Terms Glossary Flashcards
Absolute value
A bracket function that turns any value within its brackets positive; for example, |3 -5|= | -2|=2
Acid
A sour, corrosive chemical that ionizes in water to form H+ ions and has a ph of below 7.0
Adaptation
In evolution, a change in form brought about by a mutation that results In an advantage for a organism
Adjective
A word that modifies a noun or pronoun
Adverb
A word that modifies a verb, adjective, or another adverb
Allele
A from of a gene that codes for proteins that produce given traits
Amino acid
One of 20 small nitrogen-containing organic acids that serve as a building block for all proteins
Antecedent
In grammar the noun to which a pronoun refers
Antibody
A blood protein that is made by B cells to bind to foreign antigens that enter the body so they can be eliminated
Antigen
A toxin or foreign substance that produces an immune response in the body
Artery
A blood vessel that carries blood away from the heart
Atom
The fundamental unit of matter that makes up the 118 different elements, or forms of matter; An atom consist of a central nucleus containing protons, neutrons, and other outer electrons
Atomic mass
The mass of a single atom, usually expressed in atomic mass units (amu)
Atomic number
The number that identifies a particular element on the periodic table; it tells how many protons and electrons that atom has
Atomic radius
The distance from an atom’s nucleus to its outermost electron
atrium
One of the top chambers of the heart that receives blood from the body
Axon
The long thin, conductive part of the neuron that conducts impulses away from the neuron cell body
B- cells
A type of white blood cell that produces antibodies
Base
A chemical that produces OH -1 ions in solution, has a pH of greater than 7.0, and reacts with acids
Bases
One of the four “alphabet letters “ that make up the genetic code for DNA: A ( adenine) T ( thymine) C (cytosine) and G ( guanine)
Battery
An electrochemical cell; technically, a battery is more than one cell connected in series
Bias
A prejudice that is typically based on a faulty opinion
Biome
One of the earths major biological regions; for example grassland, tundra, or desert
Biotic
A factor in an ecosystem that is biological in origin such as plants animals fungus
Capillary
A very tiny blood vessel that can be either an artery or a vein
Cell
The basic biological unit of all living things
Cellular respiration
The process of cells burning oxygen to obtain energy and giving off carbon dioxide as waste product
Central nervous system
The part of the nervous system that includes the brain and spinal cord
Chemical change
A change in the composition of atoms or molecules as a result of a chemical reaction; for example, when H20 is broken into H 2 and O 2 , the composition of atoms has changed
Chromosomes
Structures in the cell nucleus that are made of DNA and contain the genetic code for an organism; humans have 23 pairs of chromosomes
Circuit
An electrical system in which current flows in a circular path
Circulatory system
The body system that includes the heart and blood vessels
Clause
A group of words that include a noun and verb
Community
All of the different species of organisms that exist in a particular area of the ecosystem
Compound
A pure substance such as methane (CH4) or water ( H2O) that is made up of two or more elements
Concentration
The amount of solute that is dissolved in a solution with a high concentration has a large amount of solute dissolved
Consumers
Biological organisms that cannot make their own food, such as animals or fungi
Covalent bonds
Chemical bonds in which electrons are shared equally
Dendrites
The parts of a neuron that receive input from other neurons
Diabetes
A disease in which the body does not secrete a sufficient amount of insulin into the bloodstream and the body cells become starved because they cannot take in glucose
Diffusion
The process in which material flows from a more concentrated area to a area that’s less concentrated
Digestive system
The body s
ABiotic
The nonbiological factors in an ecosystem such as air, water, soil, and rock
Displacement
A change of position typically the result of movement
DNA
A genetic molecule that makes up chromosomes in the cell and forms the genetic code DNA transmits information for the proteins that help carry out all important life processes
Dominant
In genetics an allele with a trait that prevails when it is present and the other allele is recessive
Ecosystem
An environment that includes both biotic and abiotic ( air, soil, water, ) factors
Electric current
Is the movement of electrons
Electron negativity
The tendency of an atom to attract electrons
Electrons
Negatively charged fundamental particles that exist outside of the nucleus of every atom
Element
A substance such as carbon nickel or chlorine that is made of a single type of atom
Embryo
A growing organism that is incomplete and unborn
Endocrine
Pertaining to hormones that secrete internally into the blood stream
Endothermic
A reaction that takes in energy
Energy
The ability to do work
Enzyme
A protein that facilitates a chemical reaction
Evolution
The process by which biological organisms change in form over time because of adaptations that produce different levels of survivability within an environment
Excretory system
The body system that removes cellular waste that is expelled from the body after being processed in the kidneys
Exothermic
A reaction that gives off energy
F = ma
An expression of Newton’s second law in which force ( F) is equal to mass (m) times acceleration (a)
Gas
The state of matter in which atoms or molecules move freely as a fluid and fill up any space that they inhabit
Gene
A section of a chromosome typically a gene codes for particular protein
Genotype
The genetic makeup of an organism with regard to its alleles an organism with dominant and recessive “T” and “S” genes might have genotype TtSs or ttSs among others
Glomerulus
A functional unit of the kidney that controls excretion
Homeostasis
The tendency of an organism to find a safe stable for all body functions within its internal environment
Hypertonic
An area in which matter is concentrated and tends to diffuse to a less concentrated area
Hypotonic
An area in which a substance is less concentrated a substance that tends to diffuse into hypotonic area from an area of higher concentration
Impulse
Force applied over a period of time
Liquid
The state of matter in which particles are attracted but still can move somewhat freely
Litmus paper
Paper used to determine the pH acidity of a chemical blue litmus paper turns red in an acid and red litmus paper turns blue in a base
Meiosis
A type of cell division in which gametes
( egg and sperm cells ) are formed that have only a single set ( 1 n) of chromosomes rather than the normal double (2 n) set of chromosomes that all other body cells have
Mitosis
Process in which cells divide to grow
Molarity
The number of moles of a chemical per liter of solution a solution of 2M contains 2 moles of the chemical for every liter of solution
Mutation
A mistake in the copying of DNA that usually results in faulty proteins that are lethal but can sometimes result in beneficial adaptations
