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Definitions
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Words in blue link you to the relevant note

ADAPTION In order to help them survive, animals and plants have developed special features to help them fit into their habitat. These special features are called adaptions (examples: Fish have a streamlined body to help them move through the water, camels have large feet to stop them sinking into the sand. Frogs have webbed feet to help them swim.

AEROBIC RESPIRATION: Glucose and oxygen react together in cells to produce carbon dioxide and water and release energy. The reaction is called aerobic respiration because oxygen from the air is needed for it to work.
Aerobic respiration is what is commonly just called 'respiration'. (See anaerobic respiration)
Equation: Glucose + oxygen → Carbon dioxide and water

ALGAE Single celled plants. Reproduce asexually by binary fission. Live in wet places. Have no leaves or roots.

ALIMENTARY CANAL (gut) The tube that links the mouth to the anus down which food travels.

ALUMINIUM Aluminium is very light metal. It is used to make kitchen foil, saucepans and sometimes good quality bicycle frames). Aluminium is a good conductor of heat and electricity.

AMMETER An instrument used for measuring current. It is placed in series with the conductor being tested and has a very LOW resistance.

AMNION A water filled sac (containing AMNIOTIC FLUID) that helps support and protect the developing embryo.

AMPHIBIANS One of the VERTEBRATES. An animal that lays soft jelly covered eggs in water. Have smooth moist skin. Adults live on land or in water. Young live in water and go through metamorphosis. e.g. frog.

AMPLITUDE The size of a wave. The amplitude of a sound wave determines what its VOLUME will be.

ANAEROBIC RESPIRATION Anaerobic respiration is a type of respiration that takes place when there is not enough oxygen. In humans this happens during hard exercise and causes LACTIC ACID to be produced. When yeast carries out anaerobic respiration alcohol is made. Certain bacteria produce methane during anaerobic respiration

ANNELIDS Segmented worms with bristles on each segment e.g. earthworm or leech.

ANTAGONISTIC MUSCLES Antagonistic muscles are muscles that work in pairs. An example of antagonistic muscles are the biceps and triceps. The biceps lift the arm up and triceps pull it down. When the biceps contract the triceps relax and visa versa,

ANTHER The top part of the stamen, the male part of a flower. Where pollen is made.

ARACHNIDS Animals that have 4 pairs of legs, 2 parts to the body eg spider, scorpion.

ARTERIES Carry blood away from the heart.
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Bacteria are microscopic organisms that can be found anywhere. Some bacteria are helpful like those found in the soil that make things rot or the bacteria used to turn milk into yogurt. Some are harmful and can make us ill, causing stomach upset or a sore throat. (See micro-organism).

BLADDER Organ in a human that stores urine. Urine leaves the bladder through a tube called the URETHRA. In males the urethra leaves the body through the penis.

BLOOD A fluid in our body that consists of a clear watery liquid known as plasma and a variety of other larger particles eg
red blood cells: these carry oxygen around the body and give the blood its red colour.
white blood cells: these help fight disease
platelets: very small cells that help the blood clot
Uses for blood:
i) Transports food and oxygen to the cells.
ii) Transports waste away from the cells.
iii) Helps protect the body from infection.
iv) Helps regulate the body temperature (37°C)

BLOOD VESSEL A tube that carries blood around the body. Large blood vessels are called arteries or veins. Small ones are called capillaries. Arteries carry blood away from the heart and veins carry blood back towards the heart.

BOIL A liquid boils when it gets hot enough so that it evaporates inside (forming bubbles of vapour) as well as at the surface. The temperature at which a liquid boils is known as is 'boiling point'.

BRAIN Controls and coordinates all the major functions of the body. Where all the nerves meet

BUNSEN BURNER A piece of apparatus that burns gas and is used to heat apparatus. It has an air hole that controls the flame temperature by regulating the flow of air into the burner. When the air-hole is open: A hot, blue, roaring flame. When the air-hole is closed: A cooler, smoky, luminous yellow flame. Not used to heat apparatus as it is very sooty.
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CAPILLARY ATTRACTION A force which drags liquids up fine holes or cracks. It is what causes porous objects soaking up water and allows blotting paper and towels to absorb

CARBON CYCLE, the A diagram showing the balance between respiration (which adds carbon dioxide to the atmosphere) and photosynthesis (which takes out carbon dioxide from the atmosphere

CARBON DIOXIDE Is a colourless gas used by plants during photosynthesis and breathed out by humans as a waste product.
It is the gas that forms the bubbles in fizzy drinks and is also sometimes put in fire extinguishers.
Carbon dioxide is formed when carbon (or any substance containing carbon, like coal or wood) is burnt.
There is a small amount (0.03%) of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere which causes rain water to become slightly acidic.
The test for carbon dioxide is to bubble it through lime-water which turns cloudy.
Carbon dioxide is a compound of carbon and oxygen and has the formula CO2

CARNIVORE An animal that eats only meat. (a Carnivorous animal) eg thrush, pike, ladybird

CELL The basic unit of all life. All cells contain a NUCLEUS, CYTOPLASM , MITOCHONDRIA AND A CELL MEMBRANE. Plant cells also have a CELL WALL, a LARGE VACUOLE and sometimes CHLOROPLASTS.

A cell is another name for a battery. A battery would normally be several cells joined together. The cell provides the chemical energy to push the electric current around a circuit
(See )

CHANGING STATE Changing state means changing from a solid to a liquid to a gas
(Solids liquids and gases are called the threestates of matter)
This is usually done by heating or cooling it.
Melt = Changing from a solid to a liquid (by heating it)
Evaporate =Changing from a liquid to a gas or vapour (by heating it)
Condense =Changing from a gas to a liquid (by cooling it down)
Solidify (or freeze) = Changing from a liquid to a solid (by cooling it down)
Sublime = All examples of changing state are reversible changes.

CHLOROPLASTS The part of a plant cell where PHOTOSYNTHESIS takes place. Found only in certain plant cells above ground. Chloroplasts contain a chemical called chlorophyll which makes them look green. (see cell)

CHLOROPHYLL Chlorophyll is the substance that makes plants look green.
It is needed for photosynthesis to take place.

CHORDATES Animals with a backbone. Have an internal skeleton. eg Lion, snake, frog.
CIRCUIT SYMBOLS
CLASSIFICATION How animals and plats are divided into groups and given names

COLD-BLOODED Animals whose body temperature alters with the temperature of the surroundings eg fish. All animals except for birds and mammals are cold blooded.

COMMUNITY A collection of all the animals and plants that live in a particular area.

The substance formed when two or more elements are chemically combined together.
eg HYDROGEN (element) + OXYGEN (element) = WATER (compound).
Other compounds: Copper sulphate, magnesium oxide, calcium carbonate
Note: the elements in a compound cannot be separated without a chemical reaction taking place.

Example food chain

Grass → rabbit → Fox
(producer) → (Primary consumer) → (secondary consumer)

CONTINUOUS VARIATION Variation is the difference between organisms. Continuous variation is a type of variation that could have any value such as the height of an organism or it's weight.

CRUSTACEANS Animals that usually have 5 pairs of legs, eg crab, woodlouse. Belong to the phylum of Arthropods.

CRYSTALS A crystal is a solid in which the particles are arranged in a REGULAR pattern. Crystals will often have flat sides and straight edges.

CURRENT The rate at which electricity moves along a conductor. Measured in amperes (amps) using an instrument called an ammeter.

CYTOPLASM The living contents of a cell (excluding the nucleus). Found in ALL cells. (see)
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The time it takes a planet to revolve once on it axis. One Earth day = 24 hours (approx)
The fatster a planet rotates, the shorter the day

DECOMPOSE (chem) When a compound is split apart into two (or more) simpler substances, usually by heating.
eg if blue (hydrated) copper sulphate is heated it will decompose into anhydrous copper sulphate (a white powder) and water.

DECOMPOSE (bio) Another name for 'rot'. A dead animal or plant will slowly decompose (rot away) if left in the ground.. It is the bacteria and fungi in the soil that make an animal decompose.

DECOMPOSER An animal that lives on the rotting remains of other organisms. Decomposers help in the recycling of dead material returning essential nutrients to the ground. eg fungi, bacteria, various beetles, worms.

DENSITY Mass per unit volume.
This means the mass (in grams) of one cubic centimetre of a substance.
The unit of density is GRAMS PER CUBIC CENTIMETRE (g/cm3).
Density is calculated as DENSITY = MASS / VOLUME
eg a block of iron with a volume of 3cm3 has a mass of 27g . This tells us the density of iron = 27÷ 3, = 9g/cm3.
This means that the mass of one cubic centimetre of iron is 9 grams.
The density of water is 1 g/cm3. Anything with a density more than that of water will sink and anything with a density less than water will float.
A substance with a LOW density will take up more space (volume) than a substance with a high density.

DIAPHRAGM A sheet of muscle across the body, above the abdomen but below the lungs. When the muscles in the diaghragm contract the diaphragm moves down causing air to be drawn into the lungs.

The movement of tiny particles like atoms or molecules that cause them to mix together or move across thin membranes. Diffusion happens because the particles in a substance are constantly moving. Diffusion explains some important processes in biology: the movement of gas in the alveoli (See lungs); gas exchange in leaves (see ) and the movement of substances in and out of cells across the cell membrane (see )

DIGESTION Digestion is what happens to your food after you eat it. The food is broken down by enzymes into simple chemicals that are then absorbed into the body. Digestion takes place mostly in the intestine. (Although digestion actually starts in the mouth)

DIODE An electrical component that only allows a current to flow in one direction.

A disease is an illness caused by a fungus, bacterium or virus.
Examples : Sore throat or upset tummy are often caused by bacteria.
Flu and measles are caused by a virus.
A lot of plant diseases are caused by fungi.
We can help stop the spread of disease by doing the following...
by washing our hands after going to the toilet or before preparing food.
by storing food at the right temperature (below 5°C) and cooking it properly.
by not sharing cups.
by using a handkerchief (or hand) over your mouth when you cough or sneeze.

DISCONTINUOUS VARIATION Variation is the difference between organisms. Disc continuous variation is a type of variation that can only have certain values such as a persons blood group, eye colour or gender.

DISTILLATE The liquid that has been distilled.
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AR An organ used for HEARING. Rapid changes in air pressure cause the eardrum to vibrate. The ear also controls BALANCE by making use of small tubes filled with liquid and lined with tiny hairs.

ECLIPSE Eclipse of the moon: when the Earth's shadow falls onto the moon, so that the moon cannot be seen. Eclipse of the sun: When the Earth blocks out some of the Sun's light so that it cannot all be seen.

ECOLOGY The study of animals and plants in their natural environment and how they interact or depend on each other

ECOSYSTEM A community of animals and plants and the habitat where they live.

EGG DUCT See FALLOPIAN TUBE.

Examples of some chemical elements with their symbol:
Metals: Copper Cu, calcium Ca, Iron Fe, Sodium Na, Magnesium Mg
Non-metals: Oxygen O, Nitrogen N, Carbon C, Helium He, Hydrogen H, Sulphur S, Chlorine Cl

Elements cannot be decomposed. They combine together to form a compound.
The elements are grouped together in the Periodic table

EMBRYO The young unborn child inside the uterus. While the child is only partly formed it is often called a FETUS.

ENDOSKELETON An internal hard skeleton (as found in humans and other vertebrates).
See Exoskeleton

Something has energy if it can be used to do any useful job of work. The unit of energy is the joule. Different types of energy include:
Nuclear energy, electrical energy, heat energy, sound energy, light energy, kinetic (speed) energy, potential (height) energy, chemical energy and strain energy.
Example of objects which contain energy:
Coal has chemical energy
A spinning flywheel has kinetic energy
A stretched elastic band has strain energy
A brick on a shelf has potential energy

ENVIRONMENT The conditions which affect the life and development of animals and plants within the habitat. Examples of physical factors which effect the environment are air temperature, soil pH, and air humidity.

EVAPORATION The process for obtaining the solute from a solution by warming the solution and letting the solvent evaporate completely away. eg obtaining SALT from SALTY WATER.

EYE An organ used for seeing. Contains a LENS which focuses light onto light-sensitive cells found in the RETINA.
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Sometimes called an EGG DUCT. The fallopian tube carries the egg from an ovary to the uterus. As there are two overies there must be are two fallopian tubes. Fertilization of the egg by a sperm takes place in the fallopian tube.

FERMENTATION The process where YEAST converts sugar into ALCOHOL and CARBON DIOXIDE. It is a process used in the brewing industry (where the sugars in wine or beer is changes to alcohol) and in baking where the carbon dioxide makes the bread rise.

FERTILIZATION (Human) The fusion (joining) of the male and female gamete. In animals fertilization is the joining of the egg and sperm (to form a zygote).

FERTILIZATION (Plants) Fertilization happens after pollination. It is when the nucleus in the pollen joins up with the nucleus in the ovule. After fertilization the ovule swells and becomes the seed and the ovary becomes the fruit.

FILAMENT The lower part of a stamen. The male part of a flower. Supports the ANTHER

FILAMENT The thin metal coil of wire in a light bulb that gets hot when a current flows through it and glows. It is usually made of tungsten which has a very high melting point.

FILTER A piece of transparent, coloured plastic that absorbs some colours and not others.

FILTRATE The clear liquid that drips through the filter paper when filtering.

FILTRATION The process used for separating a SOLID from a LIQUID eg obtaining SAND from SALTY WATER.

FISH One of the VERTEBRATES. A animal that lays soft jelly covered eggs in water. Have scaly skin. eg trout.

FLATWORMS Segmented worms, mostly parasitic eg tapeworm.

FLOWER The part of a plant that contains the reproductive organs. Where the plant makes seeds. Flowers that are insect pollinated (eg rose) have colourful or scented petals to attract insects. Wind pollinated plants (eg grass) do not have petals but still have flowers.

A food chain always starts with a plant:
PLANT → HERBIVORE → CARNIVORE
The arrows show the transfer of food energy from one organism to the next.

FOOD WEB A diagram that represents several interlinked food chains

A force can cause an object to SPEED UP, SLOW DOWN OR CHANGE SHAPE

Examples of forces:
Friction (a force caused by things rubbing together. Friction makes things slow down)
Air resistance (when something moves through the air, air resistance slows it down. A streamlined shape would reduce the air resistance so would go faster)
Gravity (pulls objects down towards the centre of the Earth. Gravity causes things to have weight)
Magnetism (A magnet can attract iron or another magnet. Two similar poles will repel)
Upthrust (Upthrust is the force that makes things float or feel lighter in water)

An object will speed up or slow down if the forces on it are not balanced.
If the forces on an object are the same it will not move (or stay moving at a steady speed)

FRICTION A force which causes a moving object to slow down. Friction always acts in the OPPOSITE direction to the direction of motion. Sometimes friction is an ADVANTAGE eg slowing down a man with a parachute or the brakes of a car slowing it down; and sometimes it is a disadvantage eg air resistance slowing down a car and using more petrol, or bearings heating up.

Friction happens when two surfaces rub together
Rough surfaces have a lot of friction. Smooth surfaces have only a little friction.
Friction is a force which tries to slow things down. Friction causes heat.

Without friction our shoes would have no grip on the floor and cars would not be able to slow down or turn corners. (see Force)

Air resistance (or drag) is a kind of friction caused by air slowing down moving objects (like a parachute or a car)
Friction can be reduced by using rollers or a lubricant like oil between the surfaces that touch. (See Air Resistance)

Friction makes things get hot (converts KINETIC ENERGY into HEAT ENERGY).

FULCRUM The point on which a lever rests or is supported.
The further a force is from the fulcrum, the more effect it has on the load. see lever.

FUSE A short length of wire designed to melt (or 'blow') when the current flowing though it gets too high. It is a used as a safety device to cut off the supply of electricity when something goes wrong. All 13A plugs contain a fuse.(see circuit symbols)
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One of the three states of matter. (the other two are solids and liquids).
A gas always completely fills its container and has no fixed shape
A gas can be compressed (squashed into a smaller space).
If a gas is cooled down it will condense and form a liquid.
The particles in a gas are far apart and move rapidly in all directions

GERMINATION PERIOD The time between planting a seed and the first growth of the new plant

GILLS Gills are used by a fish to take oxygen from the water. Gills are the underwater equivalent of our lungs

GREENHOUSE EFFECT Certain gases in the air like carbon dioxide and methane trap heat from the sun and cause the air to heat up (in the same way as the inside of a car or greenhouse heat up on a sunny day). The greenhouse effect is responsible for global warming.

GUT See ALIMENTARY CANAL
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HEART The heart is an organ to pump blood to and from the lungs and around the body. The heart is made mostly of muscle and contains valves to control the direction of blood flow.
To keep the heart healthy we should eat a diet low in fat and salt, eat lots of fruit and vegetables and take regular exercise. Smoking and drinking alcohol can also damage the heart. (See Keeping Healthy)

HEART RATE The speed at which our heart pumps. The normal heart rate of a child is 80 b.p.m (beats per minute) and an adults average heart rate is 72 b.p.m..
Our heart rate will go up when we take exercise because our muscles need more food and oxygen so the heart has to pump faster. (see Pulse)

HERBIVORE (Herbivorous) An animal that eats only plants. (leaves, seeds, berries, bark etc) eg snail, mouse

HORMONE Chemicals in the body that control certain functions such as the rate of a boy/girls growth. Hormones are made in several parts of the body. The hormones responsible for the changes at puberty are made in the testes or ovaries.
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IMPERMEABLE Impermeable means waterproof. An impermeable rock (like granite) will not let water seep through it. (The opposite of impermeable is permeable)

INSOLUBLE Cannot be dissolved. eg sand is insoluble in water; sugar is insoluble in petrol NOTE: when using the words soluble or insoluble then you should give the name of the solvent being used.

Electrical insulator: A material that does not allow electricity to flow through it (like plastic or glass).
Thermal insulator: A material does not allow heat to pass through it easily (like wool or plastic)
A good insulator will be a poor conductor
A base of saucepan is made of metal because metals are good conductors of heat,
The handle is often made of wood because wood is a good insulator

INVERTEBRATES Animals without a backbone. All animals except for mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and fish are invertebrates.
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i. Take regular exercise. This improves stamina and keeps the heart healthy
ii. Eat a diet low in fat and salt (fat can damage the heart). (see Balanced Diet)
iii. Eat lots of fruit and vegetables (which contain important vitamins and minerals)
iii. Avoid a lot of alcohol (alcohol can damage the heart and liver)
iii. Do not smoke (smoking can damage the lungs)
iv Do not take drugs (drugs can damage the liver)

KIDNEY The kidney is an organ in the body. There are two kidneys. Their main use is to remove waste (urea) from the blood. They also remove water from the blood and so controls the blood concentration. The liquid which the kidneys remove is called URINE which passes down the URETER to the bladder.

KINGDOM During classification all living things are divided into five kingdoms. Mainly the animal and plant kingdom but also the kingdoms of fungi, bacteria and single-celled organisms.
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Light Dependant Resistor. This is a resistor which has has a high resistance in the dark and a low resistance in the light. (See circuit symbols)

LEAF One of the organs in a plant. Where most of the photosynthesis is carried . Leaves usually have a large surface area to absorb as much light energy as possible.

Light Emitting Diode. A small device that gives out light but only uses a tiny current. It allows a current to only flow in one direction. (See circuit symbols)

LEVER A device for increasing the effect of a force. The load needs to placed near to the fulcrum and the effort (or applied force) further from the fulcrum.

LEVER LAW Sometimes called the law of MOMENTS. When a lever is balanced then this law applies:
Force on the left x its distance from the fulcrum = force on right x its distance from the fulcrum
ie on left.... 4n x 9cm = 36 on the right... 6n x 6cm = 36

The life cycle of a flowering plant is:
Pollination -Fertilization Seed dispersal - Germination - Growth of plant

LIGAMENT Ligaments hold the bones together at each joint in your body.

LIGHT RAY A light ray is shows the path of light in a diagram. A light ray should be drawn as a single straight line with one arrow on it.

LIQUID A liquid is one of the three states of matter. In liquids the particles are close together but only held together by WEAK electrical forces which leaves them free to slide over one another. A liquid has a fixed volume but takes up the shape of its container. If a liquid is warmed it will evaporate and for a vapour. If cooled below its melting point it will freeze and form a solid.

LIME Sometimes called quicklime. Made of a compound called calcium oxide. (See calcium oxide). It is alkaline oxide and is used in agriculture to neutralise an acid soil.

LIVER One of the largest organs in the body. It helps keep a balance of nutrients in the body and can also help remove poisons. This is why the liver is often damaged when a person drinks too much alcohol (a poison) or takes drugs.
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All magnets have two poles called the North seeking pole (abbreviated S) and South seeking pole (abbreviated S).
The pole is the part of a magnet where the magnetism is strongest.
A bar magnet is a permanent magnet that has the poles at each end.
Similar (like) poles repel and unlike poles attract each other.

Magnets are made from a magnetic material. The only pure metals that are magnetic are iron, cobalt and nickel.
Steel, an alloy of iron, is also magnetic.
Magnets are used to make electric motors and also to separate iron from other materials.

MAMMALS One of the VERTEBRATES. Main features: The young are born alive. The females suckle their young from nipples on mammary glands. Have hair or fur on their bodies eg mouse, man. Warm blooded.

The mass of an object is a property which NEVER changes. It is a measure of an objects resistance to a change in motion. Mass is measured in kilograms (or grams). Do not muddle up mass and weight. The weight of an object is caused by gravity acting on it and does change.

MENISCUS The curved surface found on the surface of a liquid. NOTE: Any readings taken of the volume of water in a container should be taken to the LOWER side of the meniscus.

MICRO-ORGANISM A micro-organism is a living thing that is so small you need a microscope to see it. Micro-organisms are either fungi, bacteria or viruses .

Helpful micro-organisms: yeast is a fungus that is used for making bread or beer
Bacteria that live in the soil are helpful as they cause things to rot and provide food for plants
Bacteria are also used to term milk into yogurt or cheese.

Harmful micro-organisms:
Bacteria, viruses and fungi can all cause disease
Bacteria can cause a tummy upset or sore throat, viruses cause flu or measles
Bacteria can also cause food poisoning. (See Disease)

MINERAL A naturally occurring substance from the ground, usually crystalline. eg Bauxite is a mineral from which aluminium can be obtained.

MITOCHONDRION Mitochondria are present in cells. They are where respiration is carried out and provide the cell with energy.

MOLECULE The particle formed when two or more atoms chemically join together.

MOLLUSCS A group of animals that have muscular foot and soft body eg slug, snail, oyster.

MOON The Moon is a natural satellite of the Earth. (A satellite is an object that revolves around a planet). The Moon orbits the Earth once every 28 days. The moon does not give out light of its own. We see the moon due to light from the Sun being reflected back to the Earth.

MOSS A group of small plants. It has no proper roots. It reproduces spores. Live in damp, shady places.
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An element that has most of the following properties:
Brittle, poor conductor of heat and electricity. Non-metal oxides, if they dissolve, form ACIDIC solutions. Note: CARBON, even though it conducts electricity, forms an ACIDIC oxide and is therefore classed as a non-metal.

NUCLEUS A very important part of a cell and controls its function and behaviour. Found in ALL living cells. The nucleus contains the GENETIC MATERIAL.
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ORE A mineral from the ground from which a metal can be obtained.
example: A rock containingbauxite would be an aluminium ore

OVARY The part of a flower where the seeds are formed,. Contains the OVULES. After fertilization the ovary will often form a FRUIT.

OVARY The organ in a woman, or any female animal where the eggs/ova (female gamete) are manufactured.

OVULES The part of a flower that contains the FEMALE GAMETE. The ovules will swell and become seeds after fertilization.

OVUM Another name for the egg cell found in an animal. The ovum contains the female gamete (see Gamete). It is from genes in the ovum (egg) that we inherit characteristics from our mother.
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In a parallel circuit the current divides and follows more than one path.

PARASITE An animal or plant that lives on (or inside) the body of another living organism eg leech, flea, tapeworm

PENIS An organ found on male mammals. Contains a tube called the urethra. Where urine and sperm leave the body.

PETALS Part of a flower that attracts the insects using scent and colour. This is to help POLLINATION take place.

pH SCALE A scale of numbers (from 1 to 14)which shows how acidic or alkaline a liquid is. pH 7 is neutral. Less than pH 7 is acid. More than pH 7 is alkali. The nearer to pH 7 a solution is the weaker it becomes (ie pH6.5 is a very weak acid)

CARBON DIOXIDE + WATER → SUGAR + OXYGEN
(reactants) → (products)

PHYLUM One of the divisions used in the classification of animals. EG Phylum Chordata are the VERTEBRATES

PLACENTA An organ that supplies the developing embryo with food and oxygen from the mother's blood. Waste (carbon dioxide and urea) travels back through the placenta from the embryo to the mother. Other substances (alcohol, nicotine, drugs) can also travel through the placenta and these can effect the development of the embryo. Blood cells do NOT pass through the placenta.

An object in orbit around the Sun. It is held in orbit around the sun by the pull of the sun's gravity.
There are eight planets in orbit around the Sun:
Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune
pluto is too small to be classified as a planet and is now classified as adwarf planet.

POOTER Used in ecology to sample small invertebrate. It consists of a small glass bottle containing two tubes. You suck on one tube and the animal gates drawn down the other into the bottle.

POPULATION A group of animals or plants of the same species living in a particular area.

POWER The rate at which energy is converted from one form to another. The rate at which work is done.
[ie the number of joules per second
In electricity the rate at which electricity is used. Power = volts x amps
Units of power = WATTS]

PRECIPITATE The insoluble solid formed when either two liquids react together or a gas reacts with a liquid. eg Carbon dioxide reacts with limewater to form a white precipitate of calcium carbonate.

PRESSURE Force per unit area. This means the force (in Newtons) on one square metre (or square centimetre) of area.
Pressure is calculated as PRESSURE = FORCE / AREA

The unit of pressure is NEWTONS PER SQUARE CENTIMETRE (N/cm2).
If a force presses against a small area then the pressure will be high.
If the same force pushes on a large area the pressure will be less.

eg Why does it help to wear large boots walking in snow?
Answer: because with large boot your weight is spread out more making the pressure on the snow LESS.

eg Why are football studs used? answer because football studs have a small area. This increases the pressure on the ground so they sink in and help stop the player slipping.

PRODUCER The first organism in a food chain. A producer is always a green plant. Green plants are the only organisms that can carry out photosynthesis and produce their own food from simple chemicals in the soil and air. Note: fungi do not possess chlorophyll and so are NOT considered as producers

PROSTATE GLAND Gland in the male that produces a liquid to help nourish the sperm.

PROTOZOA A group of single celled animals eg amoeba

PURE A substance is pure when it cannot be separated into any other substance without a chemical reaction taking place. As soon as two (or more) substances are present it becomes a mixture.
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REDUCE (Reduction) To remove the oxygen from a compound eg Zinc will REDUCE copper oxide to form copper and zinc oxide. Reduction is an important way of obtaining metals from their ores eg In the steel industry the carbon in COKE is used to take the oxygen away from the iron ore (containing iron oxide) to leave molten iron.

RELAY A relay is a kind of switch that contains an electromagnet made from a coil of wire. It has four connections, two for the coil and two for the switch. The coil can be operated by a very small current, but the relay contacts can switch a much larger current

REFLECTION When light bounces off a smooth surface (eg a mirror) and forms an image behind it.

REFRACTION When light gets bent by passing from air into water or glass (or passing back again).

RENEWABLE ENERGY Renewable energy is energy that can be replaced and usually starts from the SUN eg wind power, solar energy, hydroelectric energy, wave power. Renewable energy is usually cleaner than non-renewable energy (like coal and oil) and causes less pollution. See non-renewable energy)

REPTILES One of the VERTEBRATES. An animal that lays soft shelled eggs on land. Bodies covered in hard scales. eg snake, lizard

RESISTOR An electrical component that reduces the amount of current flowing in a circuit.

NOTE: Even though respiration takes place all the time (in animals and plants) but during the day in plants photosynthesis is a more rapid process.
Respiration provides energy for vital processes such as growth, cell repair, reproduction, chemical reactions in the cell, movement and warmth.

ROUNDWORMS Tiny non-segmented worms. Mostly parasitic eg ring-worm.
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SATELLITE An object in orbit around a planet. eg the moon is a natural satellite of the Earth. There are also many artificial satellites around the Earth eg Meteostat is a weather satellite.

SCAVENGER An animal that lives from the remains of other animals. eg shrimp, vulture.

SEPALS Part of a flower. Small green leaves to protect the bud.

SERIES CIRCUIT In a series circuit the current follows a single path and does not divide.

The current will be the same in every part of a series circuit

SEPARATING MIXTURES
A suspension of an insoluble solid (like chalk) can be separated from water by filtering.
Something dissolved in water (like salt) can be separated from water by evaporating away the water.
Filtration separates a sol id from a suspension eg chalk from chalk and waterseparates the solute from a solution eg water from salty water
Distillation separates the solvent from a solution eg obtaining water from salty water
A separating funnel separates two immiscible liquids eg petrol from water
Iron can be separated from other materials by using a magnet

Separating mixtures involves no chemical change so no new substance is made.

SHORT CIRCUIT When a piece of wire allows electricity to take a 'short cut'. A short circuit of a battery (when a wire connects the positive to the negative terminal on a battery ) can be very dangerous. The wire may get hot and the battery and will always run down very quickly. A bulb that has been short circuited will not light up

SKIN Our skin protects the body from germs. Blood capillaries in the skin open and close to help regulate our body temperature. The skin is waterproof and helps stop us drying out.

SOLID . A solid is one of the three states of matter. In a solid the particles are held rigidly together by STRONG electrical forces and can only just vibrate. A solid has a fixed volume and fixed shape. (See kinetic theory)

SOLUBLE Can be dissolved. eg Salt is soluble in water; iodine is soluble in alcohol

The LIQUID used to make a solution.
eg When salt is dissolved in water then the water is the solvent.
Examples of good solvents include WATER, PETROL, ALCOHOL
The solvent is removed from a solution by DISTILLATION.

SOUND To produce a sound something must be vibrating.
We hear the sound when vibrations in the air reaching our ears.
Sound travels quicker in solids and liquids than it does in air.
Sound cannot travel through a vacuum.
The pitch of a sound is how high or low it is. (See Pitch)
If the frequency of the vibrations increases the pitch will be higher
(frequency = the number of vibrations per second)
The volume of a sound is how loud it is. (See Volume)
The amplitude of a wave is its size: larger amplitude = louder volume

How far something moves in one second (or 1 hour).
Normal metric unit = Metres per second (m/s). Speed = distance ÷ time
Example a ball takes 2 seconds to roll 5 metres. What is the average speed of the ball
Speed = 5 ÷ 2 speed = 2.5 m/s (this is the average speed because the ball may not have been going the same speed for the whole distance).

SPERM DUCT A tube that carries sperm from the testis to the urethra.

STAMEN The male part of a flower. Where the pollen is made. Is made up from a FILAMENT and ANTHER.

A star is at the centre of any solar system
Stars are very hot and give out large quantities of heat, light and other radiation.
Our Sun is a typical (although quit small) star.
The star provides the energy to sustain any life on a planet.

STATES OF MATTER The three states of matter are SOLID, LIQUID and GAS.

The stigma is the part of a flower where pollen lands during pollination. It is at the top of the carpel, the female part of the flower. (See flower)

STOMACH Part of the alimentary canal where food is held before it is passed into the small intestine. Some digestion takes place in the stomach.

STYLE The female part of a FLOWER that connects the stigma to the ovary .

SURFACE TENSION
The force on the surface of a liquid that causes the liquid to behave as if it were covered by a thin skin. Surface tension can support light objects such as an insect on the surface of water.
It is destroyed by liquids such as soap and detergent.

A switch is used to start or stop electricity flowing in a circuit.
When a switch is OPEN the electricity cannot flow (a bulb would be OFF)
When the switch is CLOSED the electricity can flow (and a bulb would be ON)
SPST (Single Pole Single Throw): This is an ordinary on/off switch.
SPDT (Single Pole Double Throw): Works like railway-line points. Can connect electricity to one wire or another.
Push switch, similar to a normal bell switch, only on while it is pressed.
Reed switch, operated by a magnet.
(see Relay)

SYNTHETIC Synthetic means 'man-made'. A synthetic substance is not natural. Examples of synthetic (man-made) materials are plastic, brick and glass
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TEMPERATURE A measure of how hot or cold something is.
Temperature is normally measured using a thermometer in degrees Celcius (°C)
Some useful temperatures to know:
Boiling point of water = 100°C
Melting point of water = 0°C (This is the temperature of melting ice)
Human body temperature = 37°C

THERMOMETER An instrument used to measure temperature.

THORAX The part of an animal between the head and the abdomen. In a human the thorax contains the heart and lungs. In an insect the thorax is where the wings and legs are attached.

TESTIS Where sperms (male gamete) are manufactured in a human.

TOP CARNIVORE The carnivore at the end of a food chain. eg fox, pike.

TRACHEA Another name for the windpipe

TRANSLUCENT Something is translucent if some light can pass through it but no detail can be seen (like a sheet of paper). A translucent object will still make a shadow because it blocks some of the light.

TRANSMISSION When light passes straight through something like a piece of transparent paper.

TRANSPIRATION Transpiration is the name of what is happening when water enters a plant through the roots, travels up the stem and leaves the plant through its leaves
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UNIVERSE The name given to the collection of everything that exists in space.

URETER The tube that carries urine from the kidney to the bladder

URETHRA The tube that carries urine from the bladder to outside the body.

UTERUS The organ where the embryo/foetus develops.
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VACUOLE A large vacuole is found only in plant cells. It contains cell sap and helps keep the cell rigid.(See cell)

VARIATION Variation is the word which describes differences between one animal (or plant) and another of the same species. These characteristics might be inherited from the parents (or genetic) or they may be environmental.

(See continuous variation and discontinuous variation
Eg The colour of your eyes was information inherited from your parents (genetic)
The height of a plant could be due to the available light (environmental)

VEINS Blood vessels that carry blood towards the heart. (see ARTERIES)

VERTEBRATES Animals with an internal hard skeleton. The vertebrates include mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and fish.

VIRUS A virus is a tiny micro-organism that lives inside the cell of another animal or plant. A lot of viruses can cause diseases like flu or measles (See Micro-organism)

vitamins are substances in food that we need a small amount of to keep us in good health. Examples:
Vitamin C is found in lemons and oranges and green vegetables.
Lack of vitamin can cause unhealthy gums and an illness called scurvy
(See Nutrient)

VOLTAGE The push, or potential difference, that tries to push an electric current around a circuit. Measured in volts using an instrument called an ammeter.

VOLTMETER An instrument used to measure potential difference (voltage). It is placed in parallel with the conductor being tested and has a high resistance.

VOLUME How loud or soft a sound is. The AMPLITUDE of a sound wave controls the volume.

The amount of space something takes up.Volume = height x width x depth
Unit of volume:
In solids volume is measured in cubic centimetres (cm ³) or cubic metres (m ³)
In liquid and gases volume is measured in millilitres (ml)
The volume of a liquid can be measured using a measuring cylinder
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Animals whose body temperature is constant are called warm-blooded. eg Human: body temperature 37oC.
The only warm-blooded animals are birds and mammals.

Water is a colourless liquid. It is needed by all animals and plants.
Water is a compound of hydrogen and oxygen and has the formula H2O
Water boils at 100°C (called its boiling point)
Water freezes at 0°C (called its melting point)
Water is the most common liquid on Earth.

WATER CYCLE

Heat from the Sun (1) causes water in the sea to evaporate and form water vapour (2). As the water vapour rises it cools down and condenses to forms clouds (3). Wind blows the clouds over land where the water falls as rain (4). The rainwater collects into rivers (5) and flows back to the sea to be reheated by the Sun and the cycle starts again.
Note: Evaporation = Liquid to gas Condensation = gas to liquid

eg the mass of a block of butter = 500g On the Earth it's weight will be 5 newtons. On the Moon its mass will be the SAME as on the Earth but it's weight will be LESS.

YEAST A single celled FUNGUS used in baking to make bread rise and in brewing to make alcohol.
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Science Vocabulary for KS3 - C.E. Science Site

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A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z Words in blue link you to the relevant note ADAPTION In order to help them survive, animals and plants have developed special features to help them fit into their habitat.

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Scientific Vocabulary for Upper Key Stage Two | STEM

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This resource contains lists of vocabulary to help develop an understanding of key scientific words at primary level. The twelve vocabulary lists cover the topics of: electricity, sound, states of matter, earth and space, interdependence and adaptation, keeping healthy, life cycles, microorganisms, dissolving and reversible and irreversible changes.

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science translate to Mandarin Chinese: Cambridge Dictionary

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science translate: 科学；自然科学；科学知识, 理科学科, 理科研究. Learn more in the Cambridge English-Chinese simplified Dictionary.

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Geography vocabulary, Geography word list - www.myvocabulary.com

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Geography vocabulary, Geography word list - a free resource used in over 24,000 schools to enhance vocabulary mastery & written/verbal skills with Latin & Greek roots.

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I have put together a list of photography vocabulary for ESL teachers and students at intermediate to proficiency level English. The vocabulary and the definitions both provide a wealth of specific words on this topic.

This photography vocabulary can also be combined with my photography lesson, which features an amazing slide show based on the BBC production of the Human Planet. If you are a teacher you will find it here, and if you are a student you will find it here.

If you would like a printable copy of this vocabulary to use in your classes, or for your own reference, you will find the download button at the bottom of this page.

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Photography Vocabulary - Equipment

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I have put together a list of photography vocabulary for ESL teachers and students at intermediate to proficiency level English. The vocabulary and the definitions both provide a wealth of specific words on this topic. This photography vocabulary can also be combined with my photography lesson, which features an amazing slide show based on the BBC production of the Human Planet.

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Vocabulary Word Lists | Building Exceptional Schools

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