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Biology Chapter 14.2
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Radiometric Dating | A method of determining the absolute age of an object by comparing the relative percentages of a radioactive (parent) isotope and stable (daughter) isotope. |
| Isotope | An atom that has the same number of protons (or the same atomic number) as other atoms of the same element do but that has a different number of neutrons (thus a different atomic mass). |
| Mass Number | The sum of the numbers of protons and neutrons in the nucleus of an atom. |
| Radioactive Decay | The disintegration of an unstable atomic nucleus into one or more different nuclides, accompanied by the emission of radiation, the nuclear capture or ejection of electrons, or fission. |
| Radioactive Isotope | An isotope that has an unstable nucleus and that emits radiation. |
| Half-life | The time required for half of a sample of a radioactive isotope to break down by radioactive decay to form a daughter isotope. |
| Microsphere | A microscopic spherical structure composed of many protein molecules that are organized a as a membrane. |
| Coacervate | A mass of droplets of colloidal substances, such as lipids, amino acids, and sugars that are held together by electrostatic attraction. |