Key terms & definitions

The solid material carried by a river, including material moved along its bed and particles suspended in the water.

The separation of sediment into different sizes, producing variations in the sizes found at different locations.

A collection of viable stored seeds used to conserve plant species and their genetic diversity.

A collection in which seeds from many plant varieties or species are kept under controlled conditions to conserve genetic material.

The inactive state of a viable seed before conditions allow it to germinate.

The ‘Book of Knowledge’, a book within Maimonides’ Mishneh Torah which includes teachings on repentance and free will.

A handwritten Torah scroll used for public readings in the synagogue.

A region of a circle bounded by a chord and an arc.

Dividing a fruit into its natural sections; citrus segments can also be cut free of their surrounding membranes.

A region of a circle bounded by a chord and an arc of the circumference.

A pattern in which partners have separate domestic responsibilities, typically divided by gender, and tend to have separate leisure activities.

Responsibilities divided between partners, commonly along traditional gender lines, with relatively separate leisure activities.

The separation of people according to race, for example in schools or public facilities.

The separation of groups within society, for example on grounds of race.

The separation of groups, often enforced through restrictions on where people can live or which spaces they can use.

A balanced, spiritually poised way of living, rather than being controlled by excessive desires.

The meal eaten before dawn during Ramadan, also called suhur.

A wave produced by an earthquake that travels through the Earth.

Waves that carry energy away from an earthquake through the Earth and along its surface.

Earthquake waves that travel through the Earth and provide evidence about its internal layers.

A feature carried by a vector that enables cells containing the vector to be identified or selected.

A parliamentary committee that investigates particular issues or areas of government work, gathers evidence and publishes findings.

The process of assessing job applicants and choosing the most suitable candidate for a vacancy.

A programming structure that chooses which instructions to execute according to a condition.

The process of assigning pupils to schools, classes or groups, affecting the educational opportunities available to them.

The process of choosing which people, images, words or events to include in a media product and which to leave out.

A systematic tendency for a selection method to favour some population members over others.

Choosing people by a random draw rather than by an election.

An environmental factor that affects which individuals are more likely to survive and reproduce.

An environmental factor that affects which organisms survive and reproduce; an antibiotic is a selection pressure on bacteria.