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science vocab Flashcards

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9061992absolute zerothe lowest possible temperature, about -273 degrees Celsius
9061993acida substance that forms hydronium ions in water; having a pH less than 7
9061994acid rainrain made acid by absorbing sulfur and nitrogen oxides from polluted air
9061995adrenalina hormone of the adrenal gland, secreted in times of emergency
9061996air massa large body of air characterized by certain values of temperature and humidity
9061997algaesimple, green organisms with cell walls, but without the complex structure of plants
9061998alkalia strongly basic hydroxide
9061999alloya substance composed of two or more metals
9062000alternating currentan electric current that reverses direction periodically
9062001amino acidorganic chemicals with an acid group (-COOH) at one end and an amino group (-NH2) at the other; the constituent molecules of proteins
9062002anemiasubstandard concentration of red blood cells
9062003antibodya blood protein that protects the body from foreign chemicals or microorganisms
9062004aortathe largest artery, carrying blood out of the left ventricle
9062005arterya muscular-walled blood vessel that distributes blood to the body tissues
9062006atmospherethe layer of air surrounding the earth
9062007atomthe smallest part of an element
9062008bacteriathe smallest and simplest one-celled organisms, having neither nucleus nor other organelles
9062009barometeran instrument for measuring atmospheric pressure
9062010bedrockthe solid rock underlying the loose material at the earth's surface
9062011boiling pointthe temperature at which, at any given pressure, the liquid and gas phases of a substance are in equilibrium
9062012caloriea quantity of heat energy, equal to 4.185 joules; the Large Calorie of the nutritionist is a kilocalorie, equal to 1000 calories
9062013capillary1) a thin tube into which water can rise by adhesion to the surface 2) a tiny blood vessel connecting an artery to a vein and providing interchange of materials between blood and tissue
9062014catalysta substance that increases the rate of a chemical reaction without being used up in the reaction
9062015chemical formulaconventional representation of the atomic composition of a compound
9062016chemical reactiona process in which the molecules or ionic composition of one or more substances is altered
9062017colonthe large intestine
9062018concentrationthe amount of a substance contained in a given volume of a solution or other mixture
9062019conductora material through which heat or electrical current may pass
9062020digestionthe process of enzymatic breakdown of large organic molecules into smaller, soluble ones
9062021dilute solutiona solution in which the solute has a low concentration
9062022DNAdeoxyribose nucleic acid, the substance of the genes
9062023ductless glandan endocrine organ
9062024ecologythe study of the relationships between organisms and with their inorganic environment
9062025electric chargethe property of particles (such as electrons and protons) by which they exert forces on each other without respect to their mass
9062026electric currenta flow of electric charge, typically carried by electrons through a metal or by ions through a solution or a plasma
9062027electromagnetic wavesdisturbances in electric and magnetic fields propagating through space
9062028electrona particle found in all atoms, having a small mass and a single unit of negative electric charge
9062029electrostatic forcethe force particles exert on each other because of their electric charge
9062030elementa substance consisting of only one species of atom, so that it cannot be decomposed by chemical means
9062031embryoan organism in the earliest stages of its development
9062032endocrine organa gland that secretes hormones into the blood
9062033energya physical quantity having the dimension of work and measured in joules, whose total quantity remains constant through all interactions and transformations
9062034enzymea substance, usually a protein, produced by living cells and acting as a catalyst
9062035epicenterthe point on the earth's surface directly above the geological shift that causes an earthquake
9062036erosionthe movement of rock, sand, etc., due to natural forces
9062037esophagusthe tube that carries food from the mouth to the stomach; gullet
9062038evaporationconversion of a liquid into the gaseous phase by escape of molecules from the surface
9062039evolutionthe process by which species undergo drastic changes over long periods of time
9062040excretionthe disposal of metabolic wastes from the body, as by urination
9062041faulta crack in the earth's crust, along which crustal movement takes place
9062042fermentationan enzyme-controlled reaction that takes place in the absence of oxygen, such as the conversion of sugar to alcohol by the action of yeast
9062043fertilization1) the process of applying nutrients to the soil to stimulate plant growth 2) the union of a sperm and an egg cell to form a zygote
9062044fission1) reproduction of a one-celled organism by splitting into two equal parts 2) the splitting of an atomic nucleus into approximately equal parts, with the release of energy
9062045flood plainthe flat region around an old river, which becomes covered with water at times of high runoff
9062046food chainan array of organisms in which each serves as food for the one above
9062047fossilthe preserved remains or casts of a long-extinct organism
9062048frequencythe number of cycles completed in a unit time in any cyclic phenomenon, such as a vibration
9062049frontthe boundary between two air masses
9062050fusion1) the melting of a solid 2) a nuclear reaction in which two small nuclei combine to form a larger one, accompanied by the release of energy 3) the union of isogametes of one-celled organisms
9062051galaxyan agglomeration of many millions of stars
9062052gametea sex cell, such as egg or sperm
9062053gasa substance, usually of very low density, that has no surfaces of its own but will spread to fill its container
9062054genethe particle that carries hereditary info from one generation to another and controls the production of proteins in a living cell
9062055geneticsthe study of biological inheritance
9062056glaciera large mass of ice moving down a valley or across a continent
9062057glucosethe simple sugar that forms the fundamental energy supply of all nucleated organisms
9062058gravitythe mass-dependent force by which any two objects in the universe attract each other
9062059greenhouse effectthe warming of the earth resulting from atmospheric gases trapping heat that reradiates from the earth's surface
9062060habitatthe part of an ecosystem that is occupied by a given organism
9062061heatenergy that passes from one system to another because of a difference in temperature
9062062helixa spiral shaped like a spring, characteristics of the DNA molecule
9062063herbivorean animal that eats plants only (what Hibari hates the most)
9062064hormonea substance, secreted into the blood by an endocrine gland, that controls chemical processes in other parts of the body
9062065humiditythe amount of water vapor in the air
9062322igneous rockrock formed by the hardening of liquid rock emerging from deep within the earth, either to the surface or within the crust
9062323inertiathe property of objects to remain in a state of rest or uniform motion in a straight line unless acted on by an outside force
9062324infrared rayselectromagnetic waves of wavelength longer than those of visible light, but shorter than microwaves
9062325insulatora substance that blocks the passage of heat or electric current
9062326insulina hormone, produced in the pancreas, that controls the metabolism of glucose
9062327ionan atom or group of atoms that has acquired either a positive charge or a negative charge by gaining/losing electrons
9062328isobara line on a weather map connecting points of equal barometric pressure
9062329isotopea variety of an element distinguished by its atomic mass number, but having the same atomic number as all other isotopes of the element
9062330jet streama rapidly flowing mass of air high in the atmosphere
9062331Kelvin scalethe SI temperature scale, which has its zero at the absolute zero of temperature
9062332kinetic energythe energy of an object as measured by its mass and velocity
9062333latent heatthe heat added or removed from a substance that produces a change of phase with no change in temperature
9062334latitudethe distance north or south of the equator measured in degrees
9062335light yearthe distance light travels in a year
9062336liquida substance that takes the shape of its container, up to a definite upper surface
9062337litera unit of volume equal to 1000 cubic cm
9062338longitudethe distance east or west of the prime meridian, measured in degrees
9062339lunar eclipsecondition in which the earth comes between the sun and the moon so that the moon is in the earth's shadow
9062340magneta device made of a ferromagnetic material, such as steel, which can exert forces on other such materials
9062341magnetismthe excess force exerted on each other by charges in motion
9062342massthe quantity of substance in an object measured either by its acceleration when a force is applied or by its gravitational attraction to other objects
9062343meltingthe change of matter from solid to liquid
9062344melting pointthe temperature at which the solid and liquid phases of a substance can exist in equilibrium
9062345mineralan earth substance with specified chemical constitution
9062346moleculea particle consisting of one or more atoms bound together, and comprising the smallest quantity of a non-ionic substance
9062347musclean organ that controls body functions by carrying electrochemical impulses
9062348natural selectionthe tendency of individuals or species best adapted to a particular environment to leave larger numbers of offspring
9062349nervean organ that controls body functions by carrying electrochemical impulses
9062350neurona nerve cell
9062351neutrona neutral particle that is part of the nuclei of atoms, with mass slightly larger than that of a proton
9062352nitrogena gaseous element that makes up 79 percent of the atmosphere
9062353nucleus1) the massive, charged center of an atom, composed of protons and neutrons 2) a structure in a cell, surrounded by a membrane and containing the chromosomes 3) a particle of dust in the atmosphere around which water condenses, forming a raindrop
9062354organic compounda molecular chemical compound based on carbon
9062355osmosisthe diffusion of water through a membrane
9062356outcropthe part of the bedrock protruding through overlying sediments
9062357ovaryin animals, an organ that produces egg cells; part of the stigma of a flower that contains the ovules
9062358thermometera device for measuring temperature
9062359toxina poisonous substance produced by bacteria
9062360vaccinea material used to induce immunity to a specific disease
9062361vertebraethe bones that are arrayed linearly to form the back-bone of vertebrates
9062362virusa submicroscopic particle that can become self-reproducing inside a living cell
9062363voltthe unit of measure of electric potential difference, which provides the condition for the flow of an electric current
9062364weightthe gravitational force that the earth or other astronomical object exerts on an object near its surface
9062365X-rayelectromagnetic radiation of wavelength shorter than ultraviolet
9062366zygotea cell formed by the fusion of two gametes

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