Combined Science key terms

A reproductive structure produced by a fungus that can spread and give rise to a new infection.

A measure of a spring’s stiffness: the force required per metre of extension or compression in its proportional region, measured in newtons per metre (N/m).

A community in which species and environmental conditions remain sufficiently balanced over time, although population sizes may fluctuate.

A substance used to add colour and contrast so that cells or their structures are easier to distinguish.

A way of writing a number as $a \times 10^n$, where $1 \leq a < 10$ and $n$ is an integer.

A wave pattern with fixed positions of little or no movement and vibrating loops between them.

An insoluble carbohydrate made from glucose and used as an energy store in plants.

A label written in brackets after a chemical formula to show whether the substance is solid, liquid, gas or dissolved in water.

A drug that lowers blood cholesterol levels, slowing the build-up of fatty deposits in arteries.

Not moving; the distance travelled remains unchanged as time passes.

The phase that stays in place during chromatography; in GCSE paper chromatography, this is the chromatography paper.

An undifferentiated cell that can produce many more cells of the same type and can give rise to certain other cell types through differentiation.

A small supporting tube inserted into an artery to hold it open and improve blood flow.

A transformer that decreases the potential difference between its input and output.

A transformer that increases the potential difference between its input and output.

Treatment that kills bacteria and other living microorganisms. Potable-water treatment can use chlorine, ozone or ultraviolet light.

Short, exposed single-stranded sections of DNA left by some restriction enzymes, which can pair with complementary DNA ends.

A change that can be detected and can trigger a response, such as a ruler starting to fall.

The relative amounts of reactants and products in a reaction, expressed by the coefficients in its balanced equation.

A pore in a leaf through which gases move, with its opening controlled by guard cells.

The total distance a vehicle travels from when the driver notices a hazard until the vehicle stops: thinking distance plus braking distance.

A genetically different form of a microorganism within a species.

The volume of blood pumped out of the left ventricle in one heartbeat.

An acid that is completely ionised in aqueous solution.

A physical part or feature of an organism that helps it survive in its environment.

A particle smaller than an atom that forms part of its structure, such as a proton, neutron or electron.

A structure within a cell, such as a nucleus or chloroplast.