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Biology Chapter 14.2
Biology Chapter 14.2 Terms and Definitions
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 a 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 (and thus a different atomic mass) |
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 |
mass number | the sum of the numbers of protons and neutrons in the nucleus of an atom |
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 small sphere. |
coacervate | a mass of colloidal substances held together by electrostatic attraction |