6th Grade Science Unit Vocabulary
What is Science?
HINT: Review your lab safety
Science - "the search for knowledge", the systematic knowledge of the physical or material world gained through observation and experimentation; science is dynamic - in a state of change as new discoveries are made
quantitative observation - use numbers or measurements to describe with one or more of your senses; senses may be enhanced with specialized instruments
qualitative observation - describe with one or more of your senses using the qualities of something like color; senses may be enhanced with specialized instruments
inference - logical process by which new statements are derived from known and observed facts; may or may not be true
procedure - steps used in the experiment
analysis - using math to make meaning of the data
controlled variables - keeping all the other variables the same except the independent variable
control - having a treatment in which nothing was done as a comparison for other treatments in an experiment
conclusion - a statement about your discoveries in the experiment
theory - a well supported explanation in science in which some aspects are still not fully understood
hypothesis - an educated guess or prediction that can be tested in science
scientific method - the logical process or series of steps by which scientist gather and verify information
scientific law - facts or a process well documented and understood in science
independent variable - manipulated variable - controlled by the scientist - graphed on the x-axis
dependent variable - responding variable - measured by the scientist - graphed on the y-axis
technology - using science to make useful things
SI - the International System of Units (metric system)
kilo - 1000
hecto - 100
deca - 10
deci - 0.1
centi - .01
milli - .001
Unit - Interactions of Matter
Atom - the smallest unit of an element that maintains the chemical properties of that element; basic builidng bliock of matter
Boiling Point - temperature at which a liquid changes to a gas at a given pressure
Density -the measure of mass of a substance per unit volume
Ductility - the ablity to be formed or pulled into a wire or tube
Element - a substance that cannot be separated or broken down into simpler substances by chemical means; all the same of type atoms
Compound -a substance made of two or more different atoms
Heat - the energy transferred between objects that are at different temperatures
Mass - amount of matter contained in a substance
Matter - anything that has mass and volume
Melting Point - the temperature and pressure at which a solid becomes a liquid
Malleability - able to be bended, shaped, or flattened or hammered flat
Motion - an object's change in position relative to a reference point
Particles - a very small piece or part; a tiny portion or speck.
Phase - one of the four states or conditions in which a substance can exist: solid, liquid, gas, or plasma.
Physical Changes - a change which occurs without changing the identity of the substance.
Pure Substance - a sample of matter, either a single element or a single compound, that has definite chemical and physical properties
Saturation - a solution that cannot dissolve any more solute under the given conditions
Solubility - the solubility to dissolve in another substance
Solute - in a solution, the substance that dissolves in the solvent
Solvent - in a solution, the substance in which the solute dissolves
Volume - amount of space an object occupies
Mass - a measure of the amount of matter in an object
Crystal Pattern - a solid in which all the atoms are arranged in a regular, repeating pattern.
Evaporation - process in which liquid water changes to water vapor with the addition of energy.
Filtering - a porous material through which a substance is passed in order to separate the fluid from suspended particulate matter.
Heterogeneous - a mixture that is not mixed evenly and each component retains its own properties
Homogenous - solid, liquid or gas that contains two or more
substances blended evenly throughout.
Mixtures - the physical combination of 2 or more substances; can be separated by physical means.
Molecule - the smallest physical unit of a compound that can exist independently, consisting of one or more atoms held together by chemical forces; formed by bonding
Sifting - to separate and retain the coarse parts to remove lumps and large particles
Conductivity - property of metal and alloys that allow heat or electricity charges to pass through the material easily.
Metals - an element below and to the left of the stair-step line of metalloids; about 80% of the known elements are
metals; metals are shiny, good conductors, low specific heat, high mealting points, maleable, and ductile.
Model - a standard or example used for comparison.
Periodic Table - an arrangement of elements in order of increasing atomic numbers that demonstrates the periodic patterns that occur among the elements.
Physical Properties - a characteristic of a substance that can be observed without changing the identity of the substance
Reactivity - the ability of an atom or molecule to undergo a chemical reaction with another atom, molecule or compound.
Chemical bond -the "glue" that attracts and keeps atoms held together due to sharing of each atom's electrons
Chemical change - the process in which one or more substances are changed into one or more new substances
Chemical property - property that can be observed only when a substance is changed into a new substance
Chemical reaction - the process in which one or more substances are changed into one or more new substances
Precipitate - the solid that is formed as a result of a precipitation reaction
Closed System - the reactants and products in the reaction that are contained to reduce error
Law of Conservation of Mass - states that the total amount of mass and energy in the universe is conserved (does not change)
Products - materials present at the end of a reaction
Reactants - the starting materials in a reaction
UNIT - THE EARTH
Adhesion – the tendency of water to stick to other substances
Buoyancy – the ability of a fluid to exert an upward force on an object that is immersed in the fluid
Capillary Action – the process that moves water through a narrow porous space
Cohesion – the attractive force between water molecules
Insoluble – not soluble; will not dissolve
Polarity – uneven distribution of charges across a molecule
Soluble – having the ability to be dissolved in another substance
Specific Heat – the amount of heat needed to raise the temperature of one gram of a substance by one degree
Celsius; low specific heat means a substance will heat up quickly
Surface Tension – the force that acts on the particles at the surface of a material
Universal Solvent – the quality of water that makes it able to dissolve more substances than any other solvent
can
Condensation – the process of warm air cooling as it rises and releasing moisture in the form of a liqui
Evaporation – the process by which a liquid is changed into a vapor from the surface by gaining energy
Groundwater - water located below Earth’s surface in aquifers
Hydrosphere -the portion of the Earth that contains water; all the water on the earth
Impermeable - does not allow water to move through
Infiltration - water that seeps into rocks and between particles of soil; see percolation
Percolation - the downward movement of water through pores and other spaces in soil due to gravity
Permeable - having pores or openings that allow water(or other liquids) to flow through them
Precipitation - the rain, snow, sleet or hail that falls from clouds onto the Earth’s land and oceans
Runoff - is precipitation that flows over land into streams and rivers. This water later enters oceans.
Surface Water - water found on the surface of the Earth
Transpiration - water vapor given off by plant photosynthesis via water vapor through the pores in the leaves (stomata)
Aquifer - an underground layer of rock or soil that holds water
Artesian Well - a well in which water rises because of pressure within aquifer from water above
Drought - a long period of scarce rainfall
Ecological Address - For Raleigh -the Neuse River Basin
Glaciers - a large mass of moving ice and snow on land
Hydrology - the study of water
Icecaps - a glacier forming on an extensive area of relatively level land and flowing outward from its center; ex. Greenland or Antarctica
Icebergs - a large floating mass of freshwater ice detached from a glacier
Reservoir - a man made lake that stores water for human use
River Basin - the region of land drained by a large river and its tributaries
Watershed - the land area that supplies water to a river system from smaller areas
Wetland - land area that is covered with a shallow layer of water during some or all of the year
Tides -the change in depth of the ocean due to the moon’s and sun’s gravitational pull of the water on earth
Ocean Wave - a disturbance in ocean water caused by wind
Tsunami - a seismic sea wave
Surface Current - a circulation or movement of water due to the winds; warm or cool
Rip Current or Rip Tide - the quick movement of water offshore due to a break in an offshore sandbar; caused many swimmers to drown each year
Abiotic Factor the non-living factors of the environment that an organism lives in.
Abyssal Plain - mostly flat portion of ocean floor which provides a home to a variety of unique organisms that are adapted to the extreme conditions of this habitat.
Benthos - organisms that live on or in the ocean floor.
Bioluminescence - the production of non-thermal light by creatures' converting chemical energy to light energy to lure prey, attract a mate, or assist in keeping like species together. An estimated 75 percent of benthic creatures glow
Consumer - feed on other organisms (plant or animal) because they cannot make their own food, a heterotroph
Continental Shelf - extends from the edge of the continent outward to where the bottom sharply drops off into a steep slope.
Continental Slope - the steep incline between the continental shelf and the abyssal plain.
Ecosystem - a community of different but interdependent species and their non-living environment.
Estuary - body of water where a river meets the ocean
Fauna - animals
Flora - plants
Food Chain - a hierarchy of food relationships from the simplest to most complex
Habitat - the immediate space where an animal or plant lives and has food, water and protection.
Intertidal Zone - the area that lies between the low-tide and the high-tide line.
Mid-Ocean Ridge - a chain of undersea mountains that circles the earth through every ocean at diverging tectonic plate
boundaries
Oceanic Zone - extends from 200 meters (656 feet) deep all the way down to the bottom of the ocean.
Ocean trench - the deepest parts of the ocean. The deepest one is the Marianas Trench (located in the South Pacific Ocean -
almost 5 miles (8.05 kilometers) deep.
Photic Zone - the top layer of the ocean where sunlight penetrates, above 200 meters
Phytoplankton - the plant and algae component of the plankton; the primary producers of most ocean food webs.
Producer - a living thing that produces its own food within itself, usually by using sunlight energy in photosynthesis; an autotroph
Salinity - the amount of dissolved solids in seawater aprroximately 35 parts per thousand
Upwelling - the upward movement to the ocean surface of deeper, cold and usually nutrient-rich waters, especially along some shores, due to the offshore movement of surface waters
Echo sounder - a device used to determine depth by sound waves.
Fathom - a unit of measure for ocean depth. One fathom is 6 feet (1.83 meters).
Oceanography - the study and exploration of the world's ocean.
ROV (Remotely Operated Vehicle) - unmanned submersible tethered to a mother ship and operated by pilots using a joy stick.
Scuba - Self-Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus - device that allows divers to breathe underwater for long periods of
time.
SONAR - SOund NAvigationRanging - used to measure ocean depth by sending sound to bounce off the ocean floor.
Submersible - a small submarine used to explore the ocean depths; equipped with windows, lights, mechanical arms, cameras and other scientific instruments capable of seeing and recording data.
Unit Ecology Vocabulary
Purpose: To understand the interaction among organisms in an ecosystem; to connect the flow of energy within living things to the flow of matter in our environment.
Abiotic- are those non-living physical and chemical factors which affect the ability of organisms to survive and reproduce ex. Sunlight, temperature, soil or rocks, availability of water, pollutants
Biotic- all the living factors that impact an organism ex. Disease, parasitism, predation
Biome- a division based on climate, plants and animals; an environment that has a characteristic type of climax community ex. Freshwater biome—all of the lake, pond, stream, & river communities on Earth
Carrying Capacity- is the maximum number of organisms the resources of an ecosystem can support. The carrying capacity of the environment is limited by the available abiotic and biotic resources (limiting factors), as well as the ability of ecosystems to recycle the residue of dead organisms through the activities of bacteria and fungi
Climax community-a stable community that is in final stage of succession
Commensalism- a form of symbiosis in which one organism benefits and the other is not harmed
Community- the living part of an ecosystem composed of many species
Competition- the type of interaction among organism s; the struggle to obtain needed resources of food, water, shelter, . . .
Consumer- an organism that CANNOT make its own food
Decomposer-an organism that breaks down the bodies of dead organisms into simpler substances ex. Bacteria & fungi
Dispersal- the movement of living things from one place to another
Ecosystem-a unit consisting of all the living and nonliving things in a given area that interact with one another
Endangered- in danger of becoming extinct
Environment- all t he living and nonliving things with which an organism may interact
Food Web- a diagram that show many overlapping food chains
Habitat- the place in which an organism lives and obtains the resources it needs to survive
Host- an organism that provides a home to another organism
Unit - Earth History
Absolute (radioactive)Dating - measurement of the known rates of decay of radioactive materials that an object contains in order to determine the age of the object
Index Fossil - fossil known to have lived in a particular geologic age that can be used to determine the date of the rock layer in which it was found
Law of Superposition - states that in undisturbed rock layers that newer layer will be deposited over older layers
Law of Crosscutting Relationships = states rock layers that cut across other rock layers are younger than those they cut
Relative Dating - determining the age or order of things from the past or past events without knowing or calculating the actual age
Sedimentary rock - rock formed by deposition of sand, clay and other pieces of rock that are compacted together under pressure
Uranium - radioactive heavy metal that is an abundant source of nuclear energy that has 14 known isotopes used in radioactive dating
Fault - fracture along which blocks of the Earth's crust that can be caused by the shifting or dislodging of the Earth's crust. Types include normal, strike slip, or reverse
Fossils - remains or traces of animals, plants and other organisms from the past; usually at leat 10000 years old
Geologic Time Scale = system of chronological measurement that relate to the history of events in Earth's past, consisting of fossils and major events
Ice Core - a core sample of ice removed from a sheet of ice. Properties of the ice and the crystallized components in the ice are used to reconstruct climatic record
Igneous rocks - type of rock formed under or above ground when magma or lava cools
Metamorphic rock - rock created from the transformation of other types of rock through heat and pressure
Adaptation - an inherited mutation in an organism's DNA that provided an advantage for survival for a species.
Biologic Change - change in an organism's genetic makeup, DNA, that occurs through natural selection of advantageous traits for survival over an extended period of time.
Biological classification- the organization and identification of an organism from general to specific by identifying the organisms' Domain, Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Genus, and Species
Comparative anatomy -the analysis of body structures (body systems , skeletal systems) between two or more different species that provides insight into the genetic/biologic similarities and differences across species
Continental Plate - the crust that makes up the continents
Embryological similarities - liknesses in the embryonic stage of development between different species; evidence for evolution.
Extinction -the complete elimination (dying out) of a species due to the species inability to survive and therefore adapt to its environment.
Geographic Change - the change in a geographic area caused by earthquakes, volcanoes, mountains forming, and other natural phenomena.
Geologic Time Scale - timeline that illustrates Earth's past. This timeline includes the divisors of the 4.6 billion years of Earth's geologic and biologic existence, and divides time into eons, eras, periods, and epochs. The divisions of the time scale are based on major events that have caused major geologic or biologic change throughout history, such as mass extinctions.
Geology - the study of the rocks, processes, and history of Earth
Homologous Body Structures - Similar body structures and systems between different species; evidence for biologic evolution
Oceanic Plate - the part of Earth's crust that underlies the oceans
Plate Tectonics -the Earth's lithosphere is broken into major and minor plates of continental or oceanic crust that are in constant motion due to their position above the convection currents of the asthenosphere. The movement of the tectonic plates is responsible for geologic and subsequent biologic change over time.
Theory of Evolution- the theory that organisms/species change over time, caused by the natural selection of advantageous traits for survival in a particular environment. This theory also proposes that all organisms evolved from a common ancestor.
Adaptation - a beneficial trait that helps an organism survive in its environment.
Genetic Variation - the characteristics that make members of the same species different from one another.
Variations - are the different forms of a trait.
Genotype - the genetic makeup of a cell or organism; defined by certain alleles for a particular trait.
Offspring - a child or animal in relation to its parent or parents.
Phenotype - the physical appearance that is a result of the genotype.
Natural Selection - explanation of how organisms in a population develop traits that allow them to survive and reproduce
HINT: Review your lab safety
Science - "the search for knowledge", the systematic knowledge of the physical or material world gained through observation and experimentation; science is dynamic - in a state of change as new discoveries are made
quantitative observation - use numbers or measurements to describe with one or more of your senses; senses may be enhanced with specialized instruments
qualitative observation - describe with one or more of your senses using the qualities of something like color; senses may be enhanced with specialized instruments
inference - logical process by which new statements are derived from known and observed facts; may or may not be true
procedure - steps used in the experiment
analysis - using math to make meaning of the data
controlled variables - keeping all the other variables the same except the independent variable
control - having a treatment in which nothing was done as a comparison for other treatments in an experiment
conclusion - a statement about your discoveries in the experiment
theory - a well supported explanation in science in which some aspects are still not fully understood
hypothesis - an educated guess or prediction that can be tested in science
scientific method - the logical process or series of steps by which scientist gather and verify information
scientific law - facts or a process well documented and understood in science
independent variable - manipulated variable - controlled by the scientist - graphed on the x-axis
dependent variable - responding variable - measured by the scientist - graphed on the y-axis
technology - using science to make useful things
SI - the International System of Units (metric system)
kilo - 1000
hecto - 100
deca - 10
deci - 0.1
centi - .01
milli - .001
Unit - Interactions of Matter
Atom - the smallest unit of an element that maintains the chemical properties of that element; basic builidng bliock of matter
Boiling Point - temperature at which a liquid changes to a gas at a given pressure
Density -the measure of mass of a substance per unit volume
Ductility - the ablity to be formed or pulled into a wire or tube
Element - a substance that cannot be separated or broken down into simpler substances by chemical means; all the same of type atoms
Compound -a substance made of two or more different atoms
Heat - the energy transferred between objects that are at different temperatures
Mass - amount of matter contained in a substance
Matter - anything that has mass and volume
Melting Point - the temperature and pressure at which a solid becomes a liquid
Malleability - able to be bended, shaped, or flattened or hammered flat
Motion - an object's change in position relative to a reference point
Particles - a very small piece or part; a tiny portion or speck.
Phase - one of the four states or conditions in which a substance can exist: solid, liquid, gas, or plasma.
Physical Changes - a change which occurs without changing the identity of the substance.
Pure Substance - a sample of matter, either a single element or a single compound, that has definite chemical and physical properties
Saturation - a solution that cannot dissolve any more solute under the given conditions
Solubility - the solubility to dissolve in another substance
Solute - in a solution, the substance that dissolves in the solvent
Solvent - in a solution, the substance in which the solute dissolves
Volume - amount of space an object occupies
Mass - a measure of the amount of matter in an object
Crystal Pattern - a solid in which all the atoms are arranged in a regular, repeating pattern.
Evaporation - process in which liquid water changes to water vapor with the addition of energy.
Filtering - a porous material through which a substance is passed in order to separate the fluid from suspended particulate matter.
Heterogeneous - a mixture that is not mixed evenly and each component retains its own properties
Homogenous - solid, liquid or gas that contains two or more
substances blended evenly throughout.
Mixtures - the physical combination of 2 or more substances; can be separated by physical means.
Molecule - the smallest physical unit of a compound that can exist independently, consisting of one or more atoms held together by chemical forces; formed by bonding
Sifting - to separate and retain the coarse parts to remove lumps and large particles
Conductivity - property of metal and alloys that allow heat or electricity charges to pass through the material easily.
Metals - an element below and to the left of the stair-step line of metalloids; about 80% of the known elements are
metals; metals are shiny, good conductors, low specific heat, high mealting points, maleable, and ductile.
Model - a standard or example used for comparison.
Periodic Table - an arrangement of elements in order of increasing atomic numbers that demonstrates the periodic patterns that occur among the elements.
Physical Properties - a characteristic of a substance that can be observed without changing the identity of the substance
Reactivity - the ability of an atom or molecule to undergo a chemical reaction with another atom, molecule or compound.
Chemical bond -the "glue" that attracts and keeps atoms held together due to sharing of each atom's electrons
Chemical change - the process in which one or more substances are changed into one or more new substances
Chemical property - property that can be observed only when a substance is changed into a new substance
Chemical reaction - the process in which one or more substances are changed into one or more new substances
Precipitate - the solid that is formed as a result of a precipitation reaction
Closed System - the reactants and products in the reaction that are contained to reduce error
Law of Conservation of Mass - states that the total amount of mass and energy in the universe is conserved (does not change)
Products - materials present at the end of a reaction
Reactants - the starting materials in a reaction
UNIT - THE EARTH
Adhesion – the tendency of water to stick to other substances
Buoyancy – the ability of a fluid to exert an upward force on an object that is immersed in the fluid
Capillary Action – the process that moves water through a narrow porous space
Cohesion – the attractive force between water molecules
Insoluble – not soluble; will not dissolve
Polarity – uneven distribution of charges across a molecule
Soluble – having the ability to be dissolved in another substance
Specific Heat – the amount of heat needed to raise the temperature of one gram of a substance by one degree
Celsius; low specific heat means a substance will heat up quickly
Surface Tension – the force that acts on the particles at the surface of a material
Universal Solvent – the quality of water that makes it able to dissolve more substances than any other solvent
can
Condensation – the process of warm air cooling as it rises and releasing moisture in the form of a liqui
Evaporation – the process by which a liquid is changed into a vapor from the surface by gaining energy
Groundwater - water located below Earth’s surface in aquifers
Hydrosphere -the portion of the Earth that contains water; all the water on the earth
Impermeable - does not allow water to move through
Infiltration - water that seeps into rocks and between particles of soil; see percolation
Percolation - the downward movement of water through pores and other spaces in soil due to gravity
Permeable - having pores or openings that allow water(or other liquids) to flow through them
Precipitation - the rain, snow, sleet or hail that falls from clouds onto the Earth’s land and oceans
Runoff - is precipitation that flows over land into streams and rivers. This water later enters oceans.
Surface Water - water found on the surface of the Earth
Transpiration - water vapor given off by plant photosynthesis via water vapor through the pores in the leaves (stomata)
Aquifer - an underground layer of rock or soil that holds water
Artesian Well - a well in which water rises because of pressure within aquifer from water above
Drought - a long period of scarce rainfall
Ecological Address - For Raleigh -the Neuse River Basin
Glaciers - a large mass of moving ice and snow on land
Hydrology - the study of water
Icecaps - a glacier forming on an extensive area of relatively level land and flowing outward from its center; ex. Greenland or Antarctica
Icebergs - a large floating mass of freshwater ice detached from a glacier
Reservoir - a man made lake that stores water for human use
River Basin - the region of land drained by a large river and its tributaries
Watershed - the land area that supplies water to a river system from smaller areas
Wetland - land area that is covered with a shallow layer of water during some or all of the year
Tides -the change in depth of the ocean due to the moon’s and sun’s gravitational pull of the water on earth
Ocean Wave - a disturbance in ocean water caused by wind
Tsunami - a seismic sea wave
Surface Current - a circulation or movement of water due to the winds; warm or cool
Rip Current or Rip Tide - the quick movement of water offshore due to a break in an offshore sandbar; caused many swimmers to drown each year
Abiotic Factor the non-living factors of the environment that an organism lives in.
Abyssal Plain - mostly flat portion of ocean floor which provides a home to a variety of unique organisms that are adapted to the extreme conditions of this habitat.
Benthos - organisms that live on or in the ocean floor.
Bioluminescence - the production of non-thermal light by creatures' converting chemical energy to light energy to lure prey, attract a mate, or assist in keeping like species together. An estimated 75 percent of benthic creatures glow
Consumer - feed on other organisms (plant or animal) because they cannot make their own food, a heterotroph
Continental Shelf - extends from the edge of the continent outward to where the bottom sharply drops off into a steep slope.
Continental Slope - the steep incline between the continental shelf and the abyssal plain.
Ecosystem - a community of different but interdependent species and their non-living environment.
Estuary - body of water where a river meets the ocean
Fauna - animals
Flora - plants
Food Chain - a hierarchy of food relationships from the simplest to most complex
Habitat - the immediate space where an animal or plant lives and has food, water and protection.
Intertidal Zone - the area that lies between the low-tide and the high-tide line.
Mid-Ocean Ridge - a chain of undersea mountains that circles the earth through every ocean at diverging tectonic plate
boundaries
Oceanic Zone - extends from 200 meters (656 feet) deep all the way down to the bottom of the ocean.
Ocean trench - the deepest parts of the ocean. The deepest one is the Marianas Trench (located in the South Pacific Ocean -
almost 5 miles (8.05 kilometers) deep.
Photic Zone - the top layer of the ocean where sunlight penetrates, above 200 meters
Phytoplankton - the plant and algae component of the plankton; the primary producers of most ocean food webs.
Producer - a living thing that produces its own food within itself, usually by using sunlight energy in photosynthesis; an autotroph
Salinity - the amount of dissolved solids in seawater aprroximately 35 parts per thousand
Upwelling - the upward movement to the ocean surface of deeper, cold and usually nutrient-rich waters, especially along some shores, due to the offshore movement of surface waters
Echo sounder - a device used to determine depth by sound waves.
Fathom - a unit of measure for ocean depth. One fathom is 6 feet (1.83 meters).
Oceanography - the study and exploration of the world's ocean.
ROV (Remotely Operated Vehicle) - unmanned submersible tethered to a mother ship and operated by pilots using a joy stick.
Scuba - Self-Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus - device that allows divers to breathe underwater for long periods of
time.
SONAR - SOund NAvigationRanging - used to measure ocean depth by sending sound to bounce off the ocean floor.
Submersible - a small submarine used to explore the ocean depths; equipped with windows, lights, mechanical arms, cameras and other scientific instruments capable of seeing and recording data.
Unit Ecology Vocabulary
Purpose: To understand the interaction among organisms in an ecosystem; to connect the flow of energy within living things to the flow of matter in our environment.
Abiotic- are those non-living physical and chemical factors which affect the ability of organisms to survive and reproduce ex. Sunlight, temperature, soil or rocks, availability of water, pollutants
Biotic- all the living factors that impact an organism ex. Disease, parasitism, predation
Biome- a division based on climate, plants and animals; an environment that has a characteristic type of climax community ex. Freshwater biome—all of the lake, pond, stream, & river communities on Earth
Carrying Capacity- is the maximum number of organisms the resources of an ecosystem can support. The carrying capacity of the environment is limited by the available abiotic and biotic resources (limiting factors), as well as the ability of ecosystems to recycle the residue of dead organisms through the activities of bacteria and fungi
Climax community-a stable community that is in final stage of succession
Commensalism- a form of symbiosis in which one organism benefits and the other is not harmed
Community- the living part of an ecosystem composed of many species
Competition- the type of interaction among organism s; the struggle to obtain needed resources of food, water, shelter, . . .
Consumer- an organism that CANNOT make its own food
Decomposer-an organism that breaks down the bodies of dead organisms into simpler substances ex. Bacteria & fungi
Dispersal- the movement of living things from one place to another
Ecosystem-a unit consisting of all the living and nonliving things in a given area that interact with one another
Endangered- in danger of becoming extinct
Environment- all t he living and nonliving things with which an organism may interact
Food Web- a diagram that show many overlapping food chains
Habitat- the place in which an organism lives and obtains the resources it needs to survive
Host- an organism that provides a home to another organism
Unit - Earth History
Absolute (radioactive)Dating - measurement of the known rates of decay of radioactive materials that an object contains in order to determine the age of the object
Index Fossil - fossil known to have lived in a particular geologic age that can be used to determine the date of the rock layer in which it was found
Law of Superposition - states that in undisturbed rock layers that newer layer will be deposited over older layers
Law of Crosscutting Relationships = states rock layers that cut across other rock layers are younger than those they cut
Relative Dating - determining the age or order of things from the past or past events without knowing or calculating the actual age
Sedimentary rock - rock formed by deposition of sand, clay and other pieces of rock that are compacted together under pressure
Uranium - radioactive heavy metal that is an abundant source of nuclear energy that has 14 known isotopes used in radioactive dating
Fault - fracture along which blocks of the Earth's crust that can be caused by the shifting or dislodging of the Earth's crust. Types include normal, strike slip, or reverse
Fossils - remains or traces of animals, plants and other organisms from the past; usually at leat 10000 years old
Geologic Time Scale = system of chronological measurement that relate to the history of events in Earth's past, consisting of fossils and major events
Ice Core - a core sample of ice removed from a sheet of ice. Properties of the ice and the crystallized components in the ice are used to reconstruct climatic record
Igneous rocks - type of rock formed under or above ground when magma or lava cools
Metamorphic rock - rock created from the transformation of other types of rock through heat and pressure
Adaptation - an inherited mutation in an organism's DNA that provided an advantage for survival for a species.
Biologic Change - change in an organism's genetic makeup, DNA, that occurs through natural selection of advantageous traits for survival over an extended period of time.
Biological classification- the organization and identification of an organism from general to specific by identifying the organisms' Domain, Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Genus, and Species
Comparative anatomy -the analysis of body structures (body systems , skeletal systems) between two or more different species that provides insight into the genetic/biologic similarities and differences across species
Continental Plate - the crust that makes up the continents
Embryological similarities - liknesses in the embryonic stage of development between different species; evidence for evolution.
Extinction -the complete elimination (dying out) of a species due to the species inability to survive and therefore adapt to its environment.
Geographic Change - the change in a geographic area caused by earthquakes, volcanoes, mountains forming, and other natural phenomena.
Geologic Time Scale - timeline that illustrates Earth's past. This timeline includes the divisors of the 4.6 billion years of Earth's geologic and biologic existence, and divides time into eons, eras, periods, and epochs. The divisions of the time scale are based on major events that have caused major geologic or biologic change throughout history, such as mass extinctions.
Geology - the study of the rocks, processes, and history of Earth
Homologous Body Structures - Similar body structures and systems between different species; evidence for biologic evolution
Oceanic Plate - the part of Earth's crust that underlies the oceans
Plate Tectonics -the Earth's lithosphere is broken into major and minor plates of continental or oceanic crust that are in constant motion due to their position above the convection currents of the asthenosphere. The movement of the tectonic plates is responsible for geologic and subsequent biologic change over time.
Theory of Evolution- the theory that organisms/species change over time, caused by the natural selection of advantageous traits for survival in a particular environment. This theory also proposes that all organisms evolved from a common ancestor.
Adaptation - a beneficial trait that helps an organism survive in its environment.
Genetic Variation - the characteristics that make members of the same species different from one another.
Variations - are the different forms of a trait.
Genotype - the genetic makeup of a cell or organism; defined by certain alleles for a particular trait.
Offspring - a child or animal in relation to its parent or parents.
Phenotype - the physical appearance that is a result of the genotype.
Natural Selection - explanation of how organisms in a population develop traits that allow them to survive and reproduce