Term | Definition |
absorbance | the ability of a layer of a substance to absorb radiation expressed mathematically as the negative common logarithm of transmittance |
beta particle | one emitted by a radioactive nucleus in beta decay |
biomass | the amount of living matter (as in a unit area or volume of habitat) |
bog | wet spongy ground; especially; a poorly drained usually acid area rich in accumulated plant material, frequently surrounding a body of open water, and having a characteristic flora (as of sedges, heaths, and sphagnum) |
calcite | a mineral CaCO3 consisting of calcium carbonate crystallized in hexagonal form and including common limestone, chalk, and marble |
chromatid | one of the usually paired and parallel strands of a duplicated chromosome joined by a single centromere |
colorimeter | an instrument or device for determining and specifying colors; specifically; one used for chemical analysis by comparison of a liquid's color with standard colors |
denature | to modify the molecular structure of (as a protein or DNA) especially by heat, acid, alkali, or ultraviolet radiation so as to destroy or diminish some of the original properties and especially the specific biological activity |
emit | to send (light, energy, etc.) out from a source; to make (a certain sound) |
equilibrium | a state of balance between opposing forces or actions that is either static (as in a body acted on by forces whose resultant is zero) or dynamic (as in a reversible chemical reaction when the rates of reaction in both directions are equal) |
gamma | of, relating to, or being one of three or more closely related chemical substances; third in position in the structure of an organic molecule from a particular group or atom —symbol γ |
genus | a group of related animals or plants that includes several or many different species |
infrared | producing or using rays of light that cannot be seen and that are longer than rays that produce red light |
isotope | any of two or more species of atoms of a chemical element with the same atomic number and nearly identical chemical behavior but with differing atomic mass or mass number and different physical properties |
joule | a unit of work or energy equal to the work done by a force of one newton acting through a distance of one meter |
manometer | an instrument (as a pressure gauge) for measuring the pressure of gases and vapors |
microscopy | the use of or investigation with a microscope |
migratory | moving from one place to another at different times of the year; migrating regularly |
montane | of, relating to, growing in, or being the biogeographic zone of relatively moist cool upland slopes below timberline dominated by large coniferous trees; of, relating to, or made up of montane plants or animals |
aperture | the diameter of the stop in an optical system that determines the diameter of the bundle of rays traversing the instrument; the diameter of the objective lens or mirror of a telescope |
paleozoic | of, relating to, originating in, or being an era of geological history that extends from the beginning of the Cambrian to the close of the Permian and is marked by the culmination of nearly all classes of invertebrates except the insects |
peat | partially carbonized vegetable tissue formed by partial decomposition in water of various plants |
pinnate | resembling a feather especially in having similar parts arranged on opposite sides of an axis like the barbs on the rachis of a feather |
polyrhythm | the simultaneous combination of contrasting rhythms in music |
polystyrene | a polymer of styrene; especially : a rigid transparent thermoplastic that has good physical and electrical insulating properties and is used especially in molded products, foams, and sheet materials |
supersaturated | containing an amount of a substance greater than that required for saturation as a result of having been cooled from a higher temperature to a temperature below that at which saturation occurs |
solvent | that dissolves or can dissolve <solvent action of water> |
revitalize | to make (someone or something) active, healthy, or energetic again |
sprawl | to make (someone or something) active, healthy, or energetic again |
stagnant | not flowing; not active, changing, or progressing |
sucrose | a sweet crystalline dextrorotatory disaccharide sugar C12H22O11 that occurs naturally in most plants and is obtained commercially especially from sugarcane or sugar beets |
tactic | an action or method that is planned and used to achieve a particular goal |
undersaturated | less than normally or adequately saturated |
tropopause | the region at the top of the troposphere; also: a comparable layer of a celestial body |
watt | a unit for measuring electrical power |