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Living Organisms
5th Grade Science Vocabulary
Term | Definition |
---|---|
traits | quality or characteristic of a living thing (eye color, height) |
acquired traits | a trait that a living thing gets during its lifetime (scar) |
instinct | an inherited behavioral trait such as walking for people and hibernating for bears (fish know how to swim by instinct) |
heredity | the process by which traits are transferred from parent to offspring |
DNA | the material that carries all the information about how a living thing will look and function |
inherited traits | a characteristic that a living thing gets from its parents (blue eyed children inherit eye color) |
offspring | the young of a person, animal, or plant (a cow's offspring is a calf) |
cell | the basic unit of life |
unicellular | a living organism composed on one cell (amoeba, paramecium) |
multi-cellular | a living organism composed of many specialized cells (hydra, insect, human, animal) |
tissue | a group of similar cells that work together (muscle cells, skin cells) |
organ | part of a system that consists of cells and tissue that is specialized to perform a specific task (heart, brain, lungs) |
nervous system | the body system that sends and receives messages through the body (brain, spinal cord, nerves) |
circulatory system | the body system that moves oxygen, food, and waste throughout the body (also called the cardiovascular system) |
respiratory system | the body system that brings oxygen in and takes carbon dioxide out (lungs) |
digestive system | the body system that breaks down food to be used as energy |
skeletal system | the body system that provides support and structure through the bones (bones) |
muscular system | the body system that works with the bones to allow movement |
involuntary muscle | muscles that work automatically (cardiac muscle, stomach muscle) |
voluntary muscle | muscle that allows YOU to control movement (skeletal muscle) |