Edexcel GCSE Combined Science key terms

A method of separating an insoluble solid from a liquid using a filter.

A naturally occurring material with a limited supply that is not replaced as quickly as it is used.

The breeding and raising of fish in managed tanks or enclosures, usually to provide food for humans.

A long, tail-like structure that enables a cell, such as a bacterium, to move.

Describes a substance that catches fire easily.

A rule relating three mutually perpendicular directions: the left thumb indicates force, the first finger magnetic field and the second finger conventional current.

A substance that can flow, such as a liquid or a gas.

The emission of visible light by a substance after it absorbs radiation such as ultraviolet.

A structure in an ovary that contains a developing egg.

An interaction between objects that can change motion or shape. Force is a vector quantity measured in newtons (N).

The simplest whole-number ratio of ions represented by the formula of an ionic compound. For example, one NaCl formula unit represents one sodium ion for every chloride ion; it is not a separate molecule.

Preserved remains or traces of an organism that lived in the past.

Coal, oil or natural gas, formed from the remains of organisms over millions of years and used as a fuel.

A mixture of hydrocarbons with similar boiling points, collected during fractional distillation.

The separation of a mixture into fractions using differences in boiling point, through vaporisation and condensation.

A diagram showing all the external forces acting on one chosen object or system.

Motion under gravity alone, with air resistance absent or negligible.

The number of complete oscillations or wave cycles per second, measured in hertz (Hz).

A contact force that opposes relative movement, or the tendency to move, between surfaces.

Follicle-stimulating hormone: a hormone released by the pituitary gland that stimulates follicle and egg maturation in an ovary and stimulates oestrogen production.

A form of carbon whose molecules have hollow cage-like or tube-like structures.

A safety device containing a wire that heats up and melts when the current becomes too large, breaking the circuit.

A reproductive cell, such as a sperm or egg, containing one set of chromosomes: half the number found in a diploid body cell.

High-energy electromagnetic radiation emitted from an atomic nucleus.

A section of DNA that codes for a protein and can therefore contribute to a characteristic.

All the alleles present in a population.

The comparison of genetic material, such as DNA or RNA base sequences, to investigate similarities, differences and relationships between organisms.