ATI TEAS Science Section Practice Flashcards

Vocabulary practice flashcards covering life science, physical science, and human anatomy based on the ATI TEAS Science section study guide.

Cell

The basic unit of structure and organization in all living organisms.

Prokaryotes

Single-celled organisms, such as bacteria and algae, which lack a nucleus and organelles and reproduce by fission.

Eukaryotes

Single or multi-celled organisms, such as plants and animals, that contain a nucleus and organelles and reproduce through mitosis and meiosis.

Chloroplast

Organelles found in eukaryotic plant cells that serve as the site of photosynthesis.

Mitochondria

The power houses of the cell that use oxygen to burn glucose and produce ATP for energy.

Ribosomes

Organelles that use RNA to transcribe the original DNA code into proteins.

Mitosis

The process by which a cell duplicates itself into two identical daughter cells with the same DNA.

Meiosis

A complex two-stage process (I and II) of cell division that results in four haploid gametes containing 23 chromosomes.

Homeostasis

A stable environment inside the human body maintained by the coordination of all body systems.

Coronal plane

An anatomical plane that divides the body into front (anterior/ventral) and back (posterior/dorsal) portions.

Sagittal Plane

An anatomical plane that divides the body into left and right portions.

Transverse Plane

An anatomical plane that divides the body into top (superior) and bottom (inferior) portions.

Alveoli

Small sacs at the end of the bronchioles where the main process of gas exchange takes place.

Surfactant

The fluid coating the membranes of the alveoli that reduces surface tension and the pressure required for inflation.

Arteries

Thick-walled vessels that carry oxygenated blood away from the heart to the rest of the body.

Veins

Thinner-walled vessels that carry deoxygenated blood from the body cells back to the heart.

Systole

The rhythmic contraction of heart muscles during the heart cycle.

Diastole

The rhythmic relaxation of heart muscles during the heart cycle.

Erythrocytes

Red blood cells that carry oxygen in the protein hemoglobin and return carbon dioxide to the lungs.

Leukocytes

White blood cells that consist of five major types and function to fight infection in the body.

Bolus

The ball-shaped mass of food formed by mechanical chewing and saliva before it is swallowed.

Chyme

A creamy substance formed when food mixes with water and acidic gastric juice in the stomach.

Peristalsis

The muscular squeezing action that moves food through the digestive system.

Neuron

The basic nerve cell that conducts information electrically along axons and receives stimuli via dendrites.

Synapse

The junction between neurons where communication occurs chemically through neurotransmitters.

Ligaments

Fibrous tissues that connect bones to other bones, usually at joints.

Tendons

Fibrous tissues that connect muscles to bones.

Compact bone

Dense, hard tissue that forms the outer layer of most bones and the main shaft of long bones.

Spongy bone

Also called cancellous bone, this is filled with red bone marrow and is found at the ends of long bones and at the center of others.

Zygote

The cell formed when a sperm penetrates an egg and their nuclei fuse.

Nephron

Tiny filtering tubes in the kidney that perform filtration, secretion, and reabsorption.

Glomerulus

A cluster of capillaries in the nephron that acts as a filter for ions and proteins while allowing waste to collect as urine.

Epidermis

The outermost layer of skin, consisting of 90% keratinocytes and less than 10% melanocytes.

Melanin

A pigment produced by melanocytes that protects the skin from ultraviolet rays and sunburn.

Polymer

A large molecule consisting of a building block called a monomer repeated many times.

Monosaccharide

The simplest carbohydrate, consisting of a single sugar molecule with the formula $C_6H_{12}O_6$.

Codon

A trinucleotide sequence of DNA or RNA that corresponds to a specific amino acid in messenger-RNA ($mRNA$).

Isotopes

Atoms of the same element that possess different numbers of neutrons.

Triple point

The specific temperature and pressure at which all three states of matter (solid, liquid, gas) can exist simultaneously.

Osmosis

Passive transport where water moves across a semipermeable membrane from an area of low solute concentration to high solute concentration.

Diffusion

Movement where particles from an area of high concentration move to an area of low concentration to reach equilibrium.

Enzymes

Substances, also known as catalysts, that speed up chemical reactions by lowering the required energy without being consumed.

Independent variable

The variable in a scientific experiment that is manipulated by the experimenter and is considered the cause.

Dependent variable

The variable that changes in response to the manipulation of the independent variable; it represents the effect or outcome.