Year 10 Science Comprehensive Review: Disease, Atomic Architecture, Energy & Waves, and Body Systems

A set of high-yield vocabulary flashcards reviewing Year 10 Science key concepts across immunology, atomic structure, chemical reactions, energy, wave physics, homeostasis, and neurobiology.

Pathogen

A microorganism or infectious agent that causes disease, belonging to one of four main groups: bacteria, viruses, fungi, or protists.

Infectious Disease

A disease caused by a pathogen that can spread between organisms via direct contact, respiratory droplets, contaminated food or water, surfaces, or vectors.

Non-Infectious Disease

A disease that cannot spread between people, caused by genetic or environmental factors such as mutations, carcinogens, or inherited disorders (e.g., cancer, cystic fibrosis, and haemophilia).

Vector

A living organism, such as a mosquito, that carries and transmits pathogens between hosts.

Microbiome

The community of microorganisms living in and on our bodies, many of which are beneficial and help prevent harmful microorganisms from becoming established.

Phagocyte

A type of white blood cell that engulfs and digests invading pathogens using specialised enzymes.

B-Cell

A specialised white blood cell that produces antibodies to identify and neutralise specific pathogens.

Antibody

A specific protein produced by B-cells that recognises and attaches to a complementary pathogen to fight an infection.

Memory Cell

An immune cell that persists in the body after an infection, enabling a much faster immune response if the same pathogen returns.

Vaccine

A medical preparation that trains the immune system to recognise specific pathogens, protecting against future infections.

Carcinogen

An environmental agent or factor, such as UV radiation or tobacco smoke, that increases cancer risk by causing damaging mutations to cellular DNA.

Proton

A positively charged ($+$) subatomic particle located in the atomic nucleus with a relative mass of $1\,\text{amu}$.

Neutron

A neutral ($0$) subatomic particle located in the atomic nucleus with a relative mass of $1\,\text{amu}$.

Electron

A negatively charged ($-$) subatomic particle orbiting the nucleus with a relative mass of $\sim 0\,\text{amu}$.

Bohr Model

An atomic model representing an atom with negatively charged electrons orbiting a central, positively charged nucleus in distinct electron shells.

Valence Shell

The outermost electron shell of an atom, in which the number of valence electrons dictates the chemical properties and reactivity of the element.

Cation

A positively charged ion formed when a metal atom loses one or more electrons, resulting in more protons than electrons.

Anion

A negatively charged ion formed when a non-metal atom gains one or more electrons, resulting in more electrons than protons.

Ionic Lattice

A rigid, three-dimensional arrangement where each cation is surrounded on all sides by oppositely charged anions held together by strong electrostatic ionic bonds.

Acid

A corrosive substance with a $\text{pH} < 7$ that increases $H^+$ concentration in solution, turning litmus paper red and universal indicator red, orange, or yellow.

Base

A corrosive substance with a $\text{pH} > 7$ that decreases $H^+$ concentration in solution, turning litmus paper blue and universal indicator blue or purple.

Catalyst

A chemical substance that increases the rate of a chemical reaction by lowering the activation energy required for a successful collision without being consumed.

Pop Test

A laboratory test identifying hydrogen gas produced in a metal-acid reaction, observed as a characteristic popping explosion in the presence of a lit splint.

Energy

The capacity or ability to cause change within a physical system, measured scientifically in Joules ($J$).

Law of Conservation of Energy

A fundamental physical principle stating that energy cannot be created or destroyed, but can only be stored, transferred between objects, or transformed into different forms.

Sankey Diagram

A visual flow diagram that quantitatively illustrates energy conversions within a system, mapping how input energy splits into useful and wasted output pathways.

Energy Efficiency

The percentage of supplied input energy that is converted into useful work, calculated by the formula $\text{Energy efficiency} = \left(\frac{\text{Useful Energy}}{\text{Total Energy}}\right) \times 100$.

Transverse Wave

A wave in which the particles or oscillations move perpendicular (at right angles) to the direction of energy propagation, such as visible light waves.

Longitudinal Wave

A mechanical wave in which particles oscillate parallel (back and forth) to the direction of energy propagation, creating alternating regions of compression and rarefaction.

Compression

A high-density region in a longitudinal wave where medium particles are pushed closely together.

Rarefaction

A low-density region in a longitudinal wave where medium particles are spread relatively far apart.

Frequency

The number of complete wave vibrations per second, measured in Hertz ($\text{Hz}$), which directly determines the perceived pitch of a sound.

Amplitude

The height or maximum displacement of a wave from its rest position, which directly corresponds to the loudness of sound measured in decibels ($\text{dB}$).

Law of Reflection

The optical principle stating that the angle of incidence ($i$) is always exactly equal to the angle of reflection ($r$) relative to the normal line.

Refraction

The bending of light waves as they pass across the boundary from one optical medium into another medium of different density.

Homeostasis

The biological process of regulating and maintaining stable internal physiological conditions (such as body temperature and blood glucose) despite external changes.

Negative Feedback

A self-regulating control loop involving a receptor, control centre, and effector that counteracts a detected physiological change to restore conditions to normal.

Vasodilation

The physiological widening of blood vessels near the skin surface to increase blood flow and release excess thermal energy when the body is too warm.

Vasoconstriction

The physiological narrowing of blood vessels near the skin surface to reduce blood flow and conserve internal heat when the body is too cold.

Insulin

A pancreatic hormone secreted when blood glucose is elevated that stimulates the liver to store excess glucose as glycogen, reducing blood sugar.

Glucagon

A pancreatic hormone secreted when blood glucose is depleted that prompts the liver to break down stored glycogen into glucose, raising blood sugar.

Central Nervous System (CNS)

The major control division of the nervous system comprising the brain and spinal cord, responsible for processing sensory input and coordinating actions.

Peripheral Nervous System (PNS)

The network of nerves outside the central nervous system that transmits electrical impulses between the rest of the body and the CNS.

Dendrite

The branch-like extension of a neuron that receives incoming nerve impulses from sensory receptors or adjacent neurons.

Axon

The long, slender projection of a neuron that conducts electrical nerve signals away from the cell body toward downstream cells.

Synapse

The microscopic junction or physical gap between two adjacent neurons across which chemical and electrical signals are transmitted.

Reflex

An involuntary, rapid, and automatic physiological response to a stimulus mediated by the spinal cord or brainstem without conscious cerebral intervention.