfiction bookA Brief History of Timein 1988?
Stephen Hawking
What branch of physics deals with sound and waves?
acoustics
Which 19th- and 20th-century Polish physicist was the first woman to win a Nobel Prize?
Marie Curie
_____ energy is the energy of an object in motion; _____ energy is the stored energy of an object based on its current state or position.
kinetic; potential
Which American inventor of the 19th and 20th centuries patented more than a thousand devices and aided in the development and design of numerous others, such as the incandescent lightbulb?
Thomas Edison
Which American physicist of the 20th century is known as the father of the atomic bomb?
John Robert Oppenheimer
What is the term used for electricity that flows in both directions and typically runs through our homes?
AC (alternating current)
Which 17th- and 18th-century English scientist played an enormous role in developing the modern understanding of calculus, light, motion, and gravity, among other subjects?
Sir Isaac Newton
A battery uses a _____ reaction to produce energy.
chemical
Which American brothers and inventors built the first successful airplane and, in 1903, took it for the first sustained human flight in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina?
Orville and Wilbur Wright
What sound is the result of an aircraft or other object breaking the sound barrier?
sonic boom
An object’s change in velocity (speed) over a period of time is its __________.
acceleration
What is the significance of this number: 299,792,458 metres per second (or 670,616,629 miles per hour)?
the speed of light
Which 20th-century Danish physicist is best known for developing the model of the atom with a nucleus at the center and electrons orbiting around it?
Niels Bohr
Organized into the Periodic Table, what is the name for a pure chemical substance consisting of a single type of atom?
element
Which 19th- and 20th-century Scottish-American inventor is credited with the invention of the telephone?
Alexander Graham Bell
Which 19th-century English scientist is most famous for establishing the notion of the electromagnetic field in physics?
Michael Faraday
What kind of electromagnetic radiation does radar technology use to remotely detect objects such as aircrafts and severe weather?
radio waves
Which Serbian-American inventor and engineer of the 19th and 20th centuries is noted for his contributions to the design of the modern AC electric power system?
Nikola Tesla
What is used to measure the amount of matter contained by an object?
mass
_____ _____ proposed the law of universal gravitation.
Isaac Newton
A ________ is a group of two or more atoms held together.
molecule
What is the common name for the frozen form of carbon dioxide, which begins to smoke as it melts?
dry ice
What scale is used when measuring the acidity or basicity of water?
pH
In chemistry, what is the term used for a molecule made up of more than one type of atom?
compound
Which wealthy Swedish scientist and arms manufacturer of the 19th century invented dynamite?
Alfred Nobel
In chemistry, what is the term used for the type of bond formed from the electrostatic attraction between oppositely charged ions in a chemical compound?
ionic bonds
What four states or forms does all matter assume?
Solids, Liquids, Gases, Plasma
What single element is both diamond and the graphite in your pencil made of?
carbon
Where does most of the oxygen in Earth’s atmosphere come from?
marine plants
What molecule in peppers gives them their heat/spiciness?
capsaicin
Aside from jewellery, what important application does gold have?
electricity conducting material
What element was favored as a murder weapon in the Middle Ages because the symptoms of poisoning were similar to those of cholera, a rampant disease at the time?
arsenic
What is the common term for nitrous oxide gas, which is used as an anesthetic?
laughing gas
What are the building blocks of molecules?
atoms
A/n _______ is the simplest form of matter, consisting purely of a single kind of atom.
element
What is the only metal that exists as a liquid at room temperature?
mercury
What gas famously smells like rotten eggs?
hydrogen sulfide
What unique property of water explains why you should never freeze glass bottles containing liquids?
Water expands when it freezes
True or false: It’s safe to microwave aluminum food containers.
Water-based liquids can be described as acidic, neutral, or basic, with respect to pH. Which of these best describes milk?
acidic
What are the four elements common to all living things?
carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen
