EFG
Below is a collection of commonly used science vocabulary words. If you don’t see a word you are looking for, try visiting Merriam-Webster’s Learner’s Dictionary (a dictionary for younger science students) or other recommended online dictionaries.
E
Ecological
of or related to the interdependence of living organisms in an environment populated with other living and nonliving things.
Ecology
definition
Ecosystem
biological community of interacting organisms and their physical environment.
Electricity
definition
Electron(s)
stable subatomic particle with a charge of negative electricity equal in magnitude to that of a proton. Electrons are found in all atoms and they act as the primary carrier of electricity in solids.
Element(s)
any of the 118 known substances (92 of which naturally occur on Earth) whose atoms are composed of a unique combination of neutrons, protons, and electrons–the exception being hydrogen (H) atoms, which contain no neutron(s). The known elements are listed as symbols in something called the Periodic table of the chemical elements (or just Periodic table for short).
Embryo (animal)
an unborn or unhatched offspring in the process of development.
Embryo (plant)
young plant before the start of germination. It consists of two main parts, the cotyledon and the radicle, connected by a stem-like hypocotyl.
Embryogenesis
formation and development of the embryo. An embryo is usually formed by the union of the sperm cell and egg cell – an act that called fertilization. Embryos, regardless of whether they are plant or human, usually go through developmental stages that have specific names. For example, in the Wisconsin Fast Plant unit we use names for the different stages of the plant embryo such as zygote, globular, heart, torpedo, and walking stick.
Embryonic axis
consists of three parts: the plumule (future leaves), the radicle (seed root), and the hypocotyl (seed stem). The embryonic axis does not include the cotyledons.
Endosperm
tissue (made of cells) inside of a seed where food is stored. This food, which usually contains starch, protein, and other nutrients, is consumed by the young plant embryo while it develops inside of the seed.
Energy
one of the most complicated of all the science words. We will define it as, “the ability of something–for example, a human, a mushroom, a bacteria, a plant, or a machine–to do work, to make things happen, to cause changes.” One interesting characteristic of energy is that it cannot be made or destroyed; it can only be changed into different forms.
Environment
definition
Erosion
is a combination of weathering and transport. Erosion is a process in which a rock is weathered into sediments (smaller pieces) and then these sediments are moved away from the original rock.
F
Fat(s)
molecules consisting primarily of carbon and hydrogen atoms, thus they are often called hydrocarbon molecules. Fats are one of the three main macronutrients, along with the other two: Carbohydrates and proteins.
Feeding
definition
Feces
waste matter remaining after food has been digested and discharged from the bowels of an organism. Sometimes called excrement, it is also (more informally) called ‘poop’.
Feldspar
minerals containing silicon, aluminum, and oxygen plus either calcium, potassium, and/or sodium. Feldspar is the most abundant mineral in the Earth’s continental crust.
Fertilization
joining of an egg cell (which contains the female DNA) and sperm cell (which contains the male DNA) to form a zygote.
Fertilizer
we will often use at least two definitions of this term:
- Simple: any material applied to soils to supply one or more plant nutrients essential to plant growth and development.
- Expanded: any naturally occurring or human-made material added to soil that supplies one or more of the major nutrients (e.g., N, P, K), secondary nutrients (e.g., Ca, Mg, S), and/or micronutrients (e.g., Fe, Mn, Mo, Zn) deemed essential for plant growth.
Filament
stalk of the stamen. It holds up the anther.
Flagellum
whip-like structure that protrudes from the cell body of certain cells, such as bacteria, and whose primary function is locomotion (movement). In some cases, however, a flagellum is sensitive to chemicals and temperatures outside the cell and thus can function as a sensory organelle. Flagellum is singular; two or more flagellum are called flagella.
Floodplain
land built of mostly sediment that is regularly covered with water as a result of the flooding of an adjacent stream.
Flower
reproductive structure of angiosperms, which are a group of plants that produce seeds contained within an ovary (or carpel).
Flowering
the action of producing flowers, which are reproductive structures.
Flower bud
structure that contains the parts of a flower; an unopened flower.
Food
materials that contain energy for living things. All living things must use food to grow and to keep all their parts working properly.
Food chain
linear sequence of links in a food web starting from a species that are called producers in the web and ends at a species that is called decomposers species in the web.
Food vacuole
vesicle (or space) within the cytoplasm of a cell that contains food molecules. It is completely enclosed by a membrane.
Food web
system of interlocking and interdependent food chains.
Force
an influence tending to change the motion of a body or produce motion or stress in a stationary body or object.
Friction
force that acts to stop the movement of two touching things. The energy lost to friction is turned into sound and heat. Two kinds of friction are static and kinetic.
Fruit
A mature, ripened ovary containing the seeds produced by some plants (not all plants produce fruits).
G
Gamete(s)
reproductive cell, such as a sperm or egg cell, which contains a single set of chromosomes (DNA). When male and female gametes are successfully united together this is called fertilization.
Gas
state of matter in which the particles (e.g., atoms and/or molecules) do not occupy fixed positions and can migrate to other positions in the substance. In the gas state, the particles (atoms and/or molecules) conform to the shape of a container in which it is held. Although this is also a good definition for the liquid (or fluid) state of matter, unlike liquids, in the gas (or gaseous) state the particles (atoms and/or molecules) do NOT acquire a defined surface in the presence of gravity.
Geology
definition
Germination
beginning of growth by a seed.
Glucose
simple sugar which is an important energy source in living organisms and is a component of many other carbohydrates. Glucose has the chemical formula C6H12O6, which means it consists of 6 carbon, 12 hydrogen, and 6 oxygen atoms bonded together in the form of a molecule.
Gravitropism
response of a shoot (or root) to the pull of the Earth’s gravity.
Gravity
a (rather mysterious!) force which tries to pull two objects toward each other. Anything which has mass is said to have gravitational ‘pull.’ The more massive an object, the stronger its gravitational pull.
Growth/Growing
process of increasing in size. With living organisms such as plants, fungi, and animals, this typically means making more body cells by a process called mitosis (in which a single ‘parent’ cell divides to form two identical ‘daughter’ cells).