AQA GCSE Combined Science: Synergy key terms

A straight line that touches a curve at a chosen point and has the same slope as the curve there.

An organ on which a particular hormone acts to produce an effect.

A measure related to the average kinetic energy of the particles in a substance.

The final temperature minus the initial temperature: $\Delta\theta = \theta_{\text{final}}-\theta_{\text{initial}}$, measured in °C.

A pulling force exerted by a stretched rope, string or cable, acting along it.

The constant velocity reached by a falling object when the forces balance and its acceleration becomes zero.

An area occupied and defended by an animal that can provide access to resources such as food, shelter and mates.

An organism that eats secondary consumers.

The main male reproductive hormone, produced by the testes. It stimulates sperm production and the development of male secondary sex characteristics.

A property of a material that describes how readily it transfers energy by conduction. Higher thermal conductivity means a higher rate of transfer under the same conditions.

Energy associated with the motion and interactions of the particles in a substance. Heating an object increases its thermal energy store.

The use of materials to reduce the rate of energy transfer by heating.

An electrical component whose resistance depends on its temperature.

The distance a vehicle travels during the driver’s reaction time, before the brakes are applied.

Two equal and opposite forces arising from the same interaction, acting on different objects and of the same type.

A mains cable containing three separately insulated conducting wires: live, neutral and earth.

A hormone secreted by the thyroid gland that stimulates the basal metabolic rate and supports growth and development.

A barrier across a tidal estuary that allows water to flow through turbines as the water levels on its two sides differ.

The oscilloscope setting that gives the time represented by each horizontal division on its screen.

A group of cells with a similar structure and function.

A method of growing new plants from small groups of plant cells on a nutrient medium under sterile conditions.

A widespread plant virus that causes a mosaic pattern of leaf discolouration, reducing photosynthesis and growth.

All the energy supplied to a system during the operation being considered.

How harmful a substance is to the body.

A harmful substance produced by some bacteria that can damage cells and tissues.

A characteristic of an organism, such as flower colour or milk yield. An inherited trait can be passed from parents to offspring through genes.

A line laid across a habitat along which organisms are recorded, often using quadrats at regular intervals.