293GLOSSARYDistillation Purifying a liquid by boiling
it and then collecting the vapour.
DNA Deoxyribonucleic acid, the
molecule that contains the blueprint
for life.
Echolocation Seeing objects with sound
by bouncing sound waves off them and
detecting the reflections.
Ecosystem The community of organisms
living in a particular area.
Elytra The hard forewings of beetles,
earwigs, and some bugs.
Embryo Organism in the earliest stage
of its development.
Epiphyte A plant that grows on another
plant without damaging it.
Evaporate To change from a liquid to
a gas.
Evolution The gradual development of
living things over a long period of time.
Exoskeleton An external skeleton that
supports and protects an animal’s body.
Extinct No longer existing on Earth.
Famine Severe shortage of food, causing
widespread hunger.
Fertilization When male and female sex
cells unite to form an embryo.
Fetus The developing young of an animal
before it is born.
Filtration The
process of separating
liquids from solids using a
filter.Fossil fuels Fuels formed from the
remains of animals and plants that lived
millions of years ago.Friction The force that opposes
movement.Fuel cell A device like a battery
that generates electricity from fuel
and oxygen.Fungi A large group of organisms,
including mushrooms and yeasts, that
feed by breaking down the bodies of
other organisms.Galaxies Groups of dust, gases, and stars
that fill the universe.Genes Stretches of DNA that contain the
code needed to build a particular protein.Genome The entire genetic makeup of
an organism.Gills Feathery structures on the bodies
of amphibians and fish through which
oxygen is absorbed from the water.Gourd A large, fleshy fruit with a
hard skin.Gravity The force that pulls objects
together.Greenhouse gases Gases in Earth’s
atmosphere that trap heat from the Sun
and warm the planet.Habitat The
place in which an
animal or plant lives
in nature.Herbivore An animal that eats
only plants.Hominids The family of primates to
which humans belong.Impressionism A 19th-century style of
art characterized by highly finished pieces
of art that reflected the artist’s response to
what they saw.Inertia The tendency of an object to
remain at rest or in constant motion
unless a force is applied to it.Invertebrate An animal without
a backbone.Joints The meeting point of bones.Keratin Tough protein found in animals’
hair, nails, claws, hooves, horns, feathers,
and scales.Lagoon An enclosed body of water
cut off from the sea by a reef or other
landform.Lava Molten rock flowing on the surface
of Earth.Magma Molten rock flowing under the
surface of Earth.Mammals Warm-blooded, furry animals
that feed their young with milk.GLOSSARY(c) 2012 Dorling Kindersley. All Rights Reserved.(c) 2012 Dorling Kindersley. All Rights Reserved.