For advanced learners: specialist scientific terminology used in research papers, lectures, and professional science communication.
35 cards
thermodynamics
the branch of physics concerned with the relationships between heat, work, temperature, and energy
neutrino
a subatomic particle with no electric charge and very little mass that rarely interacts with matter
superposition
the principle that a quantum system can exist in multiple states simultaneously until it is measured
mitosis
the process by which a cell divides to produce two identical daughter cells with the same number of chromosomes
tectonic
relating to the large plates of the Earth's crust and the forces that move them
bioluminescence
the production and emission of light by a living organism through a chemical reaction
covalent bonding
a type of chemical bond formed when two atoms share one or more pairs of electrons
dark matter
a hypothetical form of matter that does not interact with light but accounts for most of the universe's mass
crystallography
the scientific study of the arrangement of atoms in crystalline solids using X-ray diffraction
epigenetic
relating to changes in gene expression that do not involve changes to the underlying DNA sequence
fluid dynamics
the branch of physics that studies the motion of liquids and gases and the forces acting on them
genome sequencing
the process of determining the complete DNA sequence of an organism's genetic material
nanotechnology
the manipulation of matter on an atomic and molecular scale to create devices and materials with new properties
nuclear fission
the splitting of a heavy atomic nucleus into two smaller nuclei, releasing a large amount of energy
relativistic
relating to effects that arise at speeds close to the speed of light, as described by the theory of relativity
biomarker
a measurable indicator of a biological state or condition used to detect disease or monitor health
anisotropic
having physical properties that differ depending on the direction in which they are measured
quasar
an extremely luminous active galactic nucleus powered by a supermassive black hole consuming surrounding matter
stochastic
randomly determined, having a probability distribution that can be analysed statistically
apoptosis
a regulated process of programmed cell death that removes damaged or unnecessary cells from an organism
endothermic
describing a chemical reaction or process that absorbs heat energy from its surroundings
viscosity
a measure of a fluid's resistance to flow or deformation under applied force
nociception
the sensory process by which the nervous system detects and responds to harmful or potentially damaging stimuli
chirality
the property of a molecule that makes it non-superimposable on its mirror image, like left and right hands
accretion
the gradual growth or increase in size of an object by the accumulation of surrounding matter
optogenetics
a biological technique using light to control the activity of specific neurons in living tissue
singularity
a point in space-time where the known laws of physics break down, such as at the centre of a black hole
telomere
a protective cap at the end of a chromosome that shortens with each cell division and is linked to ageing
plasmid
a small circular DNA molecule found in bacteria, separate from chromosomal DNA, often used in genetic engineering
superconductivity
the phenomenon where certain materials conduct electricity with zero resistance below a critical temperature
lithosphere
the rigid outer layer of the Earth composed of the crust and the uppermost part of the mantle
allotrope
one of two or more structural forms of the same element with different physical or chemical properties
autophagy
a cellular recycling mechanism where a cell degrades and reuses its own damaged or unnecessary components
interferometry
a measurement technique that uses the interference of waves to obtain precise information about distances or structures
redshift
the increase in wavelength of electromagnetic radiation from an object moving away from the observer, used to measure cosmic expansion