In Brief

What is adaptation?

irs
(in biology) A process by which an

ffa
organism or species becomes better

f A
suited to its environment. When a

rie
community of organisms does this

e B
over time, scientists refer to the

Th
change as evolution.
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In Brief

Agent
rs
A person or thing (it can
i
be a chemical or ffa
even a
f A
ie
form of energy) that plays
r in getting
some B role
h e
T
something done.
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In Brief

What are amino acids?

Simple
rs
molecules
i that
ffa
occur naturally in plant and
f A
rie
animal tissues and that are
B
the basic building blocks of
e
Th
proteins.
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In Brief

Amphibians

rs
A group of animals that includes frogs,
i
ffa
salamanders and caecilians. Amphibians

A
have backbones and can breathe

ef
through their skin. Unlike reptiles, birds
i
Br
and mammals, unborn or unhatched

e
amphibians do not develop in a special
h
T
protective sac called an amniotic sac.
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In Brief

Amylase

s
An enzyme that breaks starches

air
down into the sugars from which
ff
A
they had been made. Amylase is

ef
present in the saliva of humans and
i
Br
some other mammals, where it

he
begins the chemical process of
T
digestion.
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In Brief

Ancestor
r
A predecessor. It could
i s
ff a
be a family forebear,
as fa A
such
ri e parent,

e B
grandparent or great-
Th
great-great grandparent.
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In Brief

Asteroid

irs
A rocky object in orbit around

fa
the sun. Most asteroids orbit in
f
f A
a region that falls between the
rie
orbits of Mars and Jupiter.
e B
Astronomers refer to this
Th
region as the asteroid belt.
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In Brief

Atlantic Ocean

irs
One of the world’s five oceans,

fa
it is second in size only to the
f
A
Pacific. It separates Europe
f
rie
and Africa to the east from
e B
North and South America to
Th
the west.
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In Brief

What is ATP?
Short for adenosine triphosphate. Cells make this

irs
molecule to power almost all of their activities. Cells

fa
use oxygen and simple sugars to create this

f
A
molecule, the main source of their energy. The small

f
structures in cells that carry out this energy-storing

rie
process are known as mitochondria. Like a battery,

B
ATP stores a bit of usable energy. Once the cell uses

e
it up, mitochondria must recharge the cell by

h
T
making more ATP using energy harvested from the
cell’s nutrients.
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In Brief

Biodiversity

s
(short for biological diversity) The

air
number and variety of species found

ff
within a localized geographic region.

f A
The variety of plant and animal life in

rie
the world or in a particular habitat, a

e B
high level of which is usually

Th
considered to be important and
desirable.
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In Brief

Blood Vessel
A tubular structureirs
that carries ff a
blood
f A
through riethe tissues
e B
T
andh organs.
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In Brief

Cell
s
(in biology) The smallest structural and

air
functional unit of an organism. Typically

ff
too small to see with the unaided eye, it

f A
consists of a watery fluid surrounded by

rie
a membrane or wall. Depending on

e B
their size, animals are made of

Th
anywhere from thousands to trillions of
cells.
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 In Brief

Climate
rs
The weather conditions that typically exist
i
a
in one area, in general, or over a long period.

ff
A
Climate Change
f
rie
Long-term, significant change in the climate

e B
of Earth. It can happen naturally or in

Th
response to human activities, including the
burning of fossil fuels and clearing of forests.
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In Brief

Conservation
The act of
irs
preserving or

ffa
protecting something. The focus

f A
of this work can range from art

rie
objects to endangered species

e B
and other aspects of the natural
Th
environment.
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In Brief

Develop
s
To emerge or to make come into being,

air
either naturally or through human

ff
intervention, such as by manufacturing.

f A
(in biology) To grow as an organism

rie
from conception through adulthood,

e B
often undergoing changes in chemistry,

Th
size, mental maturity or sometimes
even shape.
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In Brief

Disorder
rs
(in medicine) A condition where
i
fa
the body does not work
f
f A
appropriately, leading to what

rie
might be viewed as an illness.

e B
This term can sometimes be used

Th
interchangeably with disease.
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In Brief

Ecosystem
rs
A group of interacting living organisms —

i
a
including microorganisms, plants and animals

ff
— and their physical environment within a

f A
particular climate. Examples include tropical

ie
reefs, rainforests, alpine meadows and polar

r
B
tundra. The term can also be applied to

e
elements that make up some an artificial

h
T
environment, such as a company, classroom or
the internet.
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In Brief

Gene
rs
gene: (adj. genetic) A segment of
i
DNA that
ffa codes, or holds

A
instructions, for a cell’s production
f
ie
of a protein. Offspring inherit genes
r
B
from their parents. Genes influence
e
Th
how an organism looks and
behaves.
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In Brief

Literally
rs
A term that the phrase that it
i
ffa
modifies is precisely true. For

f A
instance, to say: "It's so cold that

rie
I'm literally dying," means that this

e B
person actually expects to soon be

Th
dead, the result of getting too cold.
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In Brief

Malaria

irs
A disease caused by a parasite
ffa
that invades the red blood cells.
f A
rie
The parasite is transmitted by

B
mosquitoes, largely in tropical
e
h
and subtropical regions.
T
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In Brief

Molecule
s
An electrically neutral group of atoms that

air
represents the smallest possible amount of

ff
a chemical compound. Molecules can be

f A
made of single types of atoms or of

rie
different types. For example, the oxygen in

e B
the air is made of two oxygen atoms (O2),

Th
but water is made of two hydrogen atoms
and one oxygen atom (H2O).
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In Brief

Mutant

irs
Adjective that describes some altered

ffa
gene in an organism’s DNA. Such

A
changes, known as mutations, may
f
ie
occur naturally. Others may be
r
B
triggered by outside factors, such as
e
Th
pollution, radiation, medicines or
something in the diet.
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In Brief

Organ
s
(in biology) Various parts of an

air
organism that perform one or more

ff
particular functions. For instance, an

f A
ovary is an organ that makes eggs, the

rie
brain is an organ that makes sense of

e B
nerve signals and a plant’s roots are

Th
organs that take in nutrients and
moisture.
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In Brief

Oxygen

irs
A gas that makes up about 21

fa
percent of Earth's atmosphere.
f
All
f A
animals and many
rie
microorganisms need oxygen
e B
to fuel their growth (and
Th
metabolism).
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In Brief

Parasite

irs
An organism that gets benefits

fa
from another species, called a
f
A
host, but doesn’t provide that
f
host
rie
any benefits. Classic

e B
examples of parasites include
Th
ticks, fleas and tapeworms.
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In Brief

Pediatrician
A doctor who works sin
a ir
f f
the field of medicine that
f A
rie
has to do with children
and
e B
especially child
T h
health.
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