TUV
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.
T
Tertiary consumer
an animal that feeds mainly on secondary consumers in a food chain or web.
Testa (Seed coat)
the outermost layer of a seed. It helps protect the inner part of the seed from other living organisms (e.g., insects and bacteria) and non-living factors (e.g., cold temperatures).
Teeth
each of a set of hard, bony enamel-coated structures in the jaws of most vertebrates (animal with backbones), used for biting and chewing.
Temperature
a measurement of the amount of heat (thermal) energy contained with in substance in a solid, liquid, or gas state. Scientists most frequently measure the temperature of substances in degrees Celsius (C) or degrees Kelvin (K).
Tissue
an ensemble (aggregate, assemblage) of similar cells from the same origin that together carry out a specific function. Different types of tissues can be found in both animals and plants.
Tongue
the fleshy muscular organ in the mouth of a mammal, used for tasting, licking, swallowing, and (in humans) articulating speech.
Trait (genetics)
a specific characteristic or feature of an individual. Traits can be determined by genes, environmental factors or by a combination of both. Traits can be qualitative (such as eye color) or quantitative (such as height or blood pressure).
Transpiration (in plants)
the loss of water vapor/vapour through tiny pores (‘holes’) on the surfaces of true leaves.
Transport (geology)
movement of rock sediments far from their original rock via ‘forces’ such as water, ice, wind, and/or gravity.
Trend
a general direction in which something is developing or changing.
True leaves
usually green, flattened structures attached to a stem and functioning as a place where photosynthesis and transpiration occurs in most plants.
U
Ultraviolet (UV)
definition
Uranium (symbol: U)
element number 92. It is an element found in the Periodic Table of Elements. It is also one of the 118 known types of atoms. A single uranium atom typically has 92 protons and 92 electrons, but because the nucleus of a uranium atom is so unstable, the number of neutrons present often varies between 141-146.
Usable energy
energy able to be used by (for example) humans, mushrooms, bacteria, plants, machines, etc. to do work, to make things happen, to cause changes. Energy that is not usable is called unusable energy.
V
Vacuole
a space or vesicle within the cytoplasm of a cell, enclosed by a membrane and typically containing fluid. Present in all plant and fungal cells, and in some protist, animal, and bacteria cells, vacuoles typically contain water molecules and other types of molecules (e.g., food molecules, waste molecules, etc.).
Variation
the differences that occur within a trait; the differences that occur within the offspring of a particular species.
Vascular bundle
plant tissue that contains xylem and phloem.
Vector
definition
Vein (leaf)
tube-like structures extending from the petiole into the blade which help transport water and nutrients between the leaf and the stem. Veins play an important role in photosynthesis and supporting the shape/structure of the leaf.
Velocity
definition
Volume
the amount of space occupied by a substance or object. Or, the amount of space enclosed within a container.
Volt
definition
Voltage
definition
Voltmeter
definition