4th Quarter Vocabulary - Life Science - 6th Grade

adaptation

A special characteristic or behavior that helps a living thing survive in its environment.

asymmetry

When something has no matching sides; the two sides do not look the same.

cell division

When one cell splits into two new cells so living things can grow or heal.

cell membrane

The thin “skin” around the cell that controls what goes in and out.

cell wall

A strong outer layer found in plant cells that helps the plant keep its shape.

cell

The tiny building block that makes up all living things.

chloroplast

The part of a plant cell that uses sunlight to make food.

cytoplasm

The jelly-like filling inside the cell that holds everything in place.

Dependent variable

In an experiment, the factor that you measure in response to changes you make.

diffusion

When something spreads from where there is a lot of it to where there is less of it.

DNA

The instructions inside the nucleus that tell how the living thing looks and works.

Ecosystem

The community of organisms that live in a particular area, along with their nonliving environment.

Independent variable

The factor you change in an experiment to see how it affects the outcome.

invertebrate

An animal that does not have a backbone.

Law of Conservation of Energy

The amount of energy is neither created nor destroyed.

lysosome

The part of the cell that breaks down and cleans up waste.

microscope

A tool that makes tiny things look bigger so we can see details we can’t see with our eyes.

mitochondria

The part of the cell that makes energy, like a tiny power plant.

multicellular

A living thing made of many cells.

nucleus

The “boss” of the cell that tells the cell what to do.

organ system

A group of organs that work together to keep the body alive.

organ

A body part made of tissues that work together (like the heart or lungs).

organelle

The small parts inside a cell that each have a special job.

Organism

Any living thing.

osmosis

A special kind of diffusion where water moves from where there is more water to where there is less water.

ribosome

The part of the cell that makes proteins, which help the cell grow and work.

selectively permeable

Lets some things go in and out, but not everything — like a cell’s “security gate.”

system

A group of parts that work together to do a job.

The Law of Conservation of Matter

Matter is not made or lost—it only changes form or is rearranged.

tissue

A group of cells that work together to do one job.

unicellular

A living thing made of only one cell.

vacuole

A storage space in the cell that holds water, food, or waste.

vertebrate

An animal that has a backbone.