Key terms & definitions

A grid showing the possible combinations of genetic material from the parents' gametes at fertilisation.

Spiritual merit associated with good actions.

The opening in the centre of the iris through which light enters the eye.

A ruler who holds a recognised title but whose decisions and authority are controlled by another power.

A state that is formally separate but is controlled by another country.

A Hindu sacred text containing stories about deities, creation and religious teaching.

A system in which money could be used to obtain an officer's appointment or promotion in parts of the British Army; it was abolished in 1871.

Reductions in the cost per unit of supplies that a business can gain by buying in larger quantities, for example through bulk-buying discounts.

A reduction in average unit cost because a business buys larger quantities of materials or components and receives bulk discounts.

The amount of goods and services that a person's income can buy.

A practice of veiling or secluding women to separate them from men; the Sikh Gurus opposed its use to restrict women’s participation.

A smooth mixture made by crushing, sieving or blending food.

A plant line that consistently produces offspring with the same form of a particular characteristic when self-pollinated.

A realm associated with a Buddha, free from the suffering and distractions that obstruct enlightenment. Amitabha’s Pure Land is called Sukhavati, the ‘land of bliss’.

A Mahayana Buddhist tradition centred on trust in Amitabha and aspiration for rebirth in his Pure Land.

A single element or a single compound that is not mixed with any other substance.

A single element or compound that is not mixed with any other substance.

A single substance containing no other elements or compounds mixed with it; chemically pure water contains only H₂O.

Water containing only $\mathrm{H_2O}$ molecules, with no other substances mixed into it.

In medieval Catholic belief, a state of purification after death before entering heaven.

The temporary purification after death of those who die in God’s friendship but are not yet fully purified. Everyone in purgatory is assured of heaven.

The removal of people regarded as opponents or threats from an organisation or society; under Stalin, this could involve dismissal, imprisonment or execution.

The removal of people considered opponents or threats, often through imprisonment or execution.

Using treatments to cause vomiting or empty the bowels, commonly intended to remove harmful or excessive humours.

The separation of the required antibody from cells and other substances after it has been produced.

The removal of other substances from a sample to increase its chemical purity.

Spiritual cleansing from sin or wrongdoing, sought through religious practices such as bathing in a sacred river.

A Jewish festival celebrating the rescue of the Jews of Persia from Haman’s plot, remembered through the reading of the Book of Esther.

A Protestant who wanted further reform of the English Church to remove practices considered too similar to Catholicism.

A member of a Protestant religious movement associated with strict moral discipline and opposition to entertainments considered sinful.