HIJK
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.
H
Habitat
place, location or environment where a particular species of animal, plant, or other type of organism (or collection of organisms) normally grow, develop and reproduce. Habitat refers to the area or space and physical conditions in which an organism (or collection of organisms) is/are likely to be found.
- Another way to think of a habitat is the area and conditions in which a specific type of organism typically finds the food, shelter, water, and mate (or mates) needed to continue the life of the species.
Heat
a type of energy (often called thermal energy) that causes the particles of a solid, liquid, or gas to increase their movement. This movement can be measured by a thermometer.
Helium (He)
definition
Herbivore
animal that feeds on plants.
Heterogeneous (substance)
a substance can be defined as heterogeneous if it contains more than one kind of compound or one element. Hetero– is Latin for “different.”
Heterogeneous (mixture)
a mixture can be defined as heterogeneous if it is composed of components that aren’t uniform or they have localized regions that all have different properties. A heterogeneous mixture is made of different substances that remain physically separate.
Hilum
visible ‘scar’ or mark on the outside of a seed. The hilum shows where the embryo, which is a baby plant that resides inside of a seed, was once attached to the wall of a chamber (the ovary) in which the embryo developed from a tiny, fertilized egg.
Hinge
movable joint or mechanism on which an object such as a door, gate, or lid swings as it opens and closes or which connects linked objects.
Homogeneous (substance)
a substance can be defined as homogeneous if it contains only one kind of compound or one element. Homo– is Latin for “the same.”
Homogeneous (mixture)
a mixture can be defined as homogeneous if it has the same uniform appearance and composition throughout. Many homogeneous mixtures are commonly referred to as solutions.
Hydrogen (H)
definition
Hydrosphere
all the waters on the earth’s surface, such as lakes and seas, and sometimes including water over the earth’s surface, such as clouds.
Hypocotyl (Seed stem)
part of the embryo or seedling between the cotyledons and the radicle. It helps transport substances up the seedlings from the root, and down the seedlings from the cotyledons.
I
Inherit
definition
Inheritance
definition
Inorganic compound
any substance that does not contain a chain of carbon (C) atoms. There may be carbon atoms present in the substance, but they are not organized in a chain.
Insect(s)
class of living creatures within the arthropods that have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body, three pairs of jointed legs, compound eyes, and one pair of antennae.
Internode
region of a stem between the two successive nodes (which are the points where the leaves are attached).
Invertebrate(s)
animals lacking a backbone.
Iris
thin, circular, colored structure of the eye that surrounds the pupil. The iris controls/regulates how much light enters the eye and eventually reaches the retina by changing the size of the pupil. The iris determines the color of the eye.
J
J-word
definition
K
K-word
definition