pattern

Essential Vocabulary for the GRE - Scientifically Speaking

Here you will learn some English words about science, such as "antigen", "clone", "lymph", etc. that are needed for the GRE exam.

Review

Flashcards

Forms

Spelling

Quiz

Start learning
Essential Words Needed for the GRE
zoology
zoology
[noun]

a branch of science that deals with animals

Ex: She decided to major in zoology because of her fascination with animal behavior. 
Close
Sign in
botany
botany
[noun]

the scientific study of plants, their structure, genetics, classification, etc.

Ex: She majored in botany to learn about plant genetics and classification. 
Close
Sign in
synthesis
synthesis
[noun]

the act of producing a substance that exists in living beings

Ex: The liver plays a crucial role in the synthesis of proteins necessary for blood clotting. 
Close
Sign in
antigen
antigen
[noun]

any foreign substance in the body that can trigger a response from the immune system

Ex: The vaccine introduces a harmless antigen to stimulate immunity. 
Close
Sign in
cortisol
cortisol
[noun]

a steroid hormone that the body produces and is used in medicine to help cure skin diseases

Ex: High levels of cortisol can increase stress and anxiety. 
Close
Sign in
clone
clone
[noun]

a cell or a group of cells created through a natural or artificial process from a source that they are genetically identical to

Ex: The scientists observed the behavior of the bacterial clone to understand how it would respond to different antibiotics. 
Close
Sign in
dominant
dominant
[Adjective]

(of genes) causing a person to inherit a particular physical feature, even if it is only present in one parent's genome

Ex: The gene for brown eyes is dominant over the gene for blue eyes. 
Close
Sign in
fetus
fetus
[noun]

an offspring of a human or animal that is not born yet, particularly a human aged more than eight weeks after conception

Ex: The ultrasound showed that the fetus was developing normally. 
Close
Sign in
gene pool
gene pool
[noun]

all of the genes that are available within breeding populations of a particular species of animal or plant

Ex: A diverse gene pool helps ensure the health and adaptability of a species. 
Close
Sign in
genome
genome
[noun]

the complete set of genetic material of any living thing

Ex: The human genome consists of approximately 3 billion base pairs of DNA, encoding all the information needed for human development and function. 
Close
Sign in
incubation

the controlled maintenance of a specific temperature; fostering optimal conditions for the development of organisms, processes, or materials

Ex: The scientist adjusted the incubation temperature for the bacterial cultures. 
Close
Sign in
lymph
lymph
[noun]

a colorless liquid consisting of white blood cells that helps to prevent infections from spreading

Ex: Swelling can occur when lymph is not properly drained. 
Close
Sign in
membrane
membrane
[noun]

a thin sheet of tissue that separates or covers the inner parts of an organism

Ex: The cell membrane protects the interior of the cell. 
Close
Sign in
to mutate
to mutate
[Verb]

to experience genetic changes

Ex: Over time, certain organisms may mutate to adapt to environmental pressures. 
Close
Sign in
neurotransmitter

a chemical substance that transmits messages from a neuron to another one or to a muscle

Ex: Dopamine is a neurotransmitter involved in mood regulation. 
Close
Sign in
symbiosis
symbiosis
[noun]

a close and often long-term interaction between two different species living in close physical association, typically to the advantage of both

Ex: The relationship between cleaner fish and larger fish, where the cleaner fish remove parasites, represents a mutualistic symbiosis. 
Close
Sign in
specimen
specimen
[noun]

a representative or characteristic sample that is examined or analyzed to gain insights or understanding of a particular group or category

Ex: The scientist examined the specimen under the microscope for research. 
Close
Sign in
to secrete

(of a cell, gland, or organ) to produce and release a liquid substance in the body

Ex: Salivary glands secrete enzymes that aid in the digestion of food. 
Close
Sign in
propagation

the process of natural multiplication; representing the expansion of a population over time

Ex: Scientists studied the propagation of bacteria in different conditions. 
Close
Sign in
pigmentation

the natural coloring of tissues, surfaces, or structures; contributing to the characteristic hues or tones observed in animals, plants, or human beings

Ex: Pigmentation varies greatly among different species of plants. 
Close
Sign in
physiology

the field of science that studies the function or interactions among organisms

Ex: She is studying physiology to understand how the body's systems work together. 
Close
Sign in
to ovulate

(of a female animal or human) to produce an ovum from the ovary

Ex: To understand her cycle, she tracked when she ovulates. 
Close
Sign in
nucleus
nucleus
[noun]

(biology) the part of a cell that contains most of the genetic information

Ex: The nucleus of a cell contains genetic material in the form of DNA, which regulates cellular activities. 
Close
Sign in
metabolism

the chemical processes through which food is changed into energy for the body to use

Ex: Metabolism involves various biochemical reactions that convert nutrients from food into energy. 
Close
Sign in
carbon dating

a method used for measuring how old an organic material is by calculating the amount of carbon they contain

Ex: Carbon dating revealed that the ancient artifact was over 5,000 years old. 
Close
Sign in
cybernetics

the study of how communication and control work in living organisms and machines, focusing on information flow, feedback, and system regulation

Ex: Cybernetics examines how the human brain processes information and controls various bodily functions. 
Close
Sign in
pathology
pathology
[noun]

a branch of medical science primarily focusing on the study of the causes and effects of disease or injury

Ex: The hospital offers specialized services in pathology, including the analysis of tissue samples for diagnostic purposes. 
Close
Sign in
vivisection

the scientific and experimental operations performed on live animals

Ex: The ethics committee debated the use of vivisection in the laboratory. 
Close
Sign in
aerodynamics

the study of the behavior of air as it interacts with solid objects, particularly the flow of air around and through objects, and the effects of this interaction on the objects

Ex: Aerodynamics is essential in designing efficient aircraft wings, optimizing their shape for lift and minimizing drag during flight. 
Close
Sign in
volatile
volatile
[Adjective]

having a tendency to change rapidly and unpredictably, often characterized by fluctuations or instability

Ex: The weather in the region can be highly volatile throughout the year. 
Close
Sign in
vacuum
vacuum
[noun]

a space that is utterly empty of all matter

Ex: In physics, a vacuum is defined as a space devoid of any matter particles, including atoms and molecules. 
Close
Sign in
thermal
thermal
[Adjective]

related to heat or temperature, including how heat moves, how materials expand with temperature changes, and the energy stored in heat

Ex: As the temperature increased, the metal expanded due to thermal expansion. 
Close
Sign in
refraction

the bending of the wave's path as it passes from one medium to another; caused by a change in its speed or direction

Ex: The refraction of light through the water created a rainbow effect. 
Close
Sign in
particle
particle
[noun]

(physics) any of the smallest units that energy or matter consists of, such as electrons, atoms, molecules, etc.

Ex: Electrons are fundamental particles with a negative electric charge. 
Close
Sign in
to oscillate

to move back and forth repeatedly between two points or positions

Ex: The pendulum swung back and forth, oscillating steadily over time. 
Close
Sign in
nuclear fission

the process or action of splitting a nucleus into two or more parts resulting in the release of a significant amount of energy

Ex: Nuclear fission is a process in which the nucleus of an atom splits into two or more smaller nuclei, releasing a large amount of energy. 
Close
Sign in
nuclear fusion

(physics) the reaction in which two nuclei join together and produce energy

Ex: Nuclear fusion is the process in which two atomic nuclei combine to form a heavier nucleus, releasing a large amount of energy in the process. 
Close
Sign in
momentum
momentum
[noun]

the strength of a moving object determined by multiplying how heavy it is by how fast it is going

Ex: The car's momentum increased as it accelerated down the highway. 
Close
Sign in
isotope
isotope
[noun]

each of two or more forms of the same element that contain equal numbers of protons but different numbers of neutrons in their nuclei, leading to variation in atomic mass

Ex: Carbon-12 and carbon-14 are isotopes of carbon, with the former having 6 neutrons and the latter having 8 neutrons. 
Close
Sign in
kinetic
kinetic
[Adjective]

relating to the energy associated with motion or movement, emphasizing the dynamic state of objects in action

Ex: Kinetic energy is the energy possessed by an object due to its motion. 
Close
Sign in
LanGeek
Download LanGeek app