Activation: (in biology) to turn on something like a gene or a chemical reaction.
Annual: adjective describing something that occurs annually. (botany) A plant that only lives for one year, so it usually produces showy flowers and many seeds.
Cell: (in biology) The smallest structural and functional unit of an organism, usually too small to be seen with the naked eye and composed of a watery fluid surrounded by a membrane or wall.
Chemicals: A substance formed by two or more atoms combining in a certain ratio and structure. For example, water is a chemical formed by two hydrogen atoms combining with one oxygen atom. Its chemical formula is H2O. Chemical can also be used as an adjective to describe the properties of substances that result from various reactions between different compounds.
Chloroplast: Small structures found within the cells of green algae and plants that contain chlorophyll and produce glucose through photosynthesis.
Climate: Weather conditions typically existing in an area, generally or over an extended period of time.
Climate Change: Long-term, significant changes in the Earth’s climate, which can occur naturally or in response to human activities such as burning fossil fuels or deforestation.
Component: Something that is part of something else (such as a component attached to an electronic circuit board or an ingredient in a cookie recipe).
CRISPR: Acronym for “clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats” (pronounced CRISPR). These are pieces of RNA, molecules that carry information. They can guide an enzyme called Cas9 to cut genetic material like scissors. In this way, we can edit (or change) specific genes to study how those genes work, repair damage in broken genes, insert new genes, or disable harmful genes.
Crops: (in agriculture) A type of plant that is intentionally grown and cultivated by farmers, such as corn, coffee, or tomatoes. Or the term can also be applied to the parts of a plant that farmers harvest and sell.
Dehydrate: Losing a lot of fluid.
DNA: (short for deoxyribonucleic acid) A long, double-stranded, spiral-shaped molecule that carries genetic instructions inside most living cells. It is built on a backbone of phosphorus, oxygen, and carbon atoms. In all living organisms, including plants, animals, and microorganisms, these instructions tell the cell which molecules to make.
Downstream: The direction in which a river flows, or further along the path that the river’s water takes towards the sea.
Drought: Long periods of abnormally low rainfall result in water shortages.
Engineering: A field of study that uses mathematics and science to solve practical problems. People who work in this field are called engineers.
Element: Something that plays a role in a particular situation or event. Contributor.
Fertilizer: Nitrogen, phosphorus, and other plant nutrients added to soil, water, or foliage to promote crop growth or to replenish lost nutrients that can be utilized by plant roots and leaves.
Gene: (adjective: genetic) The part of DNA that contains the code, or instructions, for a cell to make proteins. Offspring inherit genes from their parents. Genes affect how an organism looks and behaves.
High School: A designation for grades 9 through 12 in the U.S. compulsory education system. High school graduates may go on to college for further education.
Microscope: An instrument used to observe objects too small to be seen with the naked eye, such as bacteria or single plant or animal cells.
Physically: (adjective) A term referring to something that exists in the real world, not in memory or imagination. It can also refer to properties of matter that result from their size or from non-chemical interactions (such as when one block slams into another). (In biology and medicine) The term can also refer to the body, as in a physical examination or physical activity.
Polyethylene: Plastic made from chemicals refined from crude oil and natural gas. It is the most common plastic in the world, and is flexible and strong. It is also resistant to radiation.
Protein: A compound made up of one or more long chains of amino acids. Proteins are essential components of all living organisms. They form the basis of living cells, muscles, and tissues, and also function within cells. Antibodies, hemoglobin, and enzymes are all examples of proteins. Medicines often work by attaching to proteins.
Regeneron International Science and Technology Fair: (Regeneron ISEF) First launched in 1950, this competition is one of three created (and still run) by the American Academy of Sciences. Now, each year, approximately 2,000 high school students from up to 70 countries, regions and territories have the opportunity to present their original research at Regeneron ISEF and compete for an average prize of approximately $9 million.
Regulate: (noun: regulation) To control by action. Governments make rules and regulations, or laws, which are enforced by the police and the courts.
Resilient: (noun: resilience) The ability to recover fairly quickly from an obstacle or difficult situation. (of materials) The ability of a material to bounce back or recover to its original shape after it has been bent or otherwise distorted.
Saplings: The first plant to germinate from a seed and produce leaves and roots.
Scientific Association: A non-profit organization founded in 1921 and based in Washington, DC. Since its inception, it has promoted public engagement in scientific research as well as public understanding of science. It founded and continues to run three well-known science competitions: the Regeneron Science Talent Search (began in 1942), the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (first launched in 1950), and the MASTERS competition for middle school students (2010-2022) (which has evolved into the Thermo Fisher Scientific Junior Innovator Challenge and will begin in 2023). It also publishes award-winning journalism. Science News (began in 1922) and Science News Explores (Created in 2003).
Staples: (in nutrition) Food that is the primary source of calories for a community or species. For example, in humans, just three plants – rice, corn, and wheat – provide about 60% of the calories we eat (according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations), meaning they are our staple foods, although the amounts can vary from community to community.
Stress: (in biology) Factors that affect the health of a species or ecosystem, such as extreme temperatures, movement, moisture, or pollution.
Stressors: Something that induces stress in an individual or a system.
Source: www.snexplores.org
