Lion
Science
Scientia non habet inimicum
nisp ignorantem |
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Northwest High School
Jefferson County,
MO |
Curriculum
Glossary, H - L Terms are linked to a related page in the curriculum.
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Haber
process - The chemical process used to make ammonia.
Habitat
- The physical area in which an organism lives. Hadal
zone - The floor of the deepest ocean trenches down to
10,000 meters. Hadrons
- Massive subatomic particles composed of quarks. Half-life
- The length of time it takes for one-half of the atoms of a
radioactive nuclide to disintegrate. Half-reaction
- One half of an oxidation-reduction reaction. Hall-Heroult
process - The chemical process used to extract aluminum
from bauxite ore. Hallucinogens
- Drugs that disrupt nerve actions causing altered senses.
Halogens
- Elements in Group 17 on the periodic table. Halophiles
- "Salt-loving" bacteria living in environments with a very high
salt concentration that would kill other bacteria. Haploid
- Refers to a cell containing only one chromosome of a pair.
Hard
water - Water with a high mineral content, usually
calcium. Hardy-Weinberg
Principle - A population will remain in genetic
equilibrium if, and only if, a certain set of conditions are met.
Haversian
canals - Pores in bones through which blood vessels can
pass. Head
- A rounded or flat-topped cluster of sessil flowers. Heartwood
- The dark center of most trees, consisting of clogged xylem
cells. Heat
- The motion of the particles of matter. Heat
engine - A machine that burns some type of fuel to produce
heat, then convert the heat energy into mechanical energy.
Heat of
fusion - The amount of heat needed to change one gram of a
substance from the solid phase to the liquid phase. Heat of
vaporization - The amount of heat needed to change one
gram of a substance from the liquid phase to the gas phase.
Heat
transfer - Heat flowing from an area of high heat to an
area low in heat.
Hecto-- An SI prefix meaning 100 times the base unit.
Helix - A spiral; a twisted spiral called a double helix is the basic
shape of the DNA molecule.
Hemorrhagin - A chemical in snake venom that causes lysis (breaking down) of cells in the capillaries causing hemorrhaging in skin and mucous membranes.
Hemotoxin - Venom proteins that destroy red blood cells and disrupt blood clotting.
Herbaceous - Plants whose stems have very little sclerenchyma tissue, making them soft. Herbarium
- A humidity and temperature controlled container or room that
protects a scientific collection of plants from insect
infestation. Herbivores
- Consumers that eat only plants. Heredity
- The passing of traits from one generation to the next. Hermaphroditic
- Being able to produce both sperm and egg cells. Hertz
- The units of wave frequency. Hesperidium
- A fleshy fruit with a tough rind, numerous carpels separable as
'sections'. Hess's
Law - The Enthalpy change for a reaction is the sum of the
enthalpy changes for a series of reactions that add up to the
overall reaction. Heterodont
- Having several types of teeth. Heterogeneous
- Not identical throughout. Heterotrophic
- Organisms that are not able to produce their own food. Heterozygous
- Refers to things that are different. Hibernation
- A period of inactivity during the winter. Hilum
- The funicular scar on a seed coat. HIV
- Human immunodeficiency virus, the virus responsible for AIDS.
Hologram
- A three-dimensional image produced with laser light. Holotype
- The original specimen designated by the author in a scientific
collection. Homeostasis
- A stable level of internal conditions in living things.
Homogeneous
- Identical propertics throughout. Homologous
chromosomes - The two members of each pair of chromosomes
in regular body cells. Homozygous
- Refers to things that are the same. Horns
- Extensions from the skull of all species of bovids. Horsepower
- A unit of power equal to 745.56 Watts. Hotwater
bath - A lab technique used to heat something slowly and
evenly. HTML -
Hypertext markup language, used for constructing webpages.
Human
genome - All the genes found on human chromosomes.
Humus
- The organic matter in the soil. Hund's
Rule - Electrons will enter empty orbitals of equal
energy, when they are available. Hybrid
- An organism produced by crossing individuals with different
traits. Hybrid
vigor - Hybrid organisms are more successful than those
that are produced from a very limited gene pool. Hydrated
crystal - A crystal in which water molecules have become
chemically bonded to the ions. Hydraulics
- The study of the pressure exerted by fluids. Hydrocarbon
- A substance composed of only hydrogen and carbon. Hydrogen
bond - A covalent bond between hydrogen and a highly
electronegative atom. Hydrolysis
- The reaction of a salt with water to form an acid or base
solution. Hydronium
ion - Formed by a hydrogen ion and a water molecule,
H3O +.
Hydropower - Energy generated by moving water.
Hygroscopic - A substance that will capture water molecules out of the air.
Hygroscopic water - Water that is tightly bound to the soil particles
and unavailable to plant roots.
Hydrothermal - is the circulation of hot water; 'hydros' in the Greek meaning water and 'thermos' meaning heat.
Hydrotropism
- A plant growth response to water. Hypanthium
- The cup of the receptacle from which all flower parts arise.
Hypha
- The vegetative filament of a fungus. Hypocotyl
- The part of a plant embryo that will form the stem of the new
plant. Hypogynous
- A flower with the ovary situated above the calyx with no floral
cup around it.
Ideal
gas - A theoretical gas that has mass but no volume.
Identical
twins - Formed from one egg cell fertilized by one sperm
cell.
IMA - Ideal Mechanical Advantage - The theoretical advantage of an ideal machine.
Immigration - The movement of individuals into a population. Imperfect flower - A flower with either stamens or pistils, but not both.
Implantation - The blastocyst attaches to the uterine lining.
Incandescent light - Electricity passes through a wire filament making it glow.
Incisors - Knife-edged teeth for biting and cutting.
Inclined plane - A slanted surface used to raise an object.
Incomplete flower - A flower missing one of more of the four basic parts.
Indehiscent - A dry fruit that does not open when ripe.
Independent variable - The variable in an experiment controlled by the
experimentor; the variable plotted on the X axis of a graph; the variable listed on the left side of a data table.
Index of refraction - A comparison of the speed of light in air
with the speed of light in another material.
Indicators
- Compounds that show a color change in an acid or base. Induction
- A neutral object acquires a charge from a charged object close
by without contact being made. Inelastic
collision - A collision in which only the momentum, not
the kinetic energy, of the colliding particles is exactly the same
after the collision as before. Inertia
- The resistance of an object to changes in motion. Inflorescence
- An arrangement of several flowers on a single stalk. Inhalants
- Toxic substances that are inhaled for the rush. Inhibitor
- A substance that ties up a reactant in a complex, so that it
will not react.
Inner ear - Contains the cochlea, and is responsible for hearing and balance.
Input - A change inserted into a system and which activates a process.
Insect - An arthropod with three body parts and six legs.
Insertion
- The point of movable attachment of a skeletal muscle. Insoluble
- A substance does not dissolve in a solvent.
Insulators - Materials that do not easily allow the flow of heat or electric current.
Instantaneous Speed - How fast an object is moving at a particular point in time - i.e., a speedometer measures instantaneous speed.
Integrated circuit - Combines diodes and transistors on a thin slice of silicon crystal.
Integument
- The body covering, skin, of an organism. Interference
- The interaction of two or more waves to produce a single new
wave. Interferon
- A protein produced by cells when exposed to a virus. Intermembranous
bone - Flat bone that develops between two layers of
fibrous connective tissue without the cartilage stage and has no
system of Haversian canals. Internal
combustion engine - A heat engine in which fuel is burned
inside the engine. Internal
respiration - The exchange of gases between blood and body
cells. Internodes
- The intervals between nodes on a plant stem. Interphase
- The period of normal growth and activity in the cell cycle.
Interpolate
- Predicting data between two measured points on the graph.
Intertidal
zone - Shore areas that are alternately covered and
uncoverd by the tide. Invasive
species - A species that moves into an area and pushes
native species out. Invertebrate
- An animal with no vertebral column. Irregular
flower - A flower with petals and sepals that are
dissimilar, the flower is not symmetrical. Ion
- An atom or group of atoms with a charge. Ionic
bond - Electrons are transferred between atoms to form a
compound. Ionization
- The process of removing an electron from an atom to form an ion.
Ionization
energy - The energy needed to remove an electron from an
atom. Iris
- The muscular, colored area around the eye's pupil that controls
the amount of light entering the eye. Isobaric
- Taking place at a constant pressure. Isothermal
- Taking place at a constant temperature. Isotopes
- Atoms of the same element with different amounts of neutrons.
Isotype
- Any specimen from the original collection used to duplicate the
holotype.
Joint
- A place where two bones meet. Joule
- A unit of work, Newton-meter.
Kaon
- A subatomic particle composed of a quark and an antiquark.
Karyotype
- An arrangement of the pairs of chromosomes of an organism, from
largest to smallest. K-capture
- An atomic nucleus captures an electron from its own innermost
energy level. Kelvin
- The temperature scale used in all gas law calculations.
Ketones
- Organic compounds containing the carbonyl group. Kepler's
Laws - Three laws of planetary motion that serve as the
foundation of celestial mechanics. Kilo
- Metric system unit for 1000. Kinetic
energy - Energy an object has because of its motion.
Kinetic
Theory - Explains the effects of temperature and pressure
on matter. Kingdom
- The largest classification grouping of organisms. Krebs
Cycle - An aerobic cellular process that produces 2 ATP
molecules, 10 carrier molecules, and CO2 from each
glucose molecule. K-selected
species - A species with more or less stable populations
adapted to exist at or near carrying capacity in relatively stable
habitats.
Lambda
Convention - A formal system used to determine the
chemical formulas of organic compounds. Larva
- An early stage of metamorphosis that looks nothing like the
adult. Laser
- Coherent light of only one frequency. Latitude
- Describes north or south of the equator. Lateral
line - A row of scales with sensory depressions down each
side of the fish. Lateral
meristem - Located around the outer edge of stems and
roots, this meristem produces growth in circumference known as
secondary growth. Law of
Conservation of Matter and Energy - The total matter and
energy in the universe is always conserved.
Law of Conservation of Momentum - For a collision occurring between object 1 and object 2 in an isolated system, the total momentum of the two objects before the collision is equal to the total momentum of the two objects after the collision.
Law of
Superposition - Successive layers of rock or soil have
been deposited on top of one another by wind or water. Le
Chatelierės Principle - If stress is applied to a system
at equilibrium, the system will tend to readjust so that the
stress is reduced. Left-hand
Rules - Two rules related to current flow and poles in
electromagnets.
Legume
- A dry fruit with 1 carpel that s plits along both sides when
ripe. Lens
- A curved, transparent object that bends light rays. Lentic
ecosystem - A freshwater ecosystem composed of standing
water like lakes, ponds, marshes, and swamps. Leptons
- Lightweight elementary particles not composed of quarks.
Leukemia
- The uncontrolled production of white blood cells. Leukocytes
- White blood cells. Lever
- A bar which can move freely around a fixed position, or fulcrum.
Lewis
Theory - One of the three common acid/base theories.
Lichen
- A symbiotic association between a fungus and a photosynthetic
partner, usually a cyanobacterium or green alga. Ligament
- Tough, flexible bands of connective tissue holding bones
together at joints. Ligand
- A negative ion or polar molecule bonded to the central ion in a
complex. Light
- A form of energy produced by excited atoms. Light
microscope - Produces magnification by bending light rays
with lenses. Limbic
system - A combination of the thalamus and hypothalamus
that work together in the brain to regulate emotions.
Limiting reactant - The reactant that is completely consumed in a chemical reaction.
Linear Graph - A graph whose points form a straight line.
Lipids - Large organic molecules with a higher ratio of carbon and
hydrogen atoms to oxygen atoms than carbohydrates; fats. Liquid
- A substance whose particles have enough kinetic energy to
stretch the intermolecular forces of attraction. Liquid
crystal - A crystal without a sharp melting point
temperature.
Liter - The SI base unit for the measure of volume.
Littoral zone - The highly variable intertidal zone of the ocean.
Litmus - A common paper acid/base indicator.
Loam - Soil containing a combination of sand, silt, and clay. Locules - The chambers of a plant ovary.
Long-day plants - Plants that flower only when exposed to day lengths longer than their critical length.
Longitude - Describes east or west of the prime meridian.
Longitudinal wave - The medium particles move parallel to the direction of wave travel.
Lotic
ecosystem - A freshwater ecosystem composed of flowing
water like rivers and streams. Lungfish - A small group of fish that have lungs as
well as gills. Lytic
cycle - The reproductive cycle of a virulent virus.
Lymph
- An intercellular fluid found in body tissues. Lymphoma
- Cancer of the lymph cells. Lysogenic
cycle - The reproductive cycle of a temperate virus.
Lysosome
- Digestive centers of a cell. 
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