Hydroponics, Antibiotic Resistance, Drone Reforestation, and Grade 8 Chemistry

This set of vocabulary flashcards covers food security through hydroponics, the medical challenge of antibiotic resistance, drone-assisted reforestation of mangroves, and fundamental Grade 8 chemistry concepts including bonding and chemical reactions.

Hydroponics

A method of growing plants WITHOUT soil, using mineral nutrients dissolved in water so plants get nutrients directly through their roots.

Conservation

The act of protecting natural resources, such as saving water by using up to 90% less in a closed-loop system.

Resources

Natural things that humans use, such as water and land, which must be managed to ensure sustainability.

Yield

The amount of food produced; hydroponics allows for a higher yield per $m^2$ compared to traditional farming.

Sustainability

Meeting the needs of the present generation without harming the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

Antibiotics

Medicines used to kill harmful bacteria, which are known as pathogens.

Superbugs

Bacteria that have mutated to survive antibiotics, often caused by the overuse and misuse of medicine in healthcare and farming.

Mutation

A random change in DNA that can provide a bacterium with the ability to survive antibiotic treatments.

Pathogen

A microorganism, such as a bacterium, that causes disease.

Resistance

The ability of bacteria to survive an exposure to an antibiotic that was previously effective at killing them.

Treatment

The specific medicine or action taken by medical professionals to cure an infection.

Bacteriophage therapy

A scientific solution using viruses that only attack bacteria, evolving alongside them to prevent the development of resistance.

Biodiversity

The variety of all living species within a specific area or ecosystem.

Ecosystem

A community of all living things in an area and their environment working together.

Propagation

The process by which plants reproduce and spread; drones speed this up by firing seed pods into mud.

Habitat

The natural home or environment of a species, such as mangrove forests serving as a home for marine life.

Coastal Erosion

The wearing away of land by waves; mangroves prevent this by using roots to grip mud and slow down wave energy.

Carbon credits

A financial system where governments can sell credits based on the amount of $CO_2$ absorbed by ecosystems like mangroves.

Combination (Synthesis)

A chemical reaction where two substances join to make one new product, such as Mg + O_2 ightarrow MgO.

Decomposition

A chemical reaction where one substance breaks down into two or more products, such as CaCO_3 ightarrow CaO + CO_2.

Combustion

A reaction where a substance reacts with oxygen to release energy, such as CH_4 + O_2 ightarrow CO_2 + H_2O.

Neutralisation

A chemical reaction between an acid and a base that forms salt and water, such as HCl + NaOH ightarrow NaCl + H_2O.

Exothermic

A reaction that releases energy into the surroundings, usually as heat or light, because more energy is released forming bonds than absorbed breaking them.

Endothermic

A reaction that absorbs energy from the surroundings, often feeling cold, because more energy is absorbed breaking bonds than released forming them.

Oxidation

The loss of electrons during a chemical reaction, summarized by the acronym OIL (Oxidation Is Loss).

Reduction

The gain of electrons during a chemical reaction, summarized by the acronym RIG (Reduction Is Gain).

Redox

A chemical reaction where oxidation and reduction occur simultaneously.

Ionic bond

A bond formed when electrons are transferred from a metal to a non-metal, resulting in the attraction of opposite charges.

Covalent bond

A chemical bond that involves the sharing of electron pairs between non-metal atoms.

Metallic bond

A bond characterized by a sea of free (delocalised) electrons moving through positive metal ions.

Giant ionic lattice

A 3D grid structure of ions held together by very strong electrostatic forces, resulting in high melting points.

Simple molecular

A structure of covalent substances with low melting points due to weak forces between molecules, such as $H_2O$ or $CO_2$.

Giant covalent

A structure where every atom is joined by strong covalent bonds throughout, leading to very high melting points, such as Diamond or $SiO_2$.

Malleable

A property of metals that allows layers of ions to slide over each other so the material can be bent or shaped.

Graphite

A giant covalent form of carbon where each atom bonds to 3 others, creating sliding layers and one free electron per carbon to conduct electricity.

Diamond

A rigid 3D giant covalent structure where each carbon atom bonds to 4 others, making it extremely hard and non-conductive.