ASVAB Science Review Practice Flashcards

Flashcards covering life science, biology, chemistry, physics, and earth science concepts based on the ASVAB review transcript.

Linnaeus System

The system of classification currently in use, based on relationships and similarities in structure.

Scientific Name

A two-term identification consists of the genus (capitalized) and species (lowercase); for example, Homo sapiens.

Kingdom

The top level of the classification system containing the largest number of different kinds of organisms.

Species

The bottom level of the classification system containing organisms with the same characteristics.

The Five Kingdoms

Animals, Monerans, Protists, Fungi, and Plants.

Monerans

Simple one-celled microscopic organisms that lack internal structures and a nucleus, having a simple circular molecule of DNA instead.

Parasites

Bacteria that cause diseases by living off other organisms, such as those causing tetanus, gonorrhea, and strep throat.

Decomposers

Bacteria or fungi that absorb food from decaying materials or living things.

Viruses

Life forms that do not fit easily into any classification scheme because they lack a true cell structure; they reproduce by using another cell’s material.

Protists

Microscopic one-celled organisms that have a true nucleus and other complex cell structures; includes protozoa, one-celled algae, and slime molds.

Fungi

Many-celled organisms with complex cell structures that lack chloroplasts and act as decomposers; includes bread molds, mushrooms, and yeasts.

Bryophyta

Nonvascular plants that do not have true roots, stems, or leaves, and lack a vascular system for transporting water and food.

Tracheophyta

Vascular plants that have a vascular system and true roots, stems, and leaves.

Angiospermae

Flowering plants that produce seeds with protective coverings called fruit; subdivided into monocots and dicots.

Gymnospermae

Plants that produce seeds without protective coverings, such as conifers (cedar, fir, pine, and spruce).

Invertebrates

Animals that do not have a backbone.

Vertebrates

Animals that have a backbone; part of the phylum Chordata.

Arthropoda

The phylum containing the largest number of animals, characterized by segmented bodies, an external skeleton, and jointed appendages.

Monotremes

The most primitive mammals that lay eggs, such as the duckbill platypus.

Marsupials

Mammals that carry their young in a pouch on the mother’s body, such as the kangaroo.

Bipedalism

The ability to walk on two legs instead of four, a unique characteristic of humans.

Fixed Joints

Joints that hold bones firmly together, such as those found in the skull.

Hinge Joints

Partly movable joints that provide some flexibility, such as those in the knee and finger.

Ball and Socket Joints

Joints that provide the greatest flexibility, such as those in the hip or shoulder.

Ligaments

Bands of tissue that support the bones of movable joints.

Tendon

Connective tissue that attaches the end of a skeletal muscle to a bone.

Amylase

An enzyme contained in saliva that acts on starch during mechanical digestion.

Pepsin

An enzyme in the stomach that acts on protein.

Bile

A substance produced by the liver and stored in the gallbladder that aids in the digestion and absorption of fats and oils.

Cerebrum

The major part of the brain responsible for human abilities such as hearing, seeing, speaking, learning, and thinking.

Cerebellum

The part of the brain concerned with muscular coordination, posture, and balance.

Hormones

Chemical substances produced by endocrine glands that act as regulators for growth, metabolism, and reproduction.

Insulin

A hormone produced by the pancreas that regulates the amount of sugar in the blood and speeds up the storage of excess sugar.

Systolic Stage

The stage of a heartbeat involving the powerful muscular contraction of the ventricles, pumping blood into the aorta.

Diastolic Stage

The rest stage of a heartbeat.

Erythrocytes

Red blood cells that carry oxygen and carbon dioxide.

Leukocytes

White blood cells that produce antibodies and fight off infections.

Zygote

A fertilized egg formed by the union of a sperm and ovum, containing $23$ pairs of chromosomes.

Law of Segregation

Gregor Mendel's law stating that individual heredity traits separate in the reproductive cells.

Meiosis

A specialized process of cell division in which gametes (sex cells) are produced in the haploid stage.

Haploid

A stage where cells have only one of each pair, or half the total number, of chromosomes ($23$ in humans).

Homozygous

A genetic state where a person has two genes for a particular characteristic that are alike (e.g., $EE$ or $ee$).

Heterozygous

A genetic state where a person has two genes for a particular characteristic that are not alike (e.g., $Ee$).

Ecosystem

A complex system consisting of organisms and their living and physical surroundings.

Biomes

Large geographical areas on the earth that have similar climate, plants, and animals; there are seven major types.

Tundra

The coldest biome, located in high northern latitudes, characterized by treeless plains and permafrost.

Taiga

A biome south of the tundra containing cold-tolerant evergreen trees and characterized by cold, dry winters.

Protoplasm

The living material contained within cells.

Nucleus

The control center for all cellular activity, containing nucleoli and chromatin.

Mitochondria

Complex organelles in the cell that produce energy via cellular respiration to fuel activities.

Osmosis

The movement or diffusion of water through a semipermeable membrane.

Metabolism

The sum of all chemical reactions within a living cell, including the building up and tearing down of complex molecules.

Phagocytosis

The process by which a cell acquires material by engulfing particles.

Photosynthesis Formula

$$6CO_2 + 6H_2O \rightarrow C_6H_{12}O_6 + 6O_2$$

Cellular Respiration Formula

$$C_6H_{12}O_6 + 6O_2 \rightarrow 6CO_2 + 6H_2O$$

Atom

The smallest part of an element that still acts like that element, consisting of a nucleus of protons and neutrons surrounded by electrons.

Atomic Number

The number of protons in an atom's nucleus.

Compounds

Substances composed of atoms of two or more different elements.

Solution

A mixture in which one type of molecule (the solute) is dispersed throughout other molecules (the solvent).

Absolute Zero

The temperature at which movement of particles in matter ceases, equal to $-273^\text{o}C$.

PH Scale

A range from $1$ to $14$ indicating acidity or alkalinity, where $7$ is neutral, less than $7$ is acidic, and more than $7$ is alkaline.

Celsius to Fahrenheit Formula

$$F = \frac{9}{5}(C) + 32$$

Work Formula

$$W = Fd$$

Power Formula

$$P = \frac{W}{t} = \frac{Fd}{t}$$

Newton's Second Law

The net force acting on an object equals the product of its mass and acceleration: $F = ma$

Velocity

A vector quantity describing the rate at which an object changes position, incorporating both magnitude and direction.

Inertia

The reluctance of an object to change its velocity, which increases with more mass.

Conduction

Heat transfer accomplished by direct contact between objects.

Convection

Heat transfer in liquids or gases caused by uneven heating and subsequent movement.

Radiation

Heat transfer transmitted by electromagnetic waves.

Ohm's Law

The relationship between electrical units: $\text{Volts} = \text{Amperes} \times \text{Ohms}$

Refraction

The bending of light waves as they pass from one material into another.

Wavelength Formula

$$\text{Wavelength} = \frac{\text{Speed}}{\text{Frequency}}$$