Ny State Living Environment Unit 8: Required Labs

Front 1

Endangered species

Back 1

A species that is in serious danger of becoming extinct.

Front 2

Structural evidence

Back 2

The observations of an organisms features that support a hypothesis about relationships. For example, the similarity in leaf shapes found among oak trees supports their relatedness.

Front 3

Molecular evidence

Back 3

The observations of the chemical make up of different organisms that support a hypothesis about their degree of relatedness. For example, the DNA of more closely related organisms is more similar than the DNA in distantly related organisms.

Hint 3

None

Front 4

Complimentary bases

Back 4

In double stranded DNA and in DNA replication:
A matches with T, C matches with G.

In copying DNA --> mRNA:
A --> U, T --> A, C --> G, G --> C.

Hint 4

None

Front 5

Base sequence

Back 5

The linear order of bases found on a DNA or RNA molecule.

Front 6

Hypothetical

Back 6

adjective. Describes an imagined thing, situation, or event that is normally used as a tool for understanding a real phenomenon or deciding on a course of action where ethical concerns are being considered.

Front 7

Conducting tissue

Back 7

The specialized structures found in certain kinds of plants that carry water from the roots to other parts of the plant and carry food from the leaves to other parts of the plant.

Hint 7

None

Front 8

Pigment

Back 8

A chemical substance that selectively absorbs and reflects different wavelengths of light, giving it a particular color. A coloring agent. Chlorophyll in plants is an example.

Hint 8

None

Front 9

Microtip dropper

Back 9

A pipette with a very small tip for producing small drops of a solution (see image card).

Front 10

Plant extract

Back 10

A chemical mixture taken from some part of a plant. Usually produced by liquifying the plant parts in a blender and mixing with water, alcohol, or some other solvent and then filtering.

Front 11

Chromatogram

Back 11

The product of a paper chromatography test. The filter paper, for example, that shows the color pattern obtained when the pigments in a mixture are separated (see paper chromatography image card).

Front 12

Paper chromatography

Back 12

A method of separating the colors in a mixture based on the different weights of the molecules that make up the different pigments in the mixture.

Front 13

Fragment

Back 13

A piece of something that has been broken, cut, or otherwise separated into pieces.

Front 14

Translation

Back 14

The reading of the genetic code in mRNA that results in the production of a protein at the ribosomes.

Front 15

Messenger RNA (mRNA)

Back 15

A copy of a single gene found in DNA. The gene from a segment of DNA is copied as this molecule, using the rules of complimentary base pairing (see complimentary base sequence).

Front 16

Branching tree

Back 16

A diagram that shows the proposed evolutionary relationships among a group of organisms. Also called a cladogram.

Front 17

Foreign species

Back 17

A species of plant, animal, etc., that is imported or migrates into an area that it does not normally inhabit. Also called "introduced" or "invasive" species. Frequently cause environmental problems because their populations tend to grow at an uncontrolled rate and crowd out or kill "native" species.

Front 18

Soil fertility

Back 18

A measure of the amount of nutrients necessary for plant growth found in a particular area.

Front 19

Aesthetic value

Back 19

The importance we place on things because they bring us "beauty" in various forms (examples in parentheses) - visual beauty (natures colors), smell (flowers), taste (fruits), sound (birds chirping), etc.

Front 20

Pulse rate

Back 20

Heart rate as measured by applying gentle pressure to an artery in the wrist, neck, etc.

Front 21

Histogram

Back 21

A graph, typically with bars, that shows the frequency of the occurrence of a phenomenon or a "frequency distribution" (see image card).

Hint 21

None

Front 22

Muscle fatigue

Back 22

The decreased ability of a muscle to continue to contract and do work as a result of repeated or prolonged use. Frequently accompanied by a burning sensation that is caused by the build-up of waste materials in the muscle cells under these conditions.

Front 23

Heat

Back 23

The transfer of thermal energy between two objects or substances with different temperatures. This transfer is never 100% efficient so some of that thermal energy always escapes into the environment and eventually to outer space.

Front 24

Refute

Back 24

To contradict, to provide evidence against a particular hypothesis or statement.

Front 25

Germination

Back 25

When the dormant embryonic plant within a seed begins to grow and emerge from the seed.

Front 26

Tentative

Back 26

Subject to change. All scientific hypotheses, laws, and theories are accepted with the understanding that new evidence may be found that casts doubt on the concept.

Front 27

Vary

Back 27

To differ or to be different. Also to change something, such as the conditions in an experiment.

Front 28

Fair test

Back 28

A controlled experiment where one variable is changed and all others (to the extent possible) are held constant.

Front 29

Test subjects

Back 29

The individuals, human or otherwise, that are being tested in an experiment or other study.

Front 30

Selecting agent

Back 30

The condition or conditions in an ecosystem that determine which individuals are more likely to survive. The ones best suited to take advantage of the conditions are more likely to survive.

Front 31

Migrate

Back 31

To move from one place to another. Some animals do this on a seasonal basis, others do it in response unfavorable environmental conditions (lack of food, water, etc) and still others do it by "accident" such as being carried by the wind, or drifting on a log, etc.

Front 32

Random

Back 32

Occurring at an irregular or unpredictable frequency.

Hint 32

None

Front 33

Collision

Back 33

When two or more objects or particles (atoms, molecules) crash into one another, as constantly occurs in liquids and gases.

Front 34

Concentration

Back 34

A measure of the amount of one substance that is dissolved in another substance. Example - a 1% saline solution would be 1% salt and 99% water, etc.

Front 35

Artificial membrane

Back 35

A thin sheet of material that is selectively permeable (see dialysis tubing).

Front 36

Pores

Back 36

Tiny, often microscopic openings through which small particles or small quantities of a substance can enter or exit a cell, tissue, etc.

Front 37

Selectively permeable

Back 37

A membrane that allows some particles to enter or exit while keeping other particles from entering or exiting. Frequently, it is the size of the particle that determines whether the particle can enter or exit, but there are other determining factors as well.

Front 38

Permeability

Back 38

The degree to which a membrane with pores allows materials to move in or out.

Front 39

Dialysis Tubing

Back 39

An flexible, tubular sheet of artificial membrane made of a selectively permeable material, used in the treatment of individuals with kidney failure to filter waste products from the blood. Also used to demonstrate the qualities of a cell membrane because of its permeability (see image card).

Front 40

Pipette

Back 40

A tube-shaped, usually glass or plastic device with a tiny opening at one end used for transferring small drops of liquid (see image card).

Front 41

Funnel

Back 41

A device for pouring liquids into small-mouthed containers such as bottles. It is roughly cone shaped, containing a wide opening at one end and a tapered, small opening at the other end (see image card).

Hint 41

None

Front 42

Amber

Back 42

A light, translucent, golden-brown color.

Front 43

Initial state

Back 43

The condition a system is in at the beginning of a period of time, usually at the beginning of some event or experimental test.

Front 44

Final state

Back 44

The condition a system is in at the end of a period of time, usually at the end of some event or experimental test.

Front 45

Beaker

Back 45

A cylindrical container with a beak-like spout that makes pouring liquids easier (see image card).

Front 46

Iodine

Back 46

A chemical solution that can be used as a starch indicator. Turns from amber color to dark blue/black in the presence of starch.

Hint 46

None

Front 47

Osmosis

Back 47

The diffusion of water across a semi-permeable membrane. The direction of the diffusion is from the side that has a high concentration of water to the side that has a low concentration of water (see image card).

Front 48

Solute

Back 48

A substances that is dissolved in water.

Front 49

Distilled water

Back 49

Water that has been purified, traditionally by evaporation, which leaves behind any solids that might be dissolved in the water. When the evaporated water condenses it is free of dissolved solids and virtually "100%" water. Normal tap water has impurities that can sometimes affect an experiment or chemical process.

Front 50

Intravenous

Back 50

In the vein. A method of delivering nutrients and medicines by inserting a needle directly into a vein.

Hint 50

None

Front 51

Saline

Back 51

Salty. Refers to a solution that has some concentration of salt (NaCl) in it.

Front 52

Contractile vacuole

Back 52

A specialized organelle in some single-celled freshwater organisms that pumps out excess water that diffuses in by osmosis.

Hint 52

None

Front 53

Yield

Back 53

verb. "to gives" or produce, as in a chemical reaction. In reading the equation for a chemical reaction, this word is represented by an arrow. Example: glucose + O2 --> (ATP) + CO2 + H20.