- Science - the investigation and exploration of natural events and of the new information that results from those investigations.
- observation - using one or more of your sense to gather information and take note of what occurs.
- inference – a logical explanation of an observance that is drawn from prior knowledge or experience.
- hypothesis – a possible explanation about an observation that can be tested by scientific investigations
- prediction – a statement of what will happen next in a sequence of events
- technology – the practical use of scientific knowledge, especially for industrial or commercial use
- scientific theory – an explanation of observations or events based on knowledge gained from many observations and investigations
- scientific law- describes a pattern or an event in nature that is always true
- critical thinking – comparing what you already know with the information you are given in order to decide whether you agree with it
- variable – any factor in an experiment that can have more than one value.
- dependent variable – the factor measured or observed during an experiment.
- independent variable – the factor that you want to test.
- constants – the factors in an experiment that remain the same
- phloem- the vascular tissue in most plants that transport materials through the plant.
- photosynthesis – a series of chemical reactions that convert light energy , water and carbon dioxide, into the food-energy molecule glucose and give off energy.
- epidermal cells – the flat cells that make up the top and bottom layers of a leaf
- stoma – small openings on the bottom epidermal layer of most leaves that carbon dioxide, water vapor, and oxygen pass through.
- chloroplast- a membrane-bound organelle that uses light and makes food – a sugar called glucose- from water and carbon dioxide in a process known as photosynthesis.
- chlorophyll - a green pigment, present in the chloroplasts of all green plants, that absorbs light to provide energy for photosynthesis.
- carbon dioxide - a colorless, odorless gas made of one carbon atom and two oxygen atoms. It is naturally present in air (about 0.03 percent) and is absorbed by plants in photosynthesis.
- glucose - Organic compound, a simplesugar, chemical formula CHO. The product of photosynthesis inplants, it is found in fruits and honey.
- cellular respiration – a series of chemical reactions that convert the energy in food molecules into a usable form of energy called ATP
- ATP - An energy-bearing molecule that is composed of carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, and phosphorus atoms.
- transpiration – the process by which water is lost by the leaves
- trophic level – the energy levels or steps in a food chain or food web
- producer – an organism that can produce its own food internally
- consumer – an organism that obtains energy by feeding on other organisms
- decomposer – an organism that breaks down the large molecules of food , dead animals, animal body waste, etc to make fresh soil
- saprotroph – An organism that feeds on or gets nourishment from decaying organic matter
- Cycle – something that repeats over and over again.
- water cycle – water continually cycles from the Earth to its atmosphere and back again. This movement is called the water cycle. It involves the processes of evaporation, condensation and precipitation.
- evaporation – the process in which piqued water changes into a gas
- condensation – the process in which water vapor changes into liquid water
- precipitation – water that falls from the sky to the Earth’s surface including rain, sleet, snow and hail
- nitrogen cycle – the series of processes by which nitrogen and its compounds are converted in the environment and living organisms, including nitrogen fixation and decomposition
- nitrogen fixation–the process that changes atmospheric nitrogen into nitrogen compounds that are useable by living things. Certain bacteria and soil carry out nitrogen fixation.
- chemosynthesis – the process during which producers use chemical energy in matter rather that to make food.
- producer – organisms that internally make their own food. Most producers are photosynthetic but some are chemosynthetic.
- consumer- organisms that get the energy they need by consuming other organisms. There are four different types of consumers; herbivores, carnivores, omnivores, detritivores.
- herbivore – a consumer that only eats plants
- carnivore – a consumer that only eats other animals
- omnivore – a consumer that eats both plants and animals
- detritivores ( decomposer) – a consumer that feeds only on the decaying remains of other organism
- food chain – model that shows how energy flows in an ecosystem through feeding relationships
- food web – a model of energy transfer that scientists use to show how food chains in a community are connected
- energy pyramid – a model that shows the amount of energy available in each step of a food chain. The steps are called trophic levels.
47. force – the overall force on an object when all the individual forces acting on an object are added together
48. unbalanced forces – a nonzero net force that changes an object’s motion
49. Balanced forces – equal forces acting on an object in opposite directions
50. Inertia – the tendency of a moving object to continue in a straight line or of a stationary object to remain in place
51. Newton – a unit of measure that equals the force required to accelerate one kilogram of mass at a rate of one meter per second per second.
52. Friction – a force that one surface exerts on another when the two rub against each other.
53. Sliding friction - friction that occurs when one solid surface slides over another.
54. Rolling friction – the friction that occurs when an object rolls over a surface.
55. Fluid friction – the friction that occurs as an object moves through a fluid
56. Gravity – a force that pulls objects toward each other.
57. Free fall – the motion of a falling object when the only force acting on it is gravity.
58. Projectile – an object that is thrown
59. Air resistance – the fluid friction experienced by objects falling through the air.
- Terminal velocity – the maximum velocity a falling object achieves.
- convection - the circulation of rising, less dense, warm air, and sinking, more dense cool air
- evaporation – the process of a liquid , such as water, changing into a gas, such as water vapor
- condensation- the process of water vapor gas changing into liquid water
- humidity – the amount of water vapor in the air
- precipitation – liquid or solid water that falls from clouds to Earth’s surface
- thunderstorm – a weather event that includes rain, strong winds, thunder and lightening
- lightening- is electrically discharged within a cloud , between clouds, or between a cloud and the ground
- tornado – a violent, whirling column of air in contact with the ground
- hurricane – an intense tropical storm with winds exceeding 119 km/h
- storm surge - as a hurricane approaches land, its wind can push ocean water
higher along the coast creating storm surge
- drought – a period of below average precipitation in an area that can last for months or years
- ecoregion – a large area of land that has a distinct group of plants, animals and other species
- climate – the long term weather conditions in an area
- ground water – precipitation that soaks into the cracks and pores beneath Earth’s surface
- surface water – the water that fills lakes and rivers
- watershed – an area of the land where all the runoff drains to the same body of water
- erosion – the process of moving weathered material from one location to another
- deposition – as water slows down, eroded material is laid down and settles in a new place
93. equilibrium – as state in which opposing forces in a system are equally balanced or stable
94.Ecological Succession – the changing sequence of communities that live in an ecosystem during a given period of time
95.Primary succession – the changes that occur in an area over time where no ecosystem existed before
96.Secondary succession – the changes that occur after a disturbance in an ecosystem
97.Biodiversity – variety of organisms that live in an ecosystem or biome
98.Species - a group of living organisms consisting of similar individuals capable of exchanging genes or interbreeding.
99.Pioneer species – the first species to populate an area
100.Keystone species – a species that influences the survival of many other species in that area
101.population - A group of organisms of one species that interbreed and live in the same place at the same time (e.g. deer population)
102.Climax community – a community of plants and animals that has reached equilibrium because the species have adapted to conditions in that region
103.Limiting factor – things that prevent a population from growing any larger; like climate, elevation, food supply, water supply
104.Microhabitat – a small localized habitat within a larger ecosystem that has specific living conditions that sustain a limited range of animals
105.Interaction – relationships between members of an ecological community
106.Ecosystem – a biological community of interacting organisms and their physical environment
107.Biome – a large naturally occurring community of flora and fauna occupying a major habitat
108.Niche – The role or function of an organism or species in an ecosystem.
109.habitat-the natural home or environment of an animal, plant, or other organism.
110.Biotic – living things in an ecosystem; animals, plants, fungi, bacteria, and protists
111.abiotic- non-living things in an ecosystem; water, soil, rocks, minerals, and air
112.Sustainability – ability to maintain ecological processes over long periods of time; ability of an ecosystem to maintain its structure and function over time
- Natural environment – all living and non-living things occurring naturally on Earth.
- cell- The smallest structural and functional unit of an organism
- Tissue- Groups of similar cells that work together to carry out specific tasks
- Organ- Groups of tissues made of similar cells that work together to perform a particular job
- Organ system – groups of organs that work together to complete a series of tasks
- organism – multicellular beings that have many organ systems that work together to perform all the jobs that are necessary for survival of the organism
- cell membrane-the outer layer that surrounds a cell, letting substances in — or keeping them out.
- cell wall- the protective, semi-permeable outer layer of a plantcell
- nucleus - a cell structure that contains hereditary information, or DNA, and controls cellular growth and reproduction.
- cytoplasm -the clear, gel-like substance outside the nucleus of the cell of plants and animals
- mitochondria -an organelle in the cytoplasm of cells that functions in energy production.
- chloroplast -part of a plant that has chlorophyll and conducts photosynthesis
- vacuole -a fluid-filled cavity within the cytoplasm of a cell, surrounded by a membrane that usually encloses food, water, or air.