|
VOCABULARY LISTS > USER LISTS

Science Exam Review 2009 53 words

January 18, 2009 By JG (Leland, MI)

MORE ON THIS LIST:

Bookmark Print Create New List Post a Comment
REVIEW COMMENTS
Definitions Notes & Examples Words Only
  1. asteroid
    any of numerous small celestial bodies composed of rock and metal that move around the sun (mainly between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter)
  2. extrusive
    of rock material; forced out while molten through cracks in the earth's surface
  3. hydrosphere
    the watery layer of the earth's surface; includes water vapor
  4. lithosphere
    the solid part of the earth consisting of the crust and outer mantle
  5. allele
    (genetics) either of a pair (or series) of alternative forms of a gene that can occupy the same locus on a particular chromosome and that control the same character
  6. cell theory
    (biology) the theory that cells form the fundamental structural and functional units of all living organisms; proposed in 1838 by Matthias Schleiden and by Theodor Schwann
  7. phenotype
    what an organism looks like as a consequence of the interaction of its genotype and the environment
  8. genotype
    the particular alleles at specified loci present in an organism
  9. covalent bond
    a chemical bond that involves sharing a pair of electrons between atoms in a molecule
  10. ion
    a particle that is electrically charged (positive or negative); an atom or molecule or group that has lost or gained one or more electrons
  11. global warming
    an increase in the average temperature of the earth's atmosphere (especially a sustained increase that causes climatic changes)
  12. exothermic
    (of a chemical reaction or compound) occurring or formed with the liberation of heat
  13. endothermic
    (of a chemical reaction or compound) occurring or formed with absorption of heat
  14. chemical attraction
    the force attracting atoms to each other and binding them together in a molecule
  15. periodic table
    (chemistry) a tabular arrangement of the chemical elements according to atomic number as based on the periodic law
  16. genetics
    the branch of biology that studies heredity and variation in organisms
  17. Newton's law
    one of three basic laws of classical mechanics
  18. solvent
    capable of meeting financial obligations
  19. space probe
    a rocket-propelled guided missile that can escape the earth's atmosphere; makes observations of the solar system that cannot be made by terrestrial observation
  20. microorganism
    any organism of microscopic size
  21. protist
    free-living or colonial organisms with diverse nutritional and reproductive modes
  22. fungus
    an organism of the kingdom Fungi lacking chlorophyll and feeding on organic matter; ranging from unicellular or multicellular organisms to spore-bearing syncytia
  23. bacteria
    (microbiology) single-celled or noncellular spherical or spiral or rod-shaped organisms lacking chlorophyll that reproduce by fission; important as pathogens and for biochemical properties; taxonomy is difficult; often considered to be plants
  24. virus
    (virology) ultramicroscopic infectious agent that replicates itself only within cells of living hosts; many are pathogenic; a piece of nucleic acid (DNA or RNA) wrapped in a thin coat of protein
  25. reflecting telescope
    optical telescope consisting of a large concave mirror that produces an image that is magnified by the eyepiece
  26. full moon
    the time when the Moon is fully illuminated
  27. metamorphic rock
    rock altered by pressure and heat
  28. radio telescope
    astronomical telescope that picks up electromagnetic radiations in the radio-frequency range from extraterrestrial sources
  29. refracting telescope
    optical telescope that has a large convex lens that produces an image that is viewed through the eyepiece
  30. biotic
    of or relating to living organisms
  31. asexual reproduction
    reproduction without the fusion of gametes
  32. cell membrane
    a thin membrane (a double layer of lipids) enclosing the cytoplasm of a cell; proteins in the membrane control passage of ions (like sodium or potassium or calcium) in and out of the cell
  33. flagellum
    a lash-like appendage used for locomotion (e.g., in sperm cells and some bacteria and protozoa)
  34. diploid
    (genetics) an organism or cell having the normal amount of DNA per cell; i.e., two sets of chromosomes or twice the haploid number
  35. gene
    (genetics) a segment of DNA that is involved in producing a polypeptide chain; it can include regions preceding and following the coding DNA as well as introns between the exons; it is considered a unit of heredity
  36. haploid
    (genetics) an organism or cell having only one complete set of chromosomes
  37. nucleus
    a part of the cell containing DNA and RNA and responsible for growth and reproduction
  38. organelle
    a specialized part of a cell; analogous to an organ
  39. population
    the people who inhabit a territory or state
  40. homologous
    corresponding or similar in position or structure or function or characteristics; especially derived from an organism of the same species
  41. homozygous
    having identical alleles at corresponding chromosomal loci
  42. meiosis
    (genetics) cell division that produces reproductive cells in sexually reproducing organisms; the nucleus divides into four nuclei each containing half the chromosome number (leading to gametes in animals and spores in plants)
  43. atomic number
    the order of an element in Mendeleyev's table of the elements; equal to the number of protons in the nucleus or electrons in the neutral state of an atom of an element
  44. atomic mass
    (chemistry) the mass of an atom of a chemical element expressed in atomic mass units
  45. chemical bond
    an electrical force linking atoms
  46. chemical change
    (chemistry) any process determined by the atomic and molecular composition and structure of the substances involved
  47. chemical formula
    a representation of a substance using symbols for its constituent elements
  48. chemical property
    a property used to characterize materials in reactions that change their identity
  49. chemical reaction
    (chemistry) a process in which one or more substances are changed into others
  50. electron
    an elementary particle with negative charge
  51. quark
    (physics) hypothetical truly fundamental particle in mesons and baryons; there are supposed to be six flavors of quarks (and their antiquarks), which come in pairs; each has an electric charge of +2/3 or -1/3
  52. scientific method
    a method of investigation involving observation and theory to test scientific hypotheses
  53. hydrosphere
    the watery layer of the earth's surface; includes water vapor