Science Terms Flashcards
allotrope
a substance created when an element combines with itself to become a compound. o3 (ozone) and C6 (diamond)
alloy
A metal that is a mixture composed of metal elements. Brass (copper with a bit of zinc), pewter (tin with a bit of lead) steel (iron with nickel and titanium
amber
petrified sap
ambergris
A waxy substance found floating in the tropical waters
annual
A plant that grows over only one season
apiary
A place where bees are kept
arthropod
A huge animal phylum that includes insects, crustaceans, arachnids
bryophyta
the category of plants that includes all mosses
Cambrian Period
Part of the Paleozoic Era, began when the oldest easily identifiable fossils first appeared
carnivorous
cats, birds of prey, sharks
Cenozoic Era
“recent life” when mammals and flowering plants began to flourish
class
A major subdivision of phyla into which organisms are classified.
compound
Any mixture of elements (H2O)
coniferous
cone bearing trees: pines, spruce, yews
Cretaceous Period
Part of the Mesozoic Era, the time during which dinosaurs peaked and then died out
deciduous
trees that lose their leaves in the winter: maple, oak, sycamore
eon
great span of time defined by major events
epoch
division of geologic time less than a period and greater than an age
era
unit of geologic time that includes two or more periods grouped together
eukaryote
an organism composed of one or more cells, containing visibly evident nuclei and organelles
eutheria
“placental” subclass of mammals that include mammals which nourish the fetus with a placenta: dogs, people, bats, whales
family
A subdivision of an order in the classification of living organisms. Under the order of primates, humans are classified into the family of hominidae
formicary
ant’s nest
genus
subdivision of a family. humans are classified in the genus Homo