Genetics Essential Vocabulary
Cells Essential Vocabulary:
Weather Essential Vocabulary:
Troposphere- the lowest layer of the atmosphere, extending from the Earth’s surface to 6-10 km high,
within which there is a steady drop in temperature with increasing altitude, cloud formation and weather
occurs here.
Stratosphere - starts at top of troposphere to about 50 km, where most jets fly, ozone layer is found
Here, temperature increases with altitude because ozone absorbs UV rays which warms the air
Mesosphere- 50-80 km above the earth’s surface, coldest layer of the atmosphere & temperature
decreases with altitude, meteors burn in this layer
Thermosphere- temperature increases with altitude, hottest layer (1000+ degrees F)
Exosphere- to of the atmosphere, satellites orbit here, Aurora Borealis occurs here
Air pressure- the force exerted onto a surface by the weight of the air
Low pressure system- a whirling mass of warm, moist air that generally brings stormy weather with
strong winds. When viewed from above, winds spiral into a LP center in a counterclockwise rotation in the
Northern Hemisphere
High pressure system- a whirling mass of cool, dry air that generally brings fair weather and light winds. When viewed from above, winds spiral out of a HP center in a clockwise rotation in the Northern Hemisphere. These bring sunny skies.
Cold front- The forward edge of an advancing mass of cold air that pushes under a mass of warm air. Cold fronts often cause heavy precipitation and/or thunderstorms.
Warm front- The forward edge of an advancing mass of warm air that rises over and replaces a retreating mass of cooler air. Warm fronts often cause steady precipitation
Thunderstorm- a storm with thunder and lightning and typically also heavy rain or hail
Hurricane- a violent, tropical, cyclonic storm of the western North Atlantic, having wind speeds of or in excess of 72 miles per hour
Tornado- a localized, violently destructive windstorm occurring over land and characterized by a long, funnel-shaped cloud extending toward the ground and made visible by condensation and debris
Cirrus- Cloud type that appears feathery or wispy, “curl of hair”, form in very high altitudes and made of ice crystals
Stratus - Cloud type that forms in flat layers when air cools over a large area, “spread out”, tend to produce steady, light precipitation
Cumulus - Cloud type that appears as puffy masses and often look like cotton balls, “heap” or “pile”, usually appear in the daytime in fair weather but if they keep growing taller can produce rain showers and thunderstorms
Nimbus - Clouds that produce precipitation; example: stratonimbus or cumulonimbus
Wind vane- a device that measure wind direction
Psychrometer- an instrument used to measure humidity
Radar (Doppler)- a radar tracking system using the Doppler effect to determine the location and velocity of a storm, clouds, precipitation
Barometer- an instrument measuring atmospheric pressure
Jet stream- a narrow, variable band of very strong, predominantly westerly air currents encircling the globe several miles above the earth.
Convection- the movement caused within a fluid (like air) by warmer, less dense material to rise, and colder, denser material to sink, resulting in heat transfer
Coriolis (force) effect- The rotation of the Earth causes winds to deflect to the right in the Northern Hemisphere and to the left in the Southern Hemisphere.
Pressure gradient- the rate of decrease in barometric pressure in a given region at a particular time
Acid rain- rainfall made acidic by atmospheric pollution; main cause is the industrial burning of coal and other fossil fuels, which releases sulfur and nitrogen oxides, which then combines with atmospheric water to form acids
Environmental Protection Agency- an agency of the United States federal government whose mission is to protect human and environmental health
Particulate matter- the sum of all solid and liquid particles suspended in air, many of which are hazardous; examples include dust, pollen, soot, smoke, and liquid droplets
Ozone- a form of oxygen, O3; in the upper atmosphere, it absorbs ultraviolet rays, thereby preventing them from reaching the surface of the earth
Smog- fog or haze combined with smoke and other atmospheric pollutants
UV (ultraviolet) rays- invisible rays that come from the sun, can burn skin, and cause skin cancer
Greenhouse effect- the warming of the Earth's surface and the air above it caused by gases in the air that trap energy from the sun; the heat-trapping gases are called greenhouse gases and the most common are water vapor, carbon dioxide, and methane
Physics Essential Vocabulary:
Force a push or a pull acting on an object
Reference Point The motion of an object is always judged with respect to some other object or point. The other object or point is known as the reference point
Speed a measure of how quickly an object gets from one place to another mathematically represented by distance divided by time
Unbalanced Force net force acting on an object that changes the object’s speed, direction of motion, or both
Balanced Force net force acting on an object that does not change the object’s speed or direction of motion
Friction a force that opposes motion between two surfaces that are in contact
Inertia the tendency of objects to resist any change in motion
Velocity speed with a given direction
Motion when an object changes position over time relative to a reference point
Mechanical Energy the energy possessed by an object due to its motion or its stored energy of motion
Potential Energy energy of position; stored energy
Kinetic Energy energy of motion
Thermal Energy Transfer occurs when a warmer object is in contact with a cooler one; thermal energy moves from the warmer object to the cooler object
Mechanical Energy Transfer occurs when two objects push or pull each other over a distance
Electrical Energy Transfer occurs when an electrical source such as a battery or generator is connected in a complete circuit to an electrical device
Electromagnetic Energy Transfer occurs when energy is transferred through waves
Machine a device that makes work easier by changing the size or direction of a force
Lever a simple machine that has a bar that pivots at a fixed point
Fulcrum the fixed point in a lever
Pulley a simple machine that consists of a wheel over which a rope, chain, or wire passes
Wheel and Axle a simple machine that consists of two circular objects of different sizes
Inclined Plane a simple machine that is a straight, slanted surface, and facilitates the raising of loads
Compound Machine two more more simple machines put together
Simple Machine a device that makes work easier
Ideal Mechanical Advantage what work is expected or desired of a machine to perform
Actual Mechanical Advantage what work a machine performs
- Gene: a unit of heredity that is transferred from parent to offspring
- Heredity: the study of the patterns of genetic inheritance
- Pedigree: a visual diagram that shows relationships among individuals and patterns of inheritance
- Punnett Square: a four-square tool that geneticists use to predict genotypic and phenotypic ratios of offspring in one generation
- Genotype: set of genes that determine a trait (example: Aa, AA, aa)
- Phenotype: observable physical traits of an organism (example: height, hair color, eye color)
- Heterozygous: one dominant and one recessive allele is present in an individual (Aa)
- Homozygous: two dominant or two recessive alleles are present in an individual (AA, aa)
- Genetic Disease: a disease that is inherited genetically and may be impacted by environmental factors, lifestyle choices, and behaviors
Cells Essential Vocabulary:
- Eukaryote: an organism whose cell contains specialized organelles in the cytoplasm and has a membrane-bound nucleus
- Prokaryote: any cellular organism that has no nuclear membrane
- Autotroph: an organism that is “self-feeding,” makes its own food
- Heterotroph: an organism that must acquire food from an outside source
- Flagella: a whip-like tail used for movement
- Cilia: hair-like structures used for movement
- Psuedopod: a “false foot” used for movement
- Cytoplasm: a jelly-like substance that surrounds the organelles within a cell
- Cell membrane: the membrane enclosing the cytoplasm of a cell
- Cell wall: the rigid boundary or wall that is part of the outer structure of certain cells, including plant cells and bacteria
- Nucleus: a membrane-bound organelle that contains genetic information and controls cell functions
- Chloroplast: a membrane-bound organelle that contains chlorophyll; where photosynthesis occurs
- Mitochondria: an organelle that produces energy for the cell
- Vacuoles: an organelle used for storage
Weather Essential Vocabulary:
Troposphere- the lowest layer of the atmosphere, extending from the Earth’s surface to 6-10 km high,
within which there is a steady drop in temperature with increasing altitude, cloud formation and weather
occurs here.
Stratosphere - starts at top of troposphere to about 50 km, where most jets fly, ozone layer is found
Here, temperature increases with altitude because ozone absorbs UV rays which warms the air
Mesosphere- 50-80 km above the earth’s surface, coldest layer of the atmosphere & temperature
decreases with altitude, meteors burn in this layer
Thermosphere- temperature increases with altitude, hottest layer (1000+ degrees F)
Exosphere- to of the atmosphere, satellites orbit here, Aurora Borealis occurs here
Air pressure- the force exerted onto a surface by the weight of the air
Low pressure system- a whirling mass of warm, moist air that generally brings stormy weather with
strong winds. When viewed from above, winds spiral into a LP center in a counterclockwise rotation in the
Northern Hemisphere
High pressure system- a whirling mass of cool, dry air that generally brings fair weather and light winds. When viewed from above, winds spiral out of a HP center in a clockwise rotation in the Northern Hemisphere. These bring sunny skies.
Cold front- The forward edge of an advancing mass of cold air that pushes under a mass of warm air. Cold fronts often cause heavy precipitation and/or thunderstorms.
Warm front- The forward edge of an advancing mass of warm air that rises over and replaces a retreating mass of cooler air. Warm fronts often cause steady precipitation
Thunderstorm- a storm with thunder and lightning and typically also heavy rain or hail
Hurricane- a violent, tropical, cyclonic storm of the western North Atlantic, having wind speeds of or in excess of 72 miles per hour
Tornado- a localized, violently destructive windstorm occurring over land and characterized by a long, funnel-shaped cloud extending toward the ground and made visible by condensation and debris
Cirrus- Cloud type that appears feathery or wispy, “curl of hair”, form in very high altitudes and made of ice crystals
Stratus - Cloud type that forms in flat layers when air cools over a large area, “spread out”, tend to produce steady, light precipitation
Cumulus - Cloud type that appears as puffy masses and often look like cotton balls, “heap” or “pile”, usually appear in the daytime in fair weather but if they keep growing taller can produce rain showers and thunderstorms
Nimbus - Clouds that produce precipitation; example: stratonimbus or cumulonimbus
Wind vane- a device that measure wind direction
Psychrometer- an instrument used to measure humidity
Radar (Doppler)- a radar tracking system using the Doppler effect to determine the location and velocity of a storm, clouds, precipitation
Barometer- an instrument measuring atmospheric pressure
Jet stream- a narrow, variable band of very strong, predominantly westerly air currents encircling the globe several miles above the earth.
Convection- the movement caused within a fluid (like air) by warmer, less dense material to rise, and colder, denser material to sink, resulting in heat transfer
Coriolis (force) effect- The rotation of the Earth causes winds to deflect to the right in the Northern Hemisphere and to the left in the Southern Hemisphere.
Pressure gradient- the rate of decrease in barometric pressure in a given region at a particular time
Acid rain- rainfall made acidic by atmospheric pollution; main cause is the industrial burning of coal and other fossil fuels, which releases sulfur and nitrogen oxides, which then combines with atmospheric water to form acids
Environmental Protection Agency- an agency of the United States federal government whose mission is to protect human and environmental health
Particulate matter- the sum of all solid and liquid particles suspended in air, many of which are hazardous; examples include dust, pollen, soot, smoke, and liquid droplets
Ozone- a form of oxygen, O3; in the upper atmosphere, it absorbs ultraviolet rays, thereby preventing them from reaching the surface of the earth
Smog- fog or haze combined with smoke and other atmospheric pollutants
UV (ultraviolet) rays- invisible rays that come from the sun, can burn skin, and cause skin cancer
Greenhouse effect- the warming of the Earth's surface and the air above it caused by gases in the air that trap energy from the sun; the heat-trapping gases are called greenhouse gases and the most common are water vapor, carbon dioxide, and methane
Physics Essential Vocabulary:
Force a push or a pull acting on an object
Reference Point The motion of an object is always judged with respect to some other object or point. The other object or point is known as the reference point
Speed a measure of how quickly an object gets from one place to another mathematically represented by distance divided by time
Unbalanced Force net force acting on an object that changes the object’s speed, direction of motion, or both
Balanced Force net force acting on an object that does not change the object’s speed or direction of motion
Friction a force that opposes motion between two surfaces that are in contact
Inertia the tendency of objects to resist any change in motion
Velocity speed with a given direction
Motion when an object changes position over time relative to a reference point
Mechanical Energy the energy possessed by an object due to its motion or its stored energy of motion
Potential Energy energy of position; stored energy
Kinetic Energy energy of motion
Thermal Energy Transfer occurs when a warmer object is in contact with a cooler one; thermal energy moves from the warmer object to the cooler object
Mechanical Energy Transfer occurs when two objects push or pull each other over a distance
Electrical Energy Transfer occurs when an electrical source such as a battery or generator is connected in a complete circuit to an electrical device
Electromagnetic Energy Transfer occurs when energy is transferred through waves
Machine a device that makes work easier by changing the size or direction of a force
Lever a simple machine that has a bar that pivots at a fixed point
Fulcrum the fixed point in a lever
Pulley a simple machine that consists of a wheel over which a rope, chain, or wire passes
Wheel and Axle a simple machine that consists of two circular objects of different sizes
Inclined Plane a simple machine that is a straight, slanted surface, and facilitates the raising of loads
Compound Machine two more more simple machines put together
Simple Machine a device that makes work easier
Ideal Mechanical Advantage what work is expected or desired of a machine to perform
Actual Mechanical Advantage what work a machine performs