average: (in science) A term for the arithmetic mean, which is the sum of a group of numbers that is then divided by the size of the group.
boil: To heat a liquid to the temperature at which it turns to vapor.
coagulate: (n. coagulation and coagulant) It’s a term for the process by which blood clots. This can prevents excessive bleeding (a hemorrhage) when a blood vessel ruptures. Cells known as platelets work along with proteins in plasma (your blood’s yellowy liquid) to stop bleeding by forming a clot at the site of injury. Drugs prescribed to slow or prevent an overactive blood-clotting system are known as anticoagulants.
collagen: A fibrous protein found in bones, cartilage, tendons and other connective tissues.
concentration: (in chemistry) A measurement of how much of one substance has been dissolved into another.
connective tissue: Certain groups of cells that attach to form the boundaries for — and interfaces between — many structures throughout the body.
correlation: A mutual relationship or connection between two variables. When there is a positive correlation, an increase in one variable is associated with an increase in the other. (For instance, scientists might correlate an increase in time spent watching TV with an increase in rates of obesity.) Where there is an inverse correlation, an increase in one value is associated with a drop in the other. (Scientists might correlate an increase in TV watching with a decrease in time spent exercising each week.) A correlation between two variables does not necessarily mean one is causing the other.
crystal: (adj. crystalline) A solid consisting of a symmetrical, ordered, three-dimensional arrangement of atoms or molecules. It’s the organized structure taken by most minerals. Apatite, for example, forms six-sided crystals. The crystalline components of a rock are usually too small to be seen with the unaided eye.
culture: (n. in social science) The sum total of typical behaviors and social practices of a related group of people (such as a tribe or nation). Their culture includes their beliefs, values and the symbols that they accept and/or use. Culture is passed on from generation to generation through learning. Scientists once thought culture to be exclusive to humans. Now they recognize some other animals show signs of culture as well, including dolphins and primates.
data: Facts and/or statistics collected together for analysis but not necessarily organized in a way that gives them meaning. For digital information (the type stored by computers), those data typically are numbers stored in a binary code, portrayed as strings of zeros and ones.
density: The measure of how condensed some object is, found by dividing its mass by its volume.
develop: To emerge or to make come into being, either naturally or through human intervention, such as by manufacturing.
evaporate: To turn from liquid into vapor.
fibrous: (adj.) A term for something that contains fibers, resembles fibers or is made up of fibers.
force: Some outside influence that can change the motion of an object, hold objects close to one another, or produce motion or stress in a stationary object.
fruit: A seed-containing reproductive organ in a plant.
gelatin: A substance made from animal collagen, usually bones and cow or pig hides. It starts out as a pale colored, tasteless powder. It contains proteins and amino acids. It can make jiggly desserts (like those known as Jell-O). But this substance also is used in yogurt, soups, candies and more. It can even be used as the basis of the clear capsules used to hold single-serving amounts of dry medicines.
herb: A seed-making plant that does not produce long-lived woody stems or branches (as a shrub or tree does), but instead dies down to the ground at the end of the growing season. (in cooking and medicine) The plant or part of a plant valued for its scent, flavor or therapeutic properties.
honey: A viscous (gooey) material that honeybees store in their honeycombs. The bees make it from nectar. Foraging bees visit flowers in search of that sugary liquid. Back at the hive, honeybees will add some enzymes to the nectar, then deposit the amber colored liquid into the hive’s combs. As worker bees use their wings to fan the cells containing this liquid, the goo heats up and some of its water will evaporate to form honey.
humidity: A measure of the amount of water vapor in the atmosphere. (Air with a lot of water vapor in it is known as humid.)
information: (as opposed to data) Facts provided or trends learned about something or someone, often as a result of studying data.
link: A connection between two people or things.
liquid: A material that flows freely but keeps a constant volume, like water or oil.
microscopic: An adjective for things too small to be seen by the unaided eye. It takes a microscope to view objects this small, such as bacteria or other one-celled organisms.
molecule: A group of atoms that represents the smallest possible amount of a chemical compound. Molecules can be made of single types of atoms or of different types. For example, the oxygen in air is made of two bound oxygen atoms (O2). Water is made of two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom (H2O).
muscle: A type of tissue used to produce movement by contracting its cells, known as muscle fibers. Muscle is rich in protein, which is why predatory species seek prey containing lots of this tissue.
plastic: Any of a series of materials that are easily deformable; or synthetic materials that have been made from polymers (long strings of some building-block molecule) that tend to be lightweight, inexpensive and resistant to degradation. (adj.) A material that is able to adapt by changing shape or possibly even changing its function.
protein: A compound made from one or more long chains of amino acids. Proteins are an essential part of all living organisms. They form the basis of living cells, muscle and tissues; they also do the work inside of cells. Antibodies, hemoglobin and enzymes are all examples of proteins. Medicines frequently work by latching onto proteins.
protocol: An accepted or agreed-upon procedure for doing something. For instance, a recipe is a protocol used by bakers and cooks.
ratio: The relationship between two numbers or amounts. When written out, the numbers usually are separated by a colon, such as a 50:50. That would mean that for every 50 units of one thing (on the left) there would also be 50 units of another thing (represented by the number on the right).
solid: Firm and stable in shape; not liquid or gaseous.
solution: A liquid in which one chemical has been dissolved into another.
taste: One of the basic properties the body uses to sense its environment, especially foods, using receptors (taste buds) on the tongue (and some other organs).
tendon: A tissue in the body that connects muscle and bone.
tissue: Made of cells, it is any of the distinct types of materials that make up animals, plants or fungi. Cells within a tissue work as a unit to perform a particular function in living organisms. Different organs of the human body, for instance, often are made from many different types of tissues.
tool: An object that a person or other animal makes or obtains and then uses to carry out some purpose such as reaching food, defending itself or grooming.
variable: (in mathematics) A letter used in a mathematical expression that may take on different values. (in experiments) A factor that can be changed, especially one allowed to change in a scientific experiment. For instance, when researchers measure how much insecticide it might take to kill a fly, they might change the dose or the age at which the insect is exposed. Both the dose and age would be variables in this experiment.
