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The Nature Glossary
The Glossary: A
| Word |
Definition |
| Abdomen |
the part of an animal's body that contains the digestive system and reproduction organs. In insects, this is the rear paar of the body. |
| Abyssal Plain |
a flat barren area that spreads from the mid-oceanic ride to where the continents begin. |
| Adaption |
a change that occurs to an animal's body or behavior that gives the animal a higher chance of survival. |
| Aerial Roots |
roots that absorb water in the air. |
| Altocumulus |
puffy white clouds at mid-altitude |
| Alveoli |
tiny air sacs in the lungs where blood absorbs oxygen. |
| Ambush |
when animals hide themselves, keep very quiet, and attack their surprised prey. |
| Amphibians |
animals with vertebrates that live on land and in water. Most amphibians have moist skin and lay eggs in the water. |
| Anatomy |
the scientific study of a body structure. |
| Annuals |
plants that complete their life-cycle within a single year. |
| Anticyclone |
a system of rotating winds that spiral out of high pressure areas. |
| Antivenin |
a medicine that counteracts the effects of bites, stings of venomous animals such as snakes. |
| Aquatic |
animals are animals that live in the water for most or all of their life. |
| Arachnid |
arthropods with four pairs of walking legs. Arachnids include spiders, ticks, and scorpions |
| Archosaurs |
a large group of reptiles that include extinct dinosaurs and crocodilians. |
| Arthopod |
an animal with jointed legs and a hard exoskeleton. The largestgroup of animals on Earth happen to be arthopods such as spiders and centipedes. |
The Glossary: B
| Word |
Definition |
| Barometer |
an instrument for measuring the pressure of the atmostphere. |
| Bathysphere |
a sphere-shaped diving vessel used to seach deep-sea life. |
| Bathythermograph |
an instrument used to measure underwater temperatures. |
| Beufort Scale |
This indicates the strength of the wind at sea. |
| Bioluminescence |
production of light by living organisms. |
| Bipedal |
to walk on two legs |
| Black Smoker |
a volcanic hot spring emerging from the ocean floor in an active ridge. |
| Bract |
a modified leaf that's usually small and brightly colored at the base of a flower. |
| Browser |
a plant-eating mammal that uses hands or lips to pick leaves from trees or low growing plants such as the panda and the black rhino. |
| Bulb |
usually underground and is where the plant's food reserves are stored. |
The Glossary: C
| Word |
Definition |
| Capillary |
the smallest type of blood vessel that's thinner than a hair |
| Carapace |
the upper or back part of a turtle or tortoise's shell. The bottom part is called the Plastron. |
| Carnivore |
An animal that eats mainly meat. Most carnivores are predators. |
| Carpel |
the female seed-bearing organ of a flowering plant that contains the stigma and the ovary. |
| Cartilage |
a smooth, soft body tissue that covers bones where they touch joints and helps form the ears and nose. |
| Cartographer |
a person trained to draw maps. |
| Cellulose |
Carbohydrate in plant cell walls that makes them strong. |
| Cephalothorax |
In arachnids and crustaceans, the Cephalothorax is the area of the body that connects the head and the thorax. It's covered by a hard body case. |
| Chelicerae |
Pincerlike biting mouthparts of spiders, scorpions, ticks, and mites. |
| Chyme |
partly digested that goes from the stomach to the small intestine. |
| Cloaca |
The internal chamber in fish, amphibians, reptiles and birds where the reproductice ducts and waste ducts empty before being passed from the body. |
| Cold-blooded |
animals that cannot keep its body temperature the same by internal means. |
| Concertina Locomotion |
A kind of movement used by legless lizards and snakes through passageways. They extend the front part of their body against the sides of the wall then the rest of the body is pulled forward. |
| Convection |
upward movement of a mass of warm air, rising through denser, colder air. |
| Convergent Evolution |
the situation where unrelated animals evolve to look similar because they live in similar ways. |
| Coriolis effect |
deflection of winds caused by the spinning of the Earth. |
| Crustacean |
an animal that has a hard skeleton on the outside of it's body such as lobsters. |
The Glossary: D
| Word |
Definition |
| Deciduous |
the dropping of leaves in autumn. |
| Depression |
a low-pressure region usually associated with rain. |
| Diurnal |
active during the day. |
| DNA |
Deoxyribonucleic acid, the chemical that makes up chromosomes. |
| Dorsal Fin |
a fin on some fish's backs that helps them keep balance as it moves through the water. |
| Drones |
male honeybees that mate with young queens. |
The Glossary: E
| Word |
Definition |
| Echolocation |
a system of navigation used by animals that rely on sound. Echolocation is used by dolphins, porpoises, and bats to tell where they are, where their prey is, and if anything's in their path. |
| Endocrine |
relating to hormones and glands that make those hormones. |
| Enzyme |
a chemical that speeds up or slows down a chemical change. Enzymes break down proteins in food into subunits. |
| Epicenter |
place on Earth's surface that is directly above an earthquake's starting point. |
| Epidermis |
The outer layer of skin. |
| Evolution |
the gradual change over many gernerations in a species as it adapts to new conditions. |
| Exoskeleton |
hard external skeleton that protects and animal's body. |
| Extinction |
the compete dying out of a species. |
The Glossary: F
| Word |
Definition |
| Fangs |
hallow teeth in snakes and spiders mouthes that inject venom. |
| fertilization |
when the sperm and the egg meet. |
| Fibrous Roots |
Roots that arise from the stem's nodes instead of from a tap root. |
| Fisher Scoop |
An instrument used by oceanographers to get specimen. |
| Frill |
the color around a frilled lizard's neck |
| Fungus |
An organism that's neither a plant or an animal that cannot make it's own food and therefore lives off of animal and plant tissue. |
The Glossary: G
| Word |
Definition |
| Gamete |
a mature sex cell, either a sperm or an egg. |
| Gametophyte |
a small plant with male and female sex cells, unless it has gemetes where it has no sex cells. |
| Ganglion |
a cluster of nerve cells that does not form a part of the brain; in invertebrates, ganglia control different body parts |
| Gene |
the part inside a cell that determines the inhereted characteristics from past ancestors. |
| Germination |
the stage in the life cycle where the stem and roots of a plant produce from a seed. |
| Gill |
the organ that sea creatures such as fish and sharks use to breathe. |
| Grazer |
A plant-eating mammal that feeds on grass and plants. |
| Grub |
insect larva. |
The Glossary: H
| Word |
Definition |
| Haltere |
a pair of modified back wings that balances a fly during flight. |
| Haustoria |
roots used by parasitic animals to attach themselves to a host plant |
| Hemotoxin |
venom produced by venomous snakes, such as vipers and rattlesnakes, that destroys muscle tissue. |
| Herbivore |
a plant-eating animal. |
| Holdfast |
an attachment at the base of water plants, so that it can hold onto rocks. |
| Horsetail Fern |
swamp-living plants that are related to ferns. |
| Humidity |
amount of water vapor in the air. |
| Hygrometer |
instrument that measures how much moisture is in the air. |
The Glossary: I
| Word |
Definition |
| Ice Age |
an icy period when ice covers as much as 1/3 of the Earth. |
| Ilium |
the main pelvis bone. |
| Immune |
the ability to fight and destroy bacteria and other germs. |
| Incomplete Metamorphosis |
a way in which a young insect can change from an egg, to a nymph, and to an adult. |
| Insectivore |
a mammal that only eats insects or invertebrates. |
| Insects |
a large group of small animals that have 3-part bodies, 6 legs, and sometimes two wings. . |
| Invertebrates |
animals that have no backbone. |
| Isobar |
a line on maps indicating two points have the same atmospheric pressure. |
The Glossary: J
| Word |
Definition |
| Jacobson's Organ |
sensory pits on the roof of snake's and lizard's mouths that are used to pick up molecules in the air. |
| Jurassic Period |
A period between 208 and 145 million years ago. |
The Glossary: K
| Word |
Definition |
| Keratin |
makes up horns and fingernails. |
| Krill |
a crustacean that is shrimp-like; many krill live in the Arctic Ocean. |
The Glossary: L
| Word |
Definition |
| Lagomorph |
are similar to rodents. Lagomorphs have hair on their feet and have no sweat glands. |
| Larva |
young animals that doesn't look like its parents. Insect larve only become adults by complete metamorphosis. |
| Lateral Undulation |
a movement used by lizards and snakes. The curves of the body push against the ground and the animal goes forward through a curved path. |
| Lift |
upward force that allows animals to stay in the air and is produced when air flows over wings. |
| Live-Bearing |
animals, such as humans, that don't lay eggs, but give birth to young that are fully formed. |
| Lymph |
A fluid that contains water, proteins, and white blood cells and is found in body tissue. |
| Lysosome |
The bag-like part inside a cell that contains enxymes to break down the cell's waste. |
The Glossary: M
| Word |
Definition |
| Mandibles |
Jaws on an insect that bite. |
| Meninges |
Thin membranes that surround and protect the spinal cord and the brain. |
| Metamorphosis |
A way of development which changes an animal's body shape. Many invertebrates go through metamorphosis to mature. |
| Meteorology |
the study of weather. |
| Mid-Ocean Ridge |
a huge mountain range that winds across the ocean floor - they move apart at the boundries of the plates |
| Mineral Salts |
Salts from metals and rocks that are in the soil, and get abosrbed by the roots of plants. Salts can contain many elements in them. |
| Mollusk |
An animal that has no backbone, and a soft body that can be enclosed or partially enclosed by a shell. |
| Monsoon |
Winds that change direction, and cause heavy rain during the wet season. |
| Multituberculate |
A group of of mammals that lived in the Northern Hemisphere that is now extinct. They resembled rodents, but are not related to any modern animals. |
The Glossary: N
| Word |
Definition |
| Nectar |
Sugary liquid produced in the glands of flowers to attract insects. |
| Nephron |
A microscopic unit inside the kidney. In each kideny, there are about 1 million Nephrons. |
| Nerve |
A long, thin, stringlike body part that carries signals. |
| Nerve Cord |
part of an insect's nervous system that carries sygnals between the body and the brain. |
| Nocturnal |
awake and active at night and sleeps by day. |
| Node |
the position on a plant stem where new leaves and shoots grow. Somtimes, roots grow on the nodes as well. |
| Nutrients |
Substances that are needed to maintain good heath and live. |
| Nymph |
the stage of an insect where develops during incomplete metamorphosis. |
The Glossary: O
| Word |
Definition |
| Oceanographer |
Someone who studies the science of oceans. |
| Ocellus |
A basic kind of eye with a single lens. Insects have three ocelli. |
| Opposable Thumb |
A thumb that is able to touch all of the other fingers on the same hand. |
| Order |
a major group that biologists use to classify plants and animas. Suborders, Families, Genera, and Species, respectively, are under an order. |
| Ovipositor |
A organ that is tube-like, in which a female insect lays her eggs. |
The Glossary: P
| Word |
Definition |
| Paleontologist |
scientists that study ancient life, especially plant and animal fossils. |
| Palp |
a pair of small liglike organs found on heads of insects and arthropods that are used to handling food. |
| Paralyze |
to case the loss of some/all parts of the body and impairing movement. |
| Perannials |
Plants that coninue to live for many years. |
| Petrified |
fossilized bone that has been replaced by minerals. |
| Pharmacology |
The study of drugs that are derived from plants and how they affect the human body. |
| Pheromones |
Chemicals produced by an animal to send a message to other animals from its own species. |
| Photophores |
organs in animals, especially fish, that produce light. |
| Photosynthesis |
The process where plants make their own food using light, water, and carbon deoxide. |
| Physiology |
The scientific study of body functions. |
| Phytoplankton |
microscopic plants that float in water. |
| Pinnipeds |
Mammals such as seals that use flippers instead of feet. |
| Placental |
Mammals that do not lay eggs or care for young in a pouch, but nourishes the young inside its body. |
| Plasma |
the watery part of blood. |
| Poison |
a substance that causes death or illness when eaten or touched. |
| Pollen |
dust-like substance that are prodced by male flowers. |
| Precipitation |
water, ice, snow, hair, that falls from the clouds onto the ground. |
| Predator |
The animal that hunts and kills other animals to survive. |
| Prey |
animals that are being hunted and eaten by predators |
| Purebred |
in plants where the male pollen fertilizes female sigma in the same flower. |
The Glossary: Q
| Word |
Definition |
| Quadrupedal |
Walking on four legs. |
| Quasar |
A distant object that's like a star with an energy output many times brighter than an ordinary galaxy. |
| Queen |
The female insect that starts an insect colony. She is usually the only member in the colony to lay eggs. |
| Quills |
Long, sharp hairs found on porcupines, echidnas, and a few other mammals. |
The Glossary: R
| Word |
Definition |
| Rainforest |
A forest located usually by the equator that receives 100 in (250 cm) of rain each year and is biologically diverse. |
| Regurgitate |
The process of brining up food from the stomach to the mouth. This is called "chewing the cud" |
| Retractile Claws |
Claws on cats that are usually retracted when not in use, but spring out when the cat needs them. |
| Ribosome |
A part inside a cell that makes proteins for a cell's structure. |
| Rival |
An animal competing against another animal for food, territory, and mates. |
| Regurgitate |
The process of brining up food from the stomach to the mouth. This is called "chewing the cud" |
| Rodents |
A large group of mostly small animals such as mice, rats, squirrels, etc. |
The Glossary: S
| Word |
Definition |
| Sapling |
A young tree or shrub. |
| Scales |
Thick areas of a reptile's skin. They may be small or large; smooth, keeled, spiny, or granular. |
| Season |
A period of weather in a year.. |
| Seismologist |
Someone who studies earthquakes, and usually is a scientist. |
| Sharks |
A group of vertabrate animals that live in water. Cartilage makes up a shark's skeleton. |
| Sleet |
The mixture of snow and rain. |
| Solstice |
Refers to either the winter solstice, or the summer solstice. The winter solstice is the shortest day of the year, and the summer solstice is the longest day of the year. |
| Species |
Group of animals or plants that can breed and produce young that can also breed |
| Spines |
sharp structures on fish that can pierce flesh |
| Spiracle |
opending that leads to an insects breathing tube. |
| Spore |
reproductive cell that does not contain sex cell cells. |
| Spurs |
clawlike structures on the legs of platypuses. |
| Stamen |
male part of a flower that contains a stalk with an anther and produces pollen. |
| Stigma |
sticky tip that is in a female flower's reproductive organs. |
| Stomata |
tiny holes on the bottom of leaves where water vapors does in and out. |
| Stylet |
mouthpart used to pierce plants or animals. |
| Synapsid |
junction between one nerve cell and another where nerve signals are passed back and forth. |
| Synoptic Chart |
weather map showing conditions at a particular time. |
The Glossary: T
| Word |
Definition |
| Tentacle |
Allows invertabrates to touch things. A tentacle is a thin, flexible feeler. |
| Thorax |
In an animal's body, it's the middle part. In insects, the thorax is seperated from the head by a narrow "neck". In spiders, there is no "neck". |
| Tide |
The change in level of the Earth's seas. It is caused by the moon and the sun pulling on the water. |
| Trachea |
In animals, it is a breathing tube. Vertebrates have one trachea, while invertebrates have many. |
The Glossary: UVW
| Word |
Definition |
| Ungulates |
large, plant-eating animals that have hooves such as elephants, horses, antelope, and wild cattle. |
| Vein |
A blood vessel that cares blood to and from the heart.. |
| Venom |
poisonous fluid that's transfered by bites and stings |
| Venomous |
animals that bite or sting and deliver chemicals that paralyze or kill prey or predators. |
| Vertebrate |
animals with a backbone |
| Warm-Blooded |
an animals that can keep its internal body temperature the same, no matter what the outside temperature is. |
| Worker |
An insect that collects food and nurtures young, but usually cannot reproduce. |
The Glossary: XYZ
| Word |
Definition |
| Xylem |
Tissue containing tubes that carry water and mineral salts up from the roots, to eventally, the leaves. |
| Zooplankton |
Tiny plant-eating sea creatures. |
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