Science & Discovery — C1 Vocabulary Flashcards

thermodynamics

the branch of physics concerned with the relationships between heat, work, temperature, and energy

neutrino

a subatomic particle with no electric charge and very little mass that rarely interacts with matter

superposition

the principle that a quantum system can exist in multiple states simultaneously until it is measured

mitosis

the process by which a cell divides to produce two identical daughter cells with the same number of chromosomes

tectonic

relating to the large plates of the Earth's crust and the forces that move them

bioluminescence

the production and emission of light by a living organism through a chemical reaction

covalent bonding

a type of chemical bond formed when two atoms share one or more pairs of electrons

dark matter

a hypothetical form of matter that does not interact with light but accounts for most of the universe's mass

crystallography

the scientific study of the arrangement of atoms in crystalline solids using X-ray diffraction

epigenetic

relating to changes in gene expression that do not involve changes to the underlying DNA sequence

fluid dynamics

the branch of physics that studies the motion of liquids and gases and the forces acting on them

genome sequencing

the process of determining the complete DNA sequence of an organism's genetic material

nanotechnology

the manipulation of matter on an atomic and molecular scale to create devices and materials with new properties

nuclear fission

the splitting of a heavy atomic nucleus into two smaller nuclei, releasing a large amount of energy

relativistic

relating to effects that arise at speeds close to the speed of light, as described by the theory of relativity

biomarker

a measurable indicator of a biological state or condition used to detect disease or monitor health

anisotropic

having physical properties that differ depending on the direction in which they are measured

quasar

an extremely luminous active galactic nucleus powered by a supermassive black hole consuming surrounding matter

stochastic

randomly determined, having a probability distribution that can be analysed statistically

apoptosis

a regulated process of programmed cell death that removes damaged or unnecessary cells from an organism

endothermic

describing a chemical reaction or process that absorbs heat energy from its surroundings

viscosity

a measure of a fluid's resistance to flow or deformation under applied force

nociception

the sensory process by which the nervous system detects and responds to harmful or potentially damaging stimuli

chirality

the property of a molecule that makes it non-superimposable on its mirror image, like left and right hands

accretion

the gradual growth or increase in size of an object by the accumulation of surrounding matter

optogenetics

a biological technique using light to control the activity of specific neurons in living tissue

singularity

a point in space-time where the known laws of physics break down, such as at the centre of a black hole

telomere

a protective cap at the end of a chromosome that shortens with each cell division and is linked to ageing

plasmid

a small circular DNA molecule found in bacteria, separate from chromosomal DNA, often used in genetic engineering

superconductivity

the phenomenon where certain materials conduct electricity with zero resistance below a critical temperature

lithosphere

the rigid outer layer of the Earth composed of the crust and the uppermost part of the mantle

allotrope

one of two or more structural forms of the same element with different physical or chemical properties

autophagy

a cellular recycling mechanism where a cell degrades and reuses its own damaged or unnecessary components

interferometry

a measurement technique that uses the interference of waves to obtain precise information about distances or structures

redshift

the increase in wavelength of electromagnetic radiation from an object moving away from the observer, used to measure cosmic expansion