SAT Natural Sciences - Anatomy and Genetics

Here you will learn some English words related to anatomy and genetics, such as "spleen", "artery", "haploid", etc. that you will need to ace your SATs.

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diaphragm [noun]

(anatomy) the muscular body partition that separates the chest and abdomen

Ex: Injury to the diaphragm can affect its ability to function properly .

appendix [noun]

a sack of tissue that is attached to the large intestine and is surgically removed if infected

Ex: After removal , the appendix typically does not affect normal bodily functions .

intestinal [adjective]

relating to the intestines, which are part of the digestive system responsible for absorbing nutrients and removing waste from the body

Ex:

prefrontal cortex [noun]

the front part of the brain involved in higher cognition and executive functions

spleen [noun]

(anatomy) an abdominal organ that controls the quality of the blood cells

Ex: In some animals , such as dogs , the spleen can contract and release stored blood in times of need , such as during exercise or in response to injury .

enamel [noun]

the hard white external layer that covers the crown of a tooth

Ex: Brushing and flossing regularly help to maintain enamel health and prevent dental problems .

clavicle [noun]

the long, curved bone that connects the shoulder blade to the sternum

Ex: Athletes often injure the clavicle during contact sports .

cochlea [noun]

(anatomy) a spiral cavity in the inner ear that contains sensory organs which send nerve signals to the brain in response to vibrations

cecum [noun]

the first part of the large intestine, located in the lower right abdomen

torso [noun]

the upper part of the human body, excluding the arms and the head

Ex: The forensic pathologist examined the torso to determine the cause of death and identify the victim .

artery [noun]

any blood vessel, carrying the blood to different organs of body from the heart

Ex: The largest artery in the body is the aorta , which originates from the left ventricle of the heart and distributes blood to the rest of the body .

joint [noun]

a place in the body where two bones meet, enabling one of them to bend or move around

Ex:

spine [noun]

the row of small bones that are joined together down the center of the back of the body

Ex: The x-ray revealed a curvature in the spine , indicating a case of scoliosis .

tract [noun]

(anatomy) a system of interconnected organs or tissues that perform a particular task in the body

coronary [adjective]

relating to the heart or the network of blood vessels encircling it

Ex: The coronary circulation supplies oxygenated blood to the heart muscle , allowing it to pump effectively .

thyroid [noun]

a small, butterfly-shaped gland located at the base of the neck, responsible for producing hormones that regulate metabolism and other bodily functions

Ex: The thyroid plays a crucial role in maintaining overall health and energy balance .

talus [noun]

the bone that forms the ankle joint with the tibia and fibula, supporting the body's weight and allowing movement of the foot

Ex: The surgeon performed a delicate procedure to repair the fractured talus .

bladder [noun]

a sac-like organ inside the body where urine is stored before being passed

Ex: The bladder can hold up to 600 milliliters of urine .

reproductive [adjective]

relating to processes and behaviors involved in the creation of offspring within a species

Ex: Reproductive cycles in females involve ovulation and menstruation .

sensory [adjective]

relating to any of the five senses

Ex: Sensory processing disorder affects how the brain interprets and responds to sensory input .

tactile [adjective]

relating to the sense of touch or the ability to perceive objects by touch

Ex: Blind individuals rely heavily on tactile cues to navigate their surroundings and interact with objects .

retinal [adjective]

(anatomy) connected with the sensory part of the eye that sends signals to the brain, called retina

auditory [adjective]

related to the ability of hearing

Ex:

optical [adjective]

relating to sight or vision

Ex: The telescope uses optical lenses to magnify distant celestial objects for observation .

chromosome [noun]

a very small threadlike structure in a living organism that carries the genes and genetic information

genome [noun]

the complete set of genetic material of any living thing

Ex: Researchers are studying the genome of the coronavirus to track its mutations and develop effective vaccines .

genotype [noun]

the genetic makeup of an organism, determined by the combination of genes inherited from its parents

Ex: Human diversity is influenced by the wide range of genotypes resulting from the combination of genetic material from both parents .

phenotype [noun]

the observable physical and behavioral characteristics of an organism, resulting from the interaction of its genotype (genetic makeup) with the environment

Ex: Flower color , petal shape , and plant height are plant phenotypes .

allele [noun]

one of two or more alternative forms of a gene that arise by mutation and are found at the same place on a chromosome

Ex:

recessive [adjective]

(of a gene or trait) showing its specific appearance only when an individual inherits it from both parents

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:

expression [noun]

the process by which information from a gene is used to synthesize functional gene products, such as proteins, which can influence an organism's traits

Ex: Abnormal expression of certain genes can lead to the development of cancer .

to modify [verb]

to alter or change the genetic makeup of an organism through genetic engineering techniques

Ex: In the lab , they modified the mosquito genome to reduce the spread of malaria .

mutation [noun]

(biology) a change in the structure of the genes of an individual that causes them to develop different physical features

Ex: Due to a mutation in his genes , the child was born with blue eyes , even though both parents had brown eyes .

to inherit [verb]

to receive traits or attributes from a previous generation through genetic inheritance

Ex: He inherited his grandfather 's talent for playing the piano .

lineage [noun]

the passing down of traits from one generation to another within a family

Ex: She was proud of her royal lineage , tracing her ancestry back to ancient kings and queens .

progenitor [noun]

a person from whom other offsprings are descended

Ex: The company 's founders were the progenitors of innovation , revolutionizing the industry with their groundbreaking ideas .

transgenic [adjective]

(of an organism) having genetic material from another species that has been artificially introduced into its genome

geneticist [noun]

a specialist in or student of the branch of biology that deals with how individual features and different characteristics are passed through genes

Ex: The geneticist used advanced technology to map the human genome and identify specific genes linked to cancer .

karyotype [noun]

a visual display of an individual's chromosomes, used for genetic analysis and identifying abnormalities

Ex: Doctors use karyotypes to check for genetic disorders in newborns .

eugenics [noun]

the practice of improving the genetic quality of a human population through selective breeding and other methods

Ex: Eugenics was a prominent but controversial field of study in the early 20th century .

trisomy [noun]

a genetic condition in which an individual has three copies of a chromosome instead of the usual two

Ex: Trisomy often results in developmental and physical abnormalities .

centromere [noun]

the region of a chromosome where the two sister chromatids are joined and where the spindle fibers attach during cell division

Ex: Each chromosome has a single centromere that is essential for cell division .

palindrome [noun]

a DNA sequence that has the same order of nucleotides on each side of the complementary DNA strands

cytogenetics [noun]

the branch of genetics that studies the structure and function of chromosomes using microscopic and molecular techniques

Ex: The cytogenetics lab conducted a karyotype analysis to detect chromosomal anomalies .

autosome [noun]

any chromosome that is not involved in determining sex, present in pairs in both males and females, and carrying most of an individual's genetic information

Ex:

transfection [noun]

the process of introducing foreign DNA or RNA into eukaryotic cells to study gene function or manipulate gene expression

genetically [adverb]

in a manner that is related to genetics or genes

Ex: The disorder was analyzed genetically to identify any genetic mutations or abnormalities .

haploid [noun]

a cell or organism containing a single set of unpaired chromosomes, typically denoted as n, representing half the genetic material of a diploid cell

Ex: Researchers are studying haploids to understand genetic variability and inheritance patterns .

early growth response [noun]

a family of transcription factors that play important roles in regulating gene expression in response to various stimuli

SAT Natural Sciences
Physics	Electromagnetism and Mechanics	Chemistry	Chemical Substances and Properties
Biology	Biochemistry and Cell Structure	Medical Sciences	Neurology and Blood Biochemistry
Anatomy and Genetics	Disease and Pathology	Zoology	Animal Life and Evolution
Agriculture and Forestry	Botany and Gardening	Geology	Geography and Oceanography
Astronomy and Aerospace Science	Physical World	Everyday Objects	Technical Objects
Physical Features	Appearance and Texture	Sound and Size	Natural World
Land and Water	Movement	Human Movement	Placement
Restriction	Mental Capacities and Failures	Vision and Precision