Term | Definition |
cell | The basic structure and function in all living things |
organism | A living thing |
nucleus | The organelle that directs all of a cell's activities |
cell membrane | The organelle that protects the cell, holds it together, and controls what goes into or out of the cell |
cell wall | The part that protects the cell and holds it together |
cytoplasm | A jelly like substance that contains chemicals that keep the cell healthy |
chloroplast | It makes food for the plant |
multi-cell organism | An organism with more than one cell |
single-celled organism | An organism with one cell |
microorganism | An organism that is to small to see with the naked eye |
chromosome | They hold information about the cell characteristics |
inherited trait | A characteristic passed from parents to their offspring |
dominant trait | A trait that appears even if an organism only has one factor for that trait |
recessive trait | A trait that appears only if an organism has two factors for that trait |
gene | The part of a chromosome that contains the DNA code for an inherited trait. |
instinct | A behavior that an organism inherit |
learned behavior | A behavior that an animal acquires through experience |
classification | The process of grouping similar things together |
kingdom | A major, large group of similar organisms |
species | A unique kind of living organism |
vertebrate | An animal with a backbone |
invertebrate | An animal without a backbone |
mammal | Mammals have hair and produce milk for their young |
bird | All birds have feathers, but not all birds can fly. smoe birds fluff up thier feathers to help keep it warm |
reptile | Reptiles have scaly skin, and most lay their eggs on land |
amphibian | Amphibians begin life in water, but when they are adults, they live on land |
fish | Fish have scales and live their entire lives in water |
electric charge | A basic property of the tiny particles that make up matter and can be positive or negative |
static electricity | The buildup of electric charges in one place |
electric current | A flow of electric charges |
electric circuit | A continuous pathway that can carry an electric current |
series circuit | An electric circuit with only one path for current |
parallel circuit | An electric circuit with two or more paths for current |
resistance | How much a material opposes, or resists, the flow of electric current |
short circuit | A flaw in a circuit that allows a large current to flow through where it isn’t wanted |
conductor | A material through which heat and electricity flow easily |
insulator | A material that slows the flow of heat and electricity |
electromagnet | A magnet that has coils of current-carrying wire around an iron core |
physical change | A change in which a substance remains the same substance |
mixture | A combination of two or more different substances |
physical property | A trait—such as color, shape, or hardness—that describes a substance by itself |
chemical property | A property that involves the ability of a substance to react with other materials to form new substances |
chemical change | ] A change in which a substance or two becomes a new substance or two |
compound | A substance made of two or more different elements |
law of conservation of mass | The mass of the products of a chemical reaction equals the mass of the reactants |
topography | Surface landforms of an area |
weathering | The process of wearing away rocks by natural means |
erosion | The process of moving sediment by wind, moving water, or ice |
delta | An area of new land at the mouth of a river, formed from sediments carried by the river |
sinkhole | A large hole formed when the roof of a cave collapses |
earthquake | A shaking of Earth’s surface, caused by movement of rock in the crust |