Download Six Grade Science Vocabulary

6th Grade Science Vocabulary
abrasion
acceleration
acid precipitation
active transport
air mass
air pressure
air pressure
alluvial fan
alveolus
Animalia
antibody
antiviral drug
Archaea
artery
atmosphere
atom
axon
B cell
bacteria
barrier island
Beach
Biosphere
blood
brain
The process by which rock is reduced in size by the scraping action of
other rocks driven by water, wind and gravity.
The rate at which velocity changes over time; an object accelerates if its
speed, direction, or both change.
precipitation such as rain, sleet, or snow that contains acids from air
pollution
The movement of chemical substances, usually across the cell membrane,
against a concentration gradient; requires cells to use energy.
A large body of air throughout which temperature and moisture content are
similar.
The measure of the force with which air molecules push on a surface.
The measure of the force with which air molecules push on a surface.
A fan-shaped mass of rock material deposited by a stream when the slope
of the land decreases sharply.
Tiny, thin-walled, capillary-rich sac in the lungs where the exchange of
oxygen and carbon dioxide takes place; also called air sac. plural, alveoli.
A kingdom made up of complex, multicellular organisms that lack cell
walls, can usually move around, and quickly respond to their environment.
A protein made by B cells that binds to a specific antigen.
A drug that destroys viruses or prevents their growth or replication.
A domain made up of prokaryotes most of which are known to live in
extreme environments that are distinguised from other prokaryotes by
differences in their genetics and in the makeup of their cell wall.
A blood vessel that carries blood away from the heart to the body's organs.
A mixture of gases that surrounds a planet, moon, or other celestial body.
The smallest unit of an element that maintains the properties of that
element.
An elongated extension of a neuron that carries impulses away from the
body.
A white blood cell that makes antibodies.
A domain made up of prokaryotes that usually have a cell wall and that
usually reproduce by cell division.
A long ridge of sand or narrow island that lies parallel to the shore.
An area of the shoreline that is made of deposited sediment.
the part of Earth where life exists; includes all of the living organisms on
Earth.
The fluid that carries oxygen and nutrients to the body and that is made up
of platelets, white blood cells, red blood cells, and plasma.
The organ that is the main control center of the nervous system.
One of the two main branches of the trachea that lead directly to the lungs.
plural, bronchii
A tiny blood vessel that allows an exchange between blood and cells in
capillary
tissue.
A class of molecules that includes sugars, starches, and fiber; contains
Carbohydrate
carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen.
A collection of organs that transport blood throughout the body; the organs
cardiovascular system
in this system include the heart, the arteries, and the veins.
In biology, the smallest unit that can perform all life processes; cells are
cell
coverd by a membrane and contain DNA and cytoplasm.
A phospholipid layer that covers a cell's surface and acts as a barrier
cell membrane
between the inside of a cell and the cell's environment.
A rigid structure that surrounds the cell membrane and provides support to
cell wall
the cell.
cellular respiration
The process by which cells use oxygen to produce energy from food.
Centripetal
The acceleration directed toward the center of a circular path.
acceleration
The chemical breakdown and decomposition of rocks by natural processes
chemical weathering
in the environment.
chloroplast
An organelle found in plant and algae cells where photosynthesis occurs.
climate
the weather conditions in an area over a long period of time
coastline
A location where land and ocean surface meet.
condensation
The change of state from a gas to a liquid.
conduction
The transfer of energy as heat through a material.
The movement of matter due to the differences in density that are caused
Convection
by temperature variations; can result in the transfer of energy as heat.
Any movement of matter that results from differences in density, may be
convection current
vertical, circular, or cyclical.
The curving of the path of a moving object from an otherwise straight path
Coriolis effect
due to Earth's rotation.
creep
The slow downhill movement of weathered rock material.
One of Earth's spheres where water is in solid form, including snow cover,
cryosphere
floating ice, glaciers, ice caps, ice sheets, and frozen ground permafrost.
The region of the cell within the membrane that includes the fluid, the
cytoplasm
cytoskeleton, and all of the organelles except the nucleus.
The cytoplasmic network of protein filaments that plays an essential role
cytoskeleton
in cell movement, shape, and division.
information gathered by observation or experimentation that can be used
data
in calculating or reasoning.
deep current
A streamlike movement of ocean water far below the surface.
delta
The mass of material deposited in a triangular or fan shape at the mouth of
bronchus
a river or stream.
Branchlike extension of a neuron that receives impulses from neighboring
dendrite
neurons.
deposition
The process in which material is laid down.
At constant pressure and water vapor content, the temperature at which the
dew point
rate of condensation equals that rate of evaporation.
An aid that is used to identify organisms and that consists of the answers
Dichotomous key
to a series of questions.
The movement of particles from regions of higher concentration to regions
diffusion
of lower concentration.
digestive system
The organs that break down food so that it can be used by the body.
In a taxonomic system, one of the three broad groups that all living things
domain
fall into.
A mound of wind-deposited sand that moves as a result of the action of
dune
wind.
All of the nonliving things, living things, and processes that make up the
earth system
planet Earth, including the solid Earth, the hydrosphere, the atmosphere,
and the biosphere.
egg
A sex cell produced by a female.
elevation
The height of the object above sea level.
In humans, a developing individual from first division after fertilization
embryo
through the 10th week of pregnancy.
The observations, measurements, and other types of data that people
Empirical evidence
gather and test to support and evaluate scientific explanations.
A collection of glands and groups of cells that secrete hormones that
regulate growth, development, and homeostasis; includes the pituitary,
endocrine system
thyroid, parathyroid, and adrenal glands, the hypothalamus, the pineal
body, and the gonads.
The process by which a cell membrane surrounds a particle and encloses
endocytosis
the particle in a vesicle to bring the particle into the cell.
A system of membranes that is found in a cell's cytoplasm and that assists
endoplasmic reticulum in the production, processing, and transport of proteins and in the
production of lipids.
energy
the capacity to do work
A type of protein that speeds up metabolic reactions in plants and animals
enzyme
without being permanently changed or destroyed.
The process by which wind, water, ice, or gravity transports soil and
erosion
sediment from one location to another.
esophagus
A long, straight tube that connects the pharynx to the stomach.
In a modern taxonomic system, a domain made up of all eukaryotes; this
Eukarya
domain aligns with the traditional kingdoms Protista, Fungi, Plantae, and
Animalia.
eukaryote
evaporation
excretory system
exocytosis
experiment
feedback mechanism
fetus
floodplain
force
free fall
front
function
Fungi
Genus
geosphere
Glacial drift
glacier
gland
global wind
Golgi complex
gravity
greenhouse effect
Ground water
heat
Homeostasis
An organism made up of cells that have a nucleus enclosed by a
membrane; eukaryotes include protists, animals, plants, and fungi but not
archaea or bacteria.
The change of state from a liquid to a gas.
The system that collects and excretes nitrogenous wastes and excess water
from the body in the form of urine.
The process in which a cell releases a particle by enclosing the particle in a
vesicle that then moves to the cell surface and fuses with the cell
membrane.
an organized procedure to study something under controlled conditions.
A cycle of events in which information from one step controls or affects a
previous step.
A developing human from the end of the 10th week of pregnancy until
birth.
An area along a river that forms from sediments deposited when the river
overflows its banks.
A push or a pull of an object in order to change the motion of the object.
The motion of a body when only the force of gravity is acting on the body.
The boundary between air masses of different densities and usually
different temperatures.
The special, normal, or proper activity of an organ or part.
A kingdom made up of nongreen, eukaryotic organisms that reproduce by
using spores, and get food by breaking down substances in their
surroundings and absorbing the nutrients.
The level of classification that comes after family and that contains similar
species.
the mostly solid, rocky part of the earth, extends from the center of the
core to the surface of the crust
The rock material carried and deposited by glaciers.
A large mass of ice that exists year-round and moves over land.
A group of cells that make chemicals for use elsewhere in the body.
The movement of air over Earth's surface in patterns that are worldwide.
A cell organelle that helps make and package materials to be transported
out of the cell.
A force of attraction between objects that is due to their masses.
The warming of the surface and lower atmosphere of Earth that occurs
when water vapor, carbon dioxide, and other gases absorb and reradiate
thermal energy.
The water that is beneath Earth's surface.
The energy transferred between objects that are at different temperatures.
The maintenance of a constant internal state in a changing environment.
Homeostasis
hormone
humidity
hurricane
hydrosphere
hypothesis
immune system
immunity
inertia
infectious disease
jet stream
jet stream
Joint
kinetic energy
lake
Landslide
large intestine
larynx
latitude
law
Law of conservation
of energy
ligament
lightning
lipid
liver
The maintenance of a constant internal state in a changing environment.
A substance that is made in one cell or tissue and that causes a change in
another cell or tissue in a different part of the body.
The amount of water vapor in the air.
A severe storm that develops over tropical oceans and whose strong winds
of more than 119 km/h spiral toward the intensely low-pressure system.
the portion of Earth that is water
a testable idea or explanation that leads to scientific investigation
The cells and tissues that recognize and attack foreign substances in the
body.
the ability to resist or recover from an infectious disease
The tendency of an object to resist being moved or, if the object is moving,
to resist a change in speed or direction until an outside force acts on the
object.
A disease that is caused by a pathogen and that can be spread from one
individual to another.
A narrow band of strong winds that blow in the upper atmosphere.
A narrow band of strong winds that blow in the upper atmosphere.
A place where two or more bones meet an articulation.
the energy of an object that is due to the object's motion
A filled or partially filled basin of fresh or salt water surrounded by land.
The sudden movement of rock and soil down a slope.
The broader and shorter portion of the intestine, where water is removed
from the mostly digested food to turn the waste into semisolid feces, or
stool.
The part of the respiratory system between the pharynx and the trachea;
has walls of cartilage and muscle and contains the vocal cords.
The angular distance north or south from the equator; expressed in
degrees.
a descriptive statement or equation that reliably predicts events under
certain conditions.
The law that states that energy cannot be created or destroyed but can be
changed from one form to another.
A type of tissue that holds together the bones in a joint.
An electric discharge that takes place between two oppositely charges
surfaces, such as between a cloud and the ground, between two clouds, or
between two parts of the same cloud.
A fat molecule or a molecule that has similar properties; examples include
oils, waxes, and steroids.
The largest organ in the body; it makes bile, stores and filters blood, and
stores excess sugars as glycogen.
Local wind
loess
lymph
lymph node
lymphatic system
lysosome
macrophage
mechanical energy
mesosphere
mitochondrion
Mitosis
model
molecule
motion
mountain
Muck fire
Mudflow
Muscular System
nephron
Nervous System
Net force
neuron
The movement of air over short distances; occurs in specific areas as a
result of certain geographical features.
Fine-grained sediments of quartz, feldspar, horneblend, mica, and clay
deposited by the wind.
The clear, watery fluid that leaks from blood vessels and contains white
blood cells; circulates in lymphatic system; returned to bloodstream
through lymph vessels.
Small, bean shaped masses of tissue that remove pathogens and dead cells
from the lymph; concentrated in the armpits, neck, and groin; high
concentration of white blood cells found in lymph nodes.
A network of organs and tissues that collect the fluid that leaks from blood
and returns it to blood vessels; includes lymph nodes, lymph vessels, and
lymph; the place where certain white blood cells mature.
A cell organelle that contains digestive enzymes.
An immune system cell that engulfs pathogens and other materials.
The amount of work an object can do because of the object's kinetic and
potential energies.
The layer of the atmosphere between the stratosphere and the
thermosphere and in which temperature decreases as altitude increases.
In eukaryotic cells, the organelle that is the site of cellular respiration,
which releases energy for use by the cell.
In eukaryotic cells, a process of cell division that forms two new nuclei,
each of which has the same number of chromosomes.
a pattern, plan, representation, or description designed to show the
structure or workings of an object, system, or concept.
A group of atoms that are held together by chemical bonds; a molecule is
the smallest unit of a substance that can exist by itself and retain all of the
substance's chemical properties.
A change in position over time.
an area of significantly increased elevation on Earth's surface, usually
rising to a summit
A fire that burns organic material in the soil.
The flow of a mass of mud or rock and soil mixed with a large amount of
water.
A collection of muscles whose primary function is movement and
flexibility.
The unit in the kidney that filters blood.
The structures that control the actions and reactions of the body in
response to stimuli from the environment: it is formed by billions of
specialized nerve cells, called neurons.
The combination of all the forces acting on an object.
A nerve cell that is specialized to receive and and conduct electrical
impulses.
noninfectious disease A disease that cannot spread from one individual to another.
A molecule made up of nucleotide subunits that carries information in the
nucleic acid
cells.
1. In a eukaryotic cell, a membrane-bound organelle that contains the cell's
DNA and that has a role in processes such as growth, metabolism, and
nucleus
reproduciton. 2. In physical science, an atom's central region, which is
make up of protons and neutrons.
the process of obtaining information by using the senses; the information
observation
obtained by using the senses.
ocean current
A movement of ocean water that follows a regular pattern.
orbit
The path that a body follows as it travels around another body in space.
organ
A collection of tissues that carry out a specialized function of the body.
Organ System
A group of organs that work together to perform specific functions.
One of the small bodies in a cell's cytoplasm that are specialized to
organelle
perform a specific funtion.
organism
A living thing; anything that can carry out life processes independently.
osmosis
The diffusion of water through a semipermeable membrane.
ovary
The female reproductive system of animals, an organ that produces eggs.
A chemical reaction in which a material combines with oxygen to form
Oxidation
new material; In geology, oxidation is a form of chemical weathering.
The layer of the atmosphere at an altitude of 15 to 40 km in which ozone
ozone layer
absorbs ultraviolet solar radiation.
The organ that lies behind the stomach and that makes digestive enzymes
pancreas
and hormones that regulate sugar levels.
The movement of substances across a cell membrane without the use of
passive transport
energy by the cell.
A microorganism, another organism, a virus, or a protein that causes
Pathogen
disease.
The male organ that transfers sperm to a female and that carries urine out
Penis
of the body.
The part of the respiratory system that extends from the mouth to the
pharynx
larynx.
A lipid that contains phosphorus and that is a structural component in cell
phospholipid
membranes.
The process by which plants, algae, and some bacteria use sunlight, carbon
photosynthesis
dioxide, and water to make food.
The mechanical breakdown of rocks into smaller pieces that is caused by
Physical weathering natural processes and that does not change the chemical composition or the
rock material.
Placenta
The partly fetal and partly maternal organ by which materials are
Plantae
position
potential energy
precipitation
prokaryote
Protein
Protista
radiation
Reference point
relative humidity
respiratory system
ribosome
river
Rockfall
sandbar
science
Shoreline
sinkhole
Skeletal System
small intestine
species
exchanged between a fetus and the mother.
A kingdom made up of complex, multicellular organisms that are usually
green, have cell walls made of cellulose, cannot move around, and use the
sun's energy to make sugar by photosynthesis.
The location of an object.
The energy that an object has because of the position, shape, or condition
of the object
Any form of water that falls to Earth's surface from the clouds; includes
rain, snow, sleet, and hail.
A single-celled organism that does not have a nucleus or membrane-bound
organelles; examples are archaea and bacteria.
A molecule that is made up of amino acids and that is needed to build and
repair body structures and to regulate processes in the body.
A kingdom of mostly one-celled eukaryotic organisms that are different
from plants, animals, and fungi.
The transfer of enregy as electromagnetic waves.
A location to which another location is compared.
The ratio of the amount of water vapor in the air to the amount of water
vapor needed to reach saturation at a given temperature.
A collection of organs whose primary function is to take in oxygen and
expel carbon dioxide; the organs of this system include the luings, the
throat, and the passageways that lead to the lungs.
A cell organelle composed of RNA and protein; the site of protein
synthesis.
A large natural stream of water that flows across land surfaces within a
channel.
The rapid mass movement of rock down a steep slope or cliff.
A low ridge of sand deposited along the shore of a lake or sea.
The knowledge obtained by observing natural events and conditions in
order to discover facts and formulate laws or principles that can be verified
or tested.
The boundary between land and a body of water.
A circular depression that forms when rock dissolves, when overlying
sediment fills an existing cavity, or when the roof of an underground
cavern or mine collapses.
The organ system whose primary function is to support and protect the
body and to allow the body to move.
The organ between the stomach and the large intestine where most of the
breakdown of food happens and most of the nutrients from food are
absorbed.
A group of organisms that are closely related and can mate to produce
fertile offspring.
speed
Sperm
spinal cord
stomach
storm surge
Stratosphere
structure
Sublimation
Surface current
Surface current
T cell
temperature
tendon
Testes
theory
Thermal energy
thermal expansion
thermosphere
thunder
thunderstorm
tissue
topography
The distance traveled divided by the time interval during which the motion
occurred.
The male sex cell.
A column of nerve tissue running from the base of the brain through the
vertebral column.
The saclike, digestive organ that is between the esophagus and the small
intestine and that breaks down food by the action of muscles, enzymes,
and acids.
A local rise in sea level near the shore that is caused by strong winds from
a storm, such as those from a hurricane.
The layer of the atmosphere that lies between the troposphere and the
mesosphere and in which temperature increases as altitude increases;
contains the ozone layer.
The arrangement of parts in an organism.
The process in which a solid changes directly into a gas.
A horizontal movement of ocean water that is caused by wind and that
occurs at or near the ocean's surface.
A horizontal movement of ocean water that is caused by wind and that
occurs at or near the ocean's surface.
An immune system cell that coordinates the immune system and attacks
many infected cells.
A measure of how hot or cold something is; specifically, a measure of the
average kinetic energy of the particles in an object.
A tough connective tissue that attaches a muscle to a bone or to another
body part.
The primary male reproductive organs, which produce sperm cells and
testerone: singular, testis.
the explanation for some phenomenon that is based on observation,
experimentation, and reasoning; that is supported by a large quantity of
evidence; and that does not conflict with any existing experimental results
or observations.
The total kinetic energy of a substance's atoms.
An increase in the size of a substance in response to an increase in the
temperature of the substance.
The uppermost layer of the atmosphere, in which temperature increases as
altitude increases.
The sound caused by the rapid expansion of air along an electrical strike.
A usually brief, heavy storm that consists of rain, strong winds, lightning,
and thunder.
A group of similar cells that perform a common function.
The size, and shape of the land surface features of a region, including its
relief.
tornado
Trachea
transpiration
Troposphere
Umbilical Cord
upwelling
urine
Uterus
vaccine
vacuole
Vagina
variable
Vector
vein
velocity
visibility
water cycle
weather
weathering
wildfire
wind
wind
A destructive, rotating column of air that has very high wind speeds and
that may be visible as a funnel-shaped cloud.
Thin-walled tube that extends from the larynx to the brobchi; carries air to
the lungs; also called windpipe.
The process by which plants release water vapor into the air through
stomata; also the release of water vapor into the air by other organisms.
The lowest layer of the atmosphere, in which temperature drops at a
constant rate as altitude increases; the part of the atmosphere where
weather conditions exist.
The ropelike structure through which blood vessels pass and by which a
developing mammal is connected to the placenta.
The movement of deep, cold, and nutrient rich water to the surface.
The liquid excreted by the kidneys, stored in the bladder, and passed
through the urethr to the outside of the body.
In female placental mammals, the hollow, muscular organ in which an
embryo embeds itself and develops into a fetus.
A substance that is prepared from killed or weakened pathogens or from
genetic material and that is introduced into a body to produce immunity.
A fluid-filled vesicle found in the cytoplasm of plant cells or protozoans.
The female reproductive organ that connects the outside of the body to the
uterus and that recieves sperm during sexual intercourse.
any factor that can change in an experiment, observation, or model
A quantity that has both size and direction.
In biology, a vessel that carries blood to the heart.
an object is the speed of the object and its direction of motion
The distance at which a given standard object can be seen and identified
with the unaided eye.
The continuous movement of water between the atmosphere, the land, the
oceans, and living things.
The short-term state of the atmosphere, including temperature, humidity,
precipitation, wind and visibility.
the natural process by which atmospheric and environmental agents, such
as wind, rain, and temperature changes, disintegrate and decompose rocks
An unplanned fire in land that is undeveloped except for roads and power
lines and other such structures.
The movement of air caused by differences in air pressure.
The movement of air caused by differences in air pressure.