Second Quarter Science Vocabulary - Sixth Grade - Mr. Benton

Directions:  click on a word to see its definition                                     2nd Q.Printable version  

Current week's vocab is highlighted in blue.                             Return to   1st Qtr. vocab          3rd quarter

45.  species 61.  pistil 77.  clutch
46.  kingdom 62.  ovary 78.  molting
47.  classification 63.  pollen 79.  proboscis
48.  scientific name 64.  stamen 80.  metamorphosis
49.  chlorophyll 65.  fertilization 81.  community
50.   adaptation 66.  dispersal 82.  ecosystem
51.  xylem 67.  decomposer 83.  individual
52.   oxygen 68.  carbohydrate 84.  population
53.  microbe 69.  agent 85.  abiotic
54.  fungi 70.  strategy  
55.  plant 71.  colony  
56.  stomate 72.  quantitative data  
57.  guard cells 73.  qualitative data  
58.  transpiration 74.  gastropod  
59.  phloem 75.  hermaphrodite  
60.  photosynthesis 76.  estivation  

 

 

 

 

 

 

variable:  part of an experiment that changes.

 

 

 

 

 

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hypothesis:  a guess or prediction about the outcome of a scientific experiment;  what you think will happen when you do your experiment

 

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organism:  an independent living thing

 

 

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evidence:  information that supports a point, or indication that something is true

 

 

 

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response:  reaction of an organism to a stimulus

 

 

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stimulus:  a change in the environment that evokes a response          

 

 

 

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dormant -  a state of rest for an organism during which most of the characteristics of life are not apparent, but the organism is still alive

 

 

 

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living:  having and showing all eight characteristics of an organism (responds, reproduces, needs food for energy, made of cells, eliminates waste, grows, needs water, exchanges gasses)

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dead:  state of an organism that was once alive, but no longer shows the characteristics of life

 

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non-living:  never was alive; never showed all eight characteristics of life

 

 

 

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reproduce:  create a new organism of the same species

 

 

 

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inverted - turned upside down;  the image of an object on the stage of a microscope is inverted as compared to its actual orientation on the stage

 

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stage-  the flat platform of a microscope on which the slides and specimens are placed for viewing

 

 

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objective lens -  the interchangeable lenses just above the stage on a microscope (4X, 10X, 40X)

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focal plane - the thin layer of clear focus, a certain distance below the objective lens, that is visible when looking through a microscope

 

 

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diaphragm - a circular disc with round holes under the stage of a microscope that allows different amounts of light to pass up through the specimen on the stage

 

 

 

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elodea - an aquatic plant with rectangular cells full of green chloroplasts

 

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field of view - what you see when you look through the eyepiece of a microscope; (the white circle of light)

 

 

 

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  inverted  -  turned upside down

 

 

 

 

 

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power - the magnification of one lens on a microscope; for example:  the eyepiece is usually 10 power, written 10X

 

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  total magnification - the amount of magnification of a microscope found by multiplying the power of the objective lens times the power of the eyepiece lens, e.g., 10X times 40X = 400X total magnification

 

 

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organic - refers to anything that is alive, or was alive or came from a living thing

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 cell -  the smallest unit of an organism that has all the characteristics of a living thing, but is not independent and therefore is not an organism

 

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  cytoplasm-  the clear fluid that is present in cells, and supports the organelles

 

 

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17.  nucleus - the control center of a cell, contains dna

 

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  chloroplast - small, round, green part of a plant cell, which contains the chemical chlorophyll and performs photosynthesis

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amoeba - a blob-like protist that moves and catches food using its pseudopods

 

 

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euglena - a green protist that moves using a flagellum

 

 

 

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  paramecium - a microscopic organism that is cigar-shaped and moves by using cilia

 

 

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micron - one thousandth of a millimeter

 

 

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  protist -  a small, usually single-celled, organism that may be plant-like, animal-like or fungus-like

 

 

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 cilia - hair-like structures on protists like paramecia, which are used for locomotion and food gathering. 

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  flagellum - a whip-like structure on some protists that the protist uses for locomotion (to move)

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  pseudopod - a false foot;  the extension of the body of an amoeba into which its cytoplasm flows to move and to surround food

 

 

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  prokaryote/eukaryote - two types of cells: 

              prokaryotes are any organism made of a cell that does not contain a nucleus (only bacteria (monerans) are prokaryotic)

              eukaryotes are organisms made of cells that do contain nuclei (fungi, protists, plants and animals are eukaryotes).

   

 

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28.  control - part of an experiment that remains the same; showing the reaction or non-reaction of the materials without the variable

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31.  ribosome - an organelle that assembles amino acids from raw materials according to directions from the nucleus

 

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32.  seed - part of a plant containing the embryo of a new plant surrounded by starchy food

 

 

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 33.   germinate -  to begin to grow; to sprout

 

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34.  embryo - the early form of a multicellular organism; a "baby" plant inside a seed, for example

 

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35.  cotyledon - the part of a seed containing starchy food for the new plant (for the embryo)

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monocot/dicot - seeds (or plants) which have one cotyledon (monocots), or two cotyledons (dicots)

 

 

 

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shoot -  the first growth of the stem and leaf from a seed (appears after the root)

 

 

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species -  the smallest taxonomic group;  a group of organisms that can only reproduce sexually within that group

 

 

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root - usually underground part of a plant which absorbs water, holds the plant in place, and sometimes stores food

 

 

 

 

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 microbe - name for bacteria and fungi, especially those that cause disease

 

 

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  aquatic - living or occurring in water

 

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  tissue - lots of the same kind of cells, working together to perform a specific job; tissues together form organs.

 

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monera - the kingdom of bacteria;  single-celled, prokaryotic organisms

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classification - placing organisms into groups according to their similar characteristics

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kingdom - the largest division of all living things;  the five kingdoms are:  Monera, Protista, Fungi, Plantae, Animalia

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organelle - organized parts of a cell, each of which has a specific job to perform for the life of the cell, like capturing energy, releasing energy, controlling the cell, etc.

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scientific name - two word Latin name for a species that includes the genus and species names:  humans are Homo sapiens

 

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species - the smallest group in the taxonomic system of classification of organisms

 

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taxonomy - the science of classification; grouping living things by similar characteristics

 

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plant - the kingdom of usually green, multicellular organisms that make their own food through photosynthesis

 

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fungi - kingdom of multi-cellular, eukaryotic organisms which break down food before absorbing it (don't make their own food);  includes mushrooms, molds, and yeast

 

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  mitochondrion - an organelle that "burns" sugar in a cell to release energy for life processes

 

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  ribosome - an organelle that assembles amino acids from raw materials according to directions from the nucleus

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cell membrane - the "skin" of a cell that holds in the cytoplasm and organelles

 

 

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cell wall - in plants, bacteria and fungi, a second layer surrounding the cell membrane

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 seed - part of a plant containing the embryo of a new plant surrounded by starchy food

 

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 germinate -  to begin to grow; to sprout

 

 

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 embryo - the early form of a multicellular organism; a "baby" plant, for example

 

 

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  cotyledon - the part of a seed containing starchy food for the new plant (the embryo)

 

 

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  monocot/dicot - seeds (or plants) which have one cotyledon (monocots), or two cotyledons (dicots)

 

 

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  xylem - tiny tubes in te stem of a plant that carry water from the roots to the rest of the plant

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   oxygen - a gas making up 20% of our air, that helps "burn" food in our cells; oxygen is produced in plants during photosynthesis

 

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  shoot -  the first growth of the stem and leaf from a seed (appears after the root)

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  tap root - a thick central root of some plants (different from fibrous roots)

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perennial - appearing or continuing to grow year after year

 

 

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stomate -  an opening in the surface of a leaf through which gasses and evaporated water pass

 

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transpiration:  process in which water vapor escapes from a plant through the stomates of the plant's leaves causing more water to be drawn in through the roots

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42.  phloem:  tiny tubes in a plant that carry food from the leaves to the other parts of the plant

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43.  adaptation:  a structure or behavior in an organism that is beneficial to its survival and is passed to the next generation:  examples - camouflage coloration;  webbed feet for swimming; a larger brain; beak shape in birds

 

 

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44.  leaf - usually green part of a plant in which most photosynthesis takes place, producing food for the whole plant

 

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45. root - usually underground part of a plant which appears first when a seed germinates;  roots absorb water, hold the plant in place, and sometimes store food

 

 

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57.guard cells - curved cells which surround the openings in leaves, (forming stomates)

 

 

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60. photosynthesis - the process in leaves which turns water and carbon dioxide into food (sugar) for a plant using light energy 

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49. chlorophyll - a green pigment in leaves, that is necessary for photosynthesis

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49. mass - the amount of matter in an object, measured in grams or kilograms

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50.  evaporation - the process of liquid water turning into vapor

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51.  pistil - the female part of a flower

 

 

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52.  ovary - the rounded base of the pistil inside of which are found the ovules which will become seeds when fertilized

 

 

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53.  stamen - the male part of a flower, which produces pollen

 

 

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54.  anther -  the tip of the stamen where pollen is produced

 

 

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55.  pollen - small particles containing DNA, produced on the anther of a flower, which fertilize the ovules ("eggs") of another flower to form seeds

 

 

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56.  stigma -  the sticky top of the pistil, which captures and holds pollen

 

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57.  style -  the long "stem" of the pistil

 

 

 

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58.  pollen tube -  a hollow tube which grows from pollen grain stuck on the stigma, down through the style to the ovary, allowing the sperm (male DNA) to travel to the eggs in the ovary of a flower

 

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59.  filament -  the "stem" of the stamen, which supports the anther

 

 

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65.  fertilization -  the joining of egg and sperm in sexual reproduction to form the first cell of a new organism (a zygote)

 

 

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66.  dispersal - spreading out from a central point, such as seeds spreading out and away from the parent plant

 

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67.  decomposer - organisms that obtain food by breaking down dead material into chemicals that can be recycled through the ecosystem

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68.   carbohydrate - a sugar or starch; the source of energy in many foods; chemical formula contains carbon, hydrogen and oxygen

 

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69.  agent - something that acts on behalf of an individual; for plants, wind is an agent for seed dispersal, bees are agents for pollen dispersal

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70.  strategy - a method that accomplishes a goal for an individual; having seeds that will be easily blown by the wind is a strategy of dandelions for seed dispersal

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71. colony - a group or mass of bacteria

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72. quantitative data - results of an experiment that can be expressed as numbers: e.g., 5 mm, 23%, 0.6 grams.

 

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73. qualitative data - results of an experiment that can be expressed as characteristics: e.g., blue, fuzzy, sour smell

 

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74. gastropod - ("stomach-foot") an animal (like a snail or slug) whose stomach is in the part of its body called a foot

 

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75. hermaphrodite - having both male and female sex organs

 

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76. estivation - deep resting state (like dormancy) which snails go into if the environment is too hot and dry

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77.  clutch - a group of eggs laid by a milkweed bug (or other animals)

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78.  molting - complete shedding of outer layer of skin by animals like insects and

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79.  proboscis - a tube-like beak that insects use to suck fluids from plants

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80.  metamorphosis - complete change (morph) of body form in stages

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81.  community - two or more organisms of different species living together

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82.  ecosystem - organisms interacting in their environment with other organisms and with non-living factors

 

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83. individual - one single organism

 

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84.  population- all of the members of one species in one place

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85. abiotic / biotic - non-living / living

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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