algae: A single-celled organism that was once thought to be a plant (though it is not actually a plant). As aquatic organisms, they grow in water. Like green plants, they rely on sunlight to make food.
atom: Basic unit of chemical elements. Atoms consist of a dense nucleus containing positively charged protons and uncharged neutrons. The nucleus of an atom is orbited by a cloud of negatively charged electrons.
biology: Study of living things. Scientists who study them are known as biologists.
cell: (in biology) the smallest structural and functional unit of an organism. They are usually too small to be seen with the naked eye and consist of a watery fluid surrounded by a membrane or wall. Depending on their size, animals are made up of thousands to trillions of cells. Most living organisms, such as yeast, molds, bacteria, and some algae, are made up of only one cell.
chemicals: A substance formed when two or more atoms combine in a certain proportion and structure. For example, water is a chemical produced when two hydrogen atoms combine with one oxygen atom. Its chemical formula is H2O. Chemistry can also be used as an adjective to describe the properties of materials that result from various reactions between different compounds.
cysteine: This is an amino acid that plays a role in producing many proteins in living organisms and promoting certain metabolic activities. Cysteine ​​is part of beta-keratin, the main protein in hair, skin, and nails. In chemistry, cysteine ​​acts as an antioxidant.
sleeping state: Not so active that normal body functions cease or decrease.
electronic: Negatively charged particles. It is usually seen orbiting the outer region of the atom. Also a conductor of electricity in solids.
free radical: (in chemistry) A molecule with one or more unpaired external electrons (usually highly reactive and short-lived). It steals electrons and tries to put itself back together through a process known as oxidation.
function: A specific role played by a structure or device. (in mathematics) A relationship between two or more variables in which one variable (the dependent variable) is determined exactly by the value of the other variable.
glass: A hard and brittle substance made from silica, a mineral found in sand. Glass is usually transparent and fairly inert (not chemically reactive). Aquatic organisms called diatoms make their shells from diatoms.
hydrogen peroxide: A molecule consisting of two hydrogen atoms and two oxygen atoms. It is highly reactive and can kill many small microorganisms, including bacteria.
mechanism: The steps or process by which something happens or “works.” It could be a spring that pops something from one hole to another. It may be caused by compression of the heart muscle, which pumps blood throughout the body. Friction (between the road and the air) can slow down a coasting car. To understand how something works, researchers often look for the mechanisms behind an action or reaction.
metabolism: (adjective, metabolism) The life-sustaining series of chemical reactions that occur inside larger structures such as cells and organs. These reactions allow organisms to respond to their environment by growing, reproducing, and migrating.
microscopic: An adjective that describes something so small that it cannot be seen with the naked eye. A microscope is required to observe objects this small, such as bacteria and other single-celled organisms.
molecule: An electrically neutral group of atoms that represents the smallest possible amount of a compound. Molecules can be made up of a single type of atom or different types of atoms. For example, oxygen in air has two oxygen atoms (O2) However, water has two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom (H2oh).
moss: A small green plant without flowers that has no real roots. In moist habitats it tends to grow as carpets or round cushions. It can reproduce asexually, by fragmentation, or by spores released from stalked capsules.
Oxidant: A chemical that can oxidize, or steal electrons, from another molecule as part of a specific chemical reaction.
oxidation: (adjective, oxidative) The process by which one molecule steals electrons from another molecule. The victim of the reaction is said to have been “oxidized” and the oxidizer (thief) “reduced”. An oxidized molecule returns to its original state by stealing electrons from another molecule. Oxidative reactions by molecules within living cells are so violent that they can cause cell death. Oxidation often involves oxygen atoms, but not always.
peroxide: A group of chemicals containing a “divalent” pair of oxygen atoms. Each oxygen atom has an unpaired electron orbiting around it that is available to form bonds (attachments) with other atoms. Peroxide is an oxidizing agent, meaning it can react violently at room temperature. Some are also used as bleaching agents.
physiologist: A scientist who studies the field of biology that deals with how the body of a healthy organism functions under normal circumstances.
protein: A compound made from a long chain of one or more amino acids. Proteins are an essential part of all living organisms. They form the basis of living cells, muscles, and tissues. They also work inside cells. Antibodies, hemoglobin, and enzymes are all examples of proteins. Drugs often work by adsorbing to proteins.
radical: (in chemistry) a molecule with one or more unpaired external electrons. Radicals readily participate in chemical reactions. The body produces radicals as one of the ways it kills cells, allowing it to eliminate damaged cells and infectious microorganisms.
salt: A compound made by combining an acid and a base (this reaction also produces water). The sea contains a variety of salts, collectively called “sea salt.” Common table salt is made up of sodium and chlorine.
sensor: A device that captures and stores or broadcasts information about physical or chemical conditions such as temperature, pressure, salinity, humidity, pH, light intensity, and radiation. Scientists and engineers often rely on sensors to tell them about conditions that can change over time or that exist far from where researchers can directly measure them. (in biology) structures used by living organisms to sense attributes of their environment, such as heat, wind, chemicals, moisture, trauma, or attack by predators.
seed: A group of similar organisms that can survive and produce offspring that can reproduce.
stress: (in biology) factors that affect the health of a species or ecosystem, such as extreme temperatures, movement, moisture, or pollution. (in psychology) a mental, physical, emotional, or behavioral response to an event or situation (stressor) that disrupts a person’s or animal’s normal state or places additional demands on the person or animal. Psychological stress can be positive or negative. (in physics) the pressure or tension exerted on matter.
suspended animation: A condition in which most or all vital functions cease temporarily without resulting in death. Examples include stored seeds, hibernating animals, and rotifers trapped in permafrost.
Tardigrade: An eight-legged creature not much larger than the period at the end of a sentence. Tardigrades live in many places, including ponds, the ocean floor, and rocky areas stuck to the Antarctic ice.
x-ray: A type of radiation similar to gamma rays, but with slightly lower energy.
Source: www.snexplores.org
