| Definition |
 |
|
| Term |
|
|
| A positive characteristic of an organism that allows it to better conform to the environment (fins for swimming, wings for flying) |
adaptation |
| 1/100th of a meter. |
centimeter |
| The metric system’s standard measurement of length. |
meter |
| 1/1000 of a kilogram |
gram |
| When cells are developed for special functions. |
cell specialization |
| The outside covering of an animal cell |
cell membrane |
| A piece of scientific equipment used for observing microscopic organisms. |
microscope |
| This part of a cell controls all cell activity. |
nucleus |
| The outside covering of a plant cell. |
cell wall |
| The process by which an organism multiplies. |
reproduction |
| The process by which plants use sunlight to produce food. |
photosynthesis |
| The gas used by plants during photosynthesis. |
carbon dioxide |
| The gas produced by plants during photosynthesis. |
oxygen |
| Animals that have a backbone. |
vertebrates |
| Animals that do not have a backbone. |
invertebrates |
| Animals that maintain a constant body temperature. |
warm blooded |
| Plants that produce seeds that are protected by a fruit. |
flowering plant |
| Plants that produce unprotected seeds. |
non-flowering plants |
| The female part of a plant where fruit is produced. |
ovary |
| The process by which male and female cells unite. |
fertilization |
| Photosynthesis produces this and oxygen. |
sugar |
| The principle food storage substance of plants. |
starch |
| The process by which food is changed into useful substances by the body. |
digestion |
| The process by which blood travels through the body. |
circulation |
| A segment of DNA that transmits hereditary characteristics. |
gene |
| Traits that are genetically acquired from parents. |
inherited |
| Traits that are learned. |
acquired |
| Remnants of an ancient organism preserved in rock. |
fossil |
| Animal that lives off a host organism. |
parasite |
| Struggle between living things for water, food and energy. |
competition |
| Relationship in which an organism lives on, near or in another organism. |
symbiosis |
| Gas used by plants for food production. |
carbon dioxide |
| Temperature scale where water boils at 212 degrees. |
Fahrenheit |
| Temperature scale where water freezes at zero degrees. |
Celsius |
| Tool used to measure the mass of an object. |
scale or balance |
| A tool used for measuring the volume of a liquid. |
graduated cylinder |
| A tool used to measure temperature. |
thermometer |
| A device used to measure force. |
Spring scale |
| The measure of the force that the Earth attracts an object. |
weight |
| The amount of matter in an object. |
mass |
| The amount of space taken up by an object. |
volume |
| Matter that consists of two or more substances not chemically combined. |
mixture |
| The simplest type of a pure substance. |
element |
| Two or more elements chemically combined. |
compound |
| The smallest part of an element that has all the properties of an element. |
atom |
| Anything that has mass and volume. |
matter |
| The means by which atoms are held together. |
bond |
| A circuit in which electricity flows all the way around it. |
complete circuit |
| A circuit in which electricity is not allowed to flow around it. |
open circuit |
| The process of a liquid going to a gas. |
evaporation |
| The process of a gas going to a liquid. |
condensation |
| The process of a liquid changing to a solid. |
freezing |
| A substance present before a chemical change. |
reactant |
| A substance formed after a chemical change. |
product |
| A simple machine that uses a rope and a wheel. |
pulley |
| A simple machine that has a fulcrum. |
lever |
| A ramp is an example of this simple machine. |
inclined plane |
| A steering wheel is an example of what type of simple machine? |
wheel and axle |
| When two objects are drawn together by a force. |
attraction |
| In what type of medium does sound travel fastest? |
solids |
| In what type of medium does sound travel the slowest? |
gases |
| What part of the eye receives the image? |
retina |
| What controls the amount of light received by the eye? |
pupil |
| The bending of light in different materials is called? |
refraction |
| When an object appears red, only red light is reflected from the object, what happens to the other colors? |
absorbed |
| Light that is directed in all different directions is said to be…? |
scattered |
| A material that lets light and images pass through it. |
transparent |
| A material that allows light but no image to pass through it. |
translucent |
| A material that does not allow light or images to pass through it. |
opaque |
| The amount of time it takes a pendulum to make one complete swing. |
period |
| The number of waves to pass a given point in a given amount of time. |
frequency |
| The height of the wave above or below the normal. |
amplitude |
| A wave containing compressions and rarefactions. |
longitudinal wave |
| The direction of the wave is at right angles to the motion of the medium. |
transverse wave |
| When a wave bounces off a barrier. |
reflection |
| The height of an area above sea level. |
elevation |
| A map that shows different shapes and sizes of an area using contour lines. |
topographic |
| A flat area that does not rise far above sea level. |
plain |
| A large area of relatively flat land high above sea level. |
plateau |
| Metamorphic rocks are formed from… |
heat and pressure |
| Sedimentary rocks are formed from… |
sediments |
| Igneous rocks are formed from… |
magma |
| Dating of fossils due to the age of rock in which they are found. |
relative dating |
| The breaking down of rock by physical processes. |
weathering |
| Large bodies of ice that break down rock. |
glaciers |
| Glacier that covers a large area of a continent. |
Continental glacier |
| Glacier that flows down a mountain. |
Valley glacier |
| Ice that covers the poles of the earth. |
Polar cap |
| A constant flow of water from underground. |
Spring |
| A flow of water from areas of high ground to low. |
River or stream |
| The weight of the air above you. |
Air pressure |
| The amount of water vapor in the air. |
Humidity |
| A large area of air about the same temperature. |
Air mass |
| The edge of an area of cooler air associated with severe weather. |
Cold Front |
| The edge of an area of warm air associated with light rain. |
Warm front |
| The path a planet takes around the sun. |
Orbit |
| Any object that orbits the planet. |
Satellite |
| In space, a large chunk of ice that has a tail. |
Comet |
| The amount of time it takes a planet to complete one revolution around the sun. |
Year |
| The point at which a planet rotates. |
Axis |
Biology Lab Midterm
