Science Terminology for 11-13 Yr Olds --- (Jon Witts)

Special | A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z | ALL

---

Absorb when living cells or blood take in food or oxygen

Absorbs light energy hits a surface and is converted into heat energy

Keyword(s): Absorb

absorption what happens when digested food particles pass from the digestive system into the bloodstream.

Accumulate to build up

Accumulation the process of building up or gathering together

acidic has a pH less than 7, for example stomach acid.

Adaptations changes to organisms which allow them to survive or to do their job

Aerobic respiration glucose from food reacts with oxygen to produce energy

alkaline has a pH greater than 7.

Alveoli air sacs in the lungs where gaseous exchange happens

Amplitude determines how loud or soft a sound is

amylase enzyme enzyme responsible for the breakdown of starch.

Anaerobic respiration chemical reactions that release energy without oxygen

Angle of incidence angle between the normal and an incident ray

Angle of reflection angle between the normal and a reflected ray

Angle of refraction angle between the normal and a refracted ray

antibodies chemicals produced by certain white blood cells, help to destroy microbes

Keyword(s): antibody

anus the end point of the digestive system.

Apparent depth distance an object appears to be below the surface of a transparent material (due to refraction)

Arteries blood vessels that carry blood away from the heart

Atoms the smallest bit of something

Keyword(s): Atom

Attract force pulling towards something

Keyword(s): attracts

Auditory nerve nerve that carries electrical signals from the ear to the brain so we can hear

balanced diet range of nutrients needed to stay healthy.

Bar magnets rectangular type of magnet with poles at each end

Bed layer of rock; a stratum

Bedding plane the boundary between one bed and the next

Bimetallic strip device which moves as temperature changes, often part of an electronic heating control system

blood fluid responsible for transporting substances from part of the body to another.

body temperature maintained temperature of the body, in humans 37 degrees Celsius.

Boiling point the temperature at which a pure substance changes from a liquid to a gas (or a gas to a liquid)

Burial when sediments are covered over by new sediments or other material

Capillaries small blood vessels with thin walls, which carry blood between the arteries and veins

carbohydrate group of energy-producing substances, for example starch and sugars.

Carnivore animals that eat only other animals

Cathode ray oscilloscope device that shows a graph of a sound

Cement the material that ‘glues’ rock grains together

Cementation the process of ‘gluing’ rock grains together

Cemented stuck, or glued, together

Change of state material changing state between solid, liquid or gas

Characteristics distinctive features

Chemical change a change that involves the formation of a new substance

Keyword(s): chemical changes

chemical digestion digestion of food which involves chemicals called enzymes.

Chemical properties concerning changes that do involve the formation of a new substance

Keyword(s): Chemical property

Chemical reaction the process of change from reactants to products

Keyword(s): Chemical reactions

Chlorine a green non-metallic element that is a poisonous gas

Cochlea coiled structure in the ear where hairs detect vibrations in fluid

Community all the different species of living things in a habitat

Keyword(s): communities

Compacted squashed by forces underground caused by rock movements

Compaction the process of squashing rocks

Compound a pure substance made of two or more kinds of atom that are chemically joined

Keyword(s): Compounds

Condenses changes from gas to liquid state

Conduction movement of energy through a solid

Conductor material that is good at letting heat energy pass through it

Consumers animals, which must eat other living things for food

Contracts material getting shorter and thinner as it cools

Convection liquids or gases moving due to differences in temperature and density

Convection current flow of liquids or gases due to convection

Cornea outer transparent surface of the eye

cystic fibrosis inherited disease which affects breathing

Decay rotting process involving bacteria where nutrients are released from detritus

Decibels unit for measuring loudness of sound

Degrees Celsius common unit for temperature measurement

Deposition when sediments are put down or dropped

Detritus waste and dead material

digestion the process by which nutrients from food are broken down and absorbed into  the body.

digestive system the organs involved in digestion.

Dispersion splitting light into a spectrum

Domain small region within a magnetised substance where all the magnetism is in the same direction

Double pump the right-hand side of the heart pumps blood to the lungs; the left-hand side pumps blood to the rest of the body

Eardrum membrane that vibrates when sound reaches it

Earth’s magnetic field magnetic field around the Earth

Echo sound reflected off a surface

Ecosystem the habitat and the community interacting withinit

egested when undigested waste leaves the body via the anus.

Electromagnet magnet formed by electric current passing through a coil around a wire

Keyword(s): electromagnets

Elements the simplest substances

Keyword(s): Element

energy ability to do work.

Energy transfer energy moving from one place to another

Environmental conditions the conditions in a habitat which affect what can survive there

enzymes chemicals found in the digestive system, used to break down large particles into smaller pieces

Keyword(s): enzyme

Erosion the combination of weathering and transport

Evaporates changes from a liquid to a gas

Keyword(s): evaporate

Evaporation change of state from liquid to gas at the surface of the liquid

Exfoliates breaks off in layers

Exhale breathing out air from the lungs

Expands material getting longer and thicker as it gets warmer

Keyword(s): Expand

Expire breathing out air from the lungs

fat substance found in food, used as an energy store and part of cell membranes.

fermentation breakdown of a substance by bacteria or yeasts, usually without oxygen

fibre food used to keep waste moving through your digestive system.

Filtered solid bits are separated from a mixture

Keyword(s): filter

Food chain a diagram showing what an animal eats and what eats it

Keyword(s): food chains

Food web a diagram made of lots of joined up food chains, showing what eats what in a habitat and the flow of energy

Fossils remains of plant or animal material found in rock

Keyword(s): fossil

Freezes changes from liquid to solid state

Keyword(s): Freeze

Frequency number of vibrations a second

Gaseous exchange when oxygen passes into the blood and carbon dioxide is moved out of the blood, takes place in the alveoli

Geologist a scientist who studies the Earth

Grains the usually small fragments or crystals that make up a rock

Keyword(s): grain

grow increase in size.

Habitat the place where an animal or plant lives

Keyword(s): habitatsHabitatshabitat

Herbivore animals that eat only plants

Hertz unit of frequency measurement

Igneous rocks rocks formed from molten (melted) material

Keyword(s): Igneous rock

immune antibodies already in your blood recognise microbes and stop them causing disease

Impurities unwanted parts of a mixture

Keyword(s): impurity

Incident ray light ray that hits a surface

infection having a microbe present in your body, usually causes symptoms

infectious being able to pass on a disease

Infrared radiation heat energy moving like visible light

Inhale breathing air into the lungs

Inspire breathing air into the lungs

Insulator material that reduces the amount of heat, electricity or sound energy moving through it

Interlocking rock grains that fit together without any gaps between them

Iris coloured ring that controls the size of the pupil in a human eye

Lactic acid by-product of anaerobic respiration, causes aching muscles

Lateral inversion objects appear back to front when seen reflected in a mirror

Lava molten rock on the surface of the Earth

Lens part of the eye that focuses light onto the retina

Light year distance light moves in one year

Luminous object object that gives off light

Magma molten rock underground

Magnetic field region where there is a magnetic force

Magnetic field lines lines showing which way a magnetic north pole would move

mechanical digestion digestion of food which involves physical action to break food into smaller pieces, for example chewing.

Medium material that energy, eg sound or heat, passes through

Melting point the temperature at which a pure substance changes from a solid to a liquid (or a liquid to a solid)

Metamorphic rocks rocks formed from other rocks changed by heat and pressure

Keyword(s): Metamorphic rock

microbes tiny organisms which can only be seen using a microscope

Keyword(s): microbe

minerals substances required in small amounts by the body.

Keyword(s): mineral

Mnemonic an easily remembered phrase to remind you of the initial letters of a list (eg MRS GREN)

Mohs’ scale scale used to compare the hardness of minerals

Molecule a group of atoms that are chemically joined together

Keyword(s): Molecules

mouth beginning of the digestive system where food enters the body.

Noise pollution sound which causes a nuisance

Non-interlocking rock grains that fit together with gaps between them

Non-luminous object object that does not give off light

Normal line at right angles to a surface

North pole end of magnet which attracts a south pole

nutrients substances in your food which are needed and used by your body.

nutritional label label found on food packaging which states the amount of each nutrient.

Omnivore animals that eat both plants and animals

Opaque a material that does not allow visible light to pass through it

Oxygen a colourless non-metallic element that is a gas involved in burning

pathogen organism which causes disease

penicillin first antibiotic, discovered by Sir Alexander Fleming

Periodic Table the table showing all the elements

Physical properties concerning changes that do not involve the formation of a new substance

Pitch how high or low a sound is

Plant kingdom group of living things which make their food using chlorophyll

Plasma fluid part of the blood which carries everything apart from oxygen around the body

Population size number of individuals in a species in a specific area at a specific time

Porous a rock with spaces between the grains

Keyword(s): porosity

Predators an animal which hunts other animals for food

Keyword(s): predator

prescription form written by a doctor to get medicines, includes antibiotics

Prey an animal which is hunted and eaten by another animal

Primary colours three colours (red, blue and green) that combine to give all the other colours seen by the human eye

Primary consumer the first animal in a food chain; it always eats the producer

Producers plants, which produce their own food using energy from the Sun

Keyword(s): producer

Product a substance that is made during a chemical change

Properties the characteristics of a substance

Keyword(s): property

protein food needed for growth and repair of tissues, also used to make enzymes.

Pyramid of numbers a diagram showing the number of organisms at each level of a food chain

Keyword(s): Pyramids of numbers

Ray diagram diagram that shows which way light rays travel

RDA suggested amount of each nutrient which is needed daily to stay healthy.

Keyword(s): recommended daily allowance

Reactants substances that react together during a chemical change

Keyword(s): reactant

Red blood cells cells in the blood which carry oxygen around the body

Reflected ray light ray that bounces off a surface

Reflects light bounces off a surface

Keyword(s): Reflect

Refraction bending of light when it moves from one material to another of different density

Repel force pushing something away

resistant when bacteria are not affected by antibiotics

Retina light sensitive surface at the back of the eye

rickets disease caused by a lack of vitamin D in the diet

Rock cycle a way (usually a diagram) of linking all the processes involved in the formation of rocks

Keyword(s): Rock cycles

Roots part of the plant usually below ground which anchors the plant and absorbs nutrients

rot substances broken down by chemical action of microbes

Sample the measured area used for sampling

Sampling method for estimating the population size

Scattered disorganisation of light

Keyword(s): scattersscatterscattering

scurvy disease caused by a lack of vitamin C in the diet

Secondary consumer the second animal in a food chain; it always eats the primary consumer

Sedimentary rocks rocks formed from deposited rock fragments

Keyword(s): Sedimentary rock

Sediments fragments of broken rock that have been deposited

Keyword(s): Sediment

Sexually transmitted disease microbes passed onto others during sexual intercourse

Keyword(s): STD

Shadow area of darkness where light is blocked by an object

sickle-cell Inherited disease which affects anaemia the ability the blood has to carry oxygen

skin main barrier our bodies have against microbe infection

Sodium a silvery metallic element that explodes on contact with water

Keyword(s): Na

Source place which light or heat comes from

South pole end of magnet which attracts a north pole

Species living things which can reproduce with one another

Spectrum a range of light colours

Sulphur a solid, yellow, non-metallic element

Temperature how hot or cold a material is

Texture the way that rock grains fit together

Thermal energy heat energy in a material

Thermometer device for measuring temperature

Translucent a material that scatters visible light as it passes through it

Transmission light passing through a material

transmitted a method for passing microbes onto another person

Transparent a material that allows visible light to pass through it without scattering

Transport the process of moving rock fragments from one place to another

Keyword(s): transportingtransported

Ultrasound sound with a frequency / pitch above the range of human hearing

Uplifting the process of rocks being moved from deep underground to the surface of the Earth

vaccine substances put in your blood to make you immune to certain microbes

Vacuum space with no material in it

Veins blood vessels that carry blood towards the heart

Vibrating moving back and forward rapidly

Keyword(s): vibratevibrates

Viscous thick, sticky liquid

vitamins substances required in small amounts by the body

Keyword(s): vitamin

Weathering the process of changing a rock by natural processes

Keyword(s): weathered

white blood cells cells in the blood which defend the body

Word equation a way of recording a chemical change

Keyword(s): word equations

---