| Term | Definition |
|---|
| Layers of the Earth | crust, mantle, core |
| Rocks that make up the Earth | Igneous Rocks, Sedimentary Rocks, Metamorphic Rocks |
| Igneous Rocks | formed from cooling of molten rock, called lava. |
| Metamorphic Rocks | formed from older rocks under intense heat or pressure at depths beneath the earth’s surface |
| Sedimentary Rocks | formed in layers contain plant and animal remains, |
| hydrosphere | oceans |
| Saltwater bodies | oceans and seas containing saltwater and saltwater ecosystems. |
| minerals found in saltwater | salt (sodium chloride), iron, phosphates, nitrates, magnesium |
| Freshwater bodies | lakes, streams, rivers, ponds, marshes. |
| shore | shoreline, Beaches, Sandbar, Spit, Bay, Lagoon, Barrier islands, Arches and stacks |
| shoreline | the boundary where the land meets the sea |
| Beaches | deposits of sand and other fragments of rock left along the shoreline boundary |
| Sandbar | water currents deposit sand and debris in deeper water, parallel to the shore, and build up |
| Spit | a narrow piece of land which forms along a curved shoreline |
| Bay | part of the coastline where the rock has been gradually eroded by a large body of water |
| Lagoon | a body of water cut off from the sea by a sandbar or reef. |
| Barrier islands | islands made from sand and debris deposited parallel to the shore |
| Arches and stacks | formations of resistant rock left standing after softer rock had been worn away (eroded) by |
| Continental shelf | underwater land at the edges of the continents |
| Continental slope | a steep slope running from the edge of the continental shelf down to the ocean floor |
| Abyssal plain | wide, flat area that makes up most of the ocean floor |
| Mid-oceanic ridges | mountain ranges on the ocean floor |
| Weathering | the breakdown of rock to form sediment. |
| Erosion | weathered particles are moved from one location to another. |
| five major oceans | Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, Artic and Antarctic |
| 3 major types of clouds | Stratus, Cumulus, Cirrus |
| Stratus | smooth layers of low clouds |
| Cumulus | turret-shaped tops, flat bottoms |
| Cirrus | feather-like clouds made of ice crystals |
| Climate | long-range weather patterns |
| Weather | short-term conditions of the atmosphere |
| 6 major biomes on land: | rainforest, desert, grassland,deciduous forest, boreal forest, tundra |
| “Big Bang” Theory | named in 1950 by British scientist, Fred Hoyle |
| Paleontology | the science studying former life through fossils |
| Geologic time scale | sequence of events in the Earth’s history |
| Paleozoic Era | 543 -248 million years ago |
| Mesozoic era | 248 - 65 million years ago |
| Cenozoic era | 65 million years ago to present |
| Galaxy | a system of stars, gases, and dust all held together as a group by gravity |
| Milky Way | Earth’s galaxy |
| Solar system | consists of a star, a group of planets and their satellites |
| 9 planets | Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Pluto |
| Comets | large clumps of ice, dust and frozen gases that travel around the Sun in long elliptical orbits |
| Meteoroids | very small asteroids which orbit the Sun. |
| Meteors | “shooting stars” or “falling stars”. |
| Cells | basic unit of structure |
| Nucleus | the “brain” of the cell; houses the codes that control cell activities; often centrally located |
| ER - (Endoplasmic Reticulum) | tubes where cell substances are made |
| Chromosomes | rod-shaped bodies contained within the nucleus which carry the genetic code for reproduction |
| Cell Membrane | controls the movement of materials in and out of the cell; outer “wall.” |
| Nuclear membrane | controls the movement of materials in and out of the nucleus; inner “wall.” |
| Golgi bodies | assemble, release, and store chemicals |
| Ribosomes | make proteins |
| Cytoplasm | substance which holds all other parts in suspension within the cell |
| Mitochondria | the “powerhouse” of the cell; the site of energy production and release |
| Lyosomes | eat up waste materials |
| Vacuoles | store water |
| Cell wall | gives shape and support to plant cells |
| Chloroplasts | contain chlorophyll which traps sunlight to help make food via photosynthesis |
| Taxonomy | the science of classifying living things |
| Phototropism | growth of a plant’s stem towards the sunlight |
| Geotropism | is the growth of roots downwards, towards gravity |
| Roots | anchor plants in the ground and bring in minerals and water from the soil |
| Stems | hold up the rest of the plant, and have tubes that carry water and food between the leaves and the roots |
| Leaves | part of the plant where most of the food is made |
| Diffusion | movement of atoms or molecules in a solution or gas |
| Transpiration | the evaporation of water from plants |
| Respiration | plants use oxygen to break down sugar to release energy |
| Organ Systems | group of organs that work together to carry out a particular function |
| Ligaments | connective tissues that bind bones or cartilage together. |
| Tendons | are connective tissue that binds muscles to bones |
| Cartilage | a tough, elastic tissue that can withstand pressure |
| Muscles | cells and tissues that allow movement of an organ or body part |
| Skeletal muscle | attached to bones and allows voluntary (controlled by conscious thought) movement of limbs |
| Smooth muscle | found in internal organs and aids in involuntary (controlled by autonomic nervous system) movement in respiratory, excretory and reproductive systems |
| Cardiac muscle | forms powerful walls of the heart; controlled by autonomic nervous system |
| Cornea | transparent thin outer covering of the eye that protects the iris and pupil |
| Pupil | small hole in the center of the eye, through which light enters |
| Iris | the colored muscles in the eye |
| Lens | bends the rays of light to focus them on the retina |
| Retina | lines the back wall of the eye and contains rods and cones, which are light-sensitive receptor cells |
| Optic nerve | carries the impulses to the brain, where they are interpreted. |
| Heart | strong muscle which pumps blood to the lungs, organs, tissues and cells |
| Aorta | is the main artery leaving the heart |
| Carotid artery | supplies blood to the brain |
| Superior vena cava | the largest vein emptying into the heart |
| Capillaries | smallest vessels in the body where oxygen and carbon dioxide are exchanged |
| Digestion | breaking down of food |
| Reproduction | how organisms make new organisms |
| Asexual reproduction | only one parent is needed to reproduce |
| Budding | reproduce by growing a new organism out of a bud off a parent |
| Fragmentation | animal divides itself and each piece grows the missing parts and becomes a full offspring |
| Parthenogenesis | production of offspring from eggs which do not require fertilization by a “partner.” |
| Trait | characteristic, such as eye color or height, which is coded for by genes contained on chromosomes |
| Heredity | passing on of traits from parents to offspring |
| Dominant traits | traits people can see that you have; a dominant gene overpowers a recessive gene |
| Recessive traits | traits you may have, but people cannot see because they are not expressed |
| Genes | the coded instructions in DNA; the “genetic code;” they are the basic units of inheritance |
| Chromosomes | thread-like structures in the nucleus of every cell that carry genetic codes for the cell’s activity |
| Mitosis | 2-step process by which all body cells of multi-cellular organisms multiply |
| Anemia | lack of red blood cells in the blood |
| Hemophilia | lack of platelets, which help the blood to clot |
| Goiter | lack of iodine and the over-activity of the thyroid gland |
| Rickets | lack of vitamin D. |
| Down’s Syndrome | genetic error in which an extra chromosome (#21) is passed on |
| Human Life cycle | infancy, childhood, adolescence and adulthood. |
| Homeostasis | tendency of a living organism towards balance and equilibrium |
| Endocrine system | glands which secrete hormones directly into the blood stream |
| Pituitary gland | small gland attached to the base of the brain which secretes hormones that influence growth, metabolism, and reproduction |
| Pancreas | gland behind the stomach that functions in both the endocrine and digestive system |
| Thyroid gland | large gland in the front of the neck, it secretes hormones which regulate growth and metabolism |
| Migration | the movement by animals over long distances in order to reproduce, mate, raise young, or find food |
| Hibernation | a long period of rest or inactivity by an animal, usually in the winter, to conserve energy |
| Reflex behavior | automatic response to a stimulus |
| Instinctive behavior | inborn responses to stimuli |
| Unity | state or quality of being in accord; harmony |
| Adaptation | series of changes or characteristics that are made by an animal which enable it to survive in its environment |
| Evolution | 1. chemical evolution -organic molecules were first formed. 2. development of single-celled organisms- capable of asexual reproduction. 3. development of complex, multi-cellular organisms - capable of sexual reproduction. |
| Theory of “Natural Selection.” | theory that the earth’s species have changed and diversified over time. first described by Charles Darwin. expression “survival of the fittest” was used to describe this process in the 19 century |
| Population | number of individuals of one species in a community. |
| Community | populations of plants and animals living together in a particular habitat |
| Ecosystems | describes a community, its habitat, and all of the relationships within that habitat. |
| Ecology | the study of the relationships between organisms and their habitat |
| Food chain | one organism in an ecosystem consumes another organism |
| Green plants | producers because they make their own food |
| Herbivores | animals that eat green plants, are primary consumers |
| Carnivores | animals that eat meat |
| Decomposers | break down wastes and dead organisms and return the raw materials to the ecosystem |
| Birth | main way new individuals join a population |
| Death | main way individuals leave a population |
| Immigration | individuals move into a population from elsewhere, thus increasing its size |
| Emigration | individuals move out of a population to elsewhere, thus decreasing its size |
| Matter | anything that has mass and takes up space |
| Solids | have a definite size and shape; particles are packed together tightly and are in a regular pattern |
| Liquids | have a definite size and volume, but no definite shape; particles are more active and farther apart than a solid |
| Gases | no definite size or shape; a gas will fill whatever space it occupies; particles move freely and are even farther apart from each other than a liquid |
| Mass | the amount of matter in an object; its “size”; all matter has mass and takes up space |
| Weight | the force of the Earth’s gravity which pulls down on an object |
| Density | amount of mass packed into a given unit of volume; density is the relative “heaviness” of an object |
| Viscosity | the property of a liquid which describes how easily it pours |
| Freezing point | the temperature at which a liquid will become a solid. |
| Boiling point | temperature at which a liquid will become a gas |
| other physical properties of matter | Color, Hardness, Size, Shape and Odor |
| Sublimation | a change from a solid to a gas without going through a liquid state |
| Condensation | a change from a gaseous to a liquid state caused by lowering the temperature |
| Evaporation | a change from a liquid to a gaseous state caused when a liquid is heated to its boiling point |
| pH scale | a range of numbers that measure of the strength of an acid or base |
| Catalyst | a substance which hastens a chemical reaction without itself undergoing chemical change |
| Mixture | contains 2 or more different substances that have not undergone a chemical reaction |
| Solution | a mixture in which small particles are spread evenly throughout a liquid, resulting in a physical change, but not a chemical change, in the liquid |
| Atoms | the smallest piece of matter that can exist on its own |
| Element | substance which contains only one kind of atom An element cannot be broken down by physical or chemical means. There are 103 elements that are named with most of them occurring naturally |
| Periodic Table | lists the elements in order of their atomic number displays the full name of each element, its symbol, as well as its atomic mass |
| Molecule | a combination of 2 or more atoms held together by a force between them |
| Compound | substances made up of two or more elements that are combined in a chemical reaction |
| Motion | a change in position of an object or substance |
| Force | a push or pull acting on an object. A force can start a motion, stop a motion |
| Speed | the rate of motion of a body; expressed in distance per unit of time |
| Velocity | speed in a particular direction |
| Distance | the extent of space between two objects or places |
| Acceleration | the rate of change in velocity when the velocity increases |
| Deceleration | the rate of change in velocity when the velocity decreases |
| Centripetal force | pulls the object inward |
| Centrifugal force | pushes an object outward |
| Newton’s law of motion 1 | Every object at rest remains at rest, and every object in motion continues moving in a straight line at a steady rate, unless acted upon by an outside force |
| Inertia | tendency of an object to resist any change in velocity |
| Newton’s law of motion 2 | amount of force needed to change the speed of an object depends on the mass of the object and the amount of acceleration, or deceleration, needed |
| Newton’s law of motion 3 | To every action there is an equal and opposite reaction |
| Friction | the resistance of an object to the medium through which, or upon which, it is traveling |
| Equilibrium | condition in which all forces and influences acting upon an object cancel each other out and equalize |
| Potential energy | depends on the position of an object |
| Kinetic Energy | depends on the motion of an object |
| Radiant energy | energy that travels through space in the form of waves |
| Chemical energy | energy released during a chemical reaction |
| Solar energy | energy that is trapped from the Sun |
| Nuclear energy | energy stored in the nucleus of every atom may be released by a fission reaction or by a fusion reaction |
| fission | splitting the atoms |
| fusion | joining the nuclei of atoms |
| Lever | a bar that pivots about a fixed point and thus reduces the amount of the force required to lift an object |
| Pulley | one or more wheels connected by a loop of rope which reduces the amount of force |
| Inclined plane | slanted surface used to raise objects |
| Wheel and Axle | large wheel attached to a smaller rod; the wheel rotates about the axle |
| Screw | reduces the amount of force needed to do the work |
| Wedge | reduces the amount of force needed to do the work |
| Waves | rhythmic disturbances that carry energy |
| Water waves | are oscillating (up and down) movements in which the surface of water rises and falls |
| Sound waves | the action of two objects hitting each other causes the molecules of air to vibrate |
| Electromagnetic (EM) spectrum | the arrangement of different types of waves, according to their wavelengths |
| Electromagnetic waves | are transverse waves that travel at the speed of light in a vacuum |
| Light waves | have medium-sized wavelengths, consist of tiny particles of radiation travel fast and straight, they don’t require a material to travel through, and they can move through a vacuum. |
| Infrared waves | the next longest wavelengths after light waves |
| Microwaves | the next longest wavelengths after infrared rays |
| Radio waves | have the longest wavelengths and have lowest frequencies |
| X-rays and gamma rays | have some of the shortest waves in the spectrum |
| Conduction | the transfer of heat from particle to particle that occurs when two substances of different temperatures come into contact with each other |
| Convection | the transfer of heat by the movement of matter |
| Radiation | the transfer of heat that does not require matter |
| Conductors | substances that conduct heat or electricity |
| Insulators | substances that slow the movement of heat or electricity |
| Electricity | the flow of electrons (negatively charged atomic particles) through a conductor to create energy |
| Volts | measures the push of electricity through a conductor |
| Amperes (Amps) | measure the flow of electrical current (the steady flow of electrons through a conductor) |
| Ohms | are a unit of measurement of electrical resistance. Resistance is the opposition of the flow of something |
| Magnetism | the property of some objects, like iron, aluminum, nickel and cobalt, which allows them to attract other magnetic objects to themselves like poles repel; opposite poles attract |
| Electrical circuit | an unbroken path formed by electrical conductors through which electricity can flow |
| Echoes | sound waves can bounce off (reflect) objects which have smooth surfaces |
| Scientific inquiry | conducting investigations and looking for explanations to questions about the physical world |
| Nicolaus Copernicus | demonstrated that the Sun is the center of the solar system |
| Galileo Galilei | wrote about acceleration, motion and gravity; developed the first astronomical telescope and made many discoveries in astronomy |
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