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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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SAT Vocabulary for Natural Sciences
diaphragm
diaphragm
[noun]

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

Ex: The diaphragm contracts and relaxes to control breathing. 
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appendix
appendix
[noun]

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

Ex: An inflamed appendix can cause severe abdominal pain and fever. 
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intestinal
intestinal
[Adjective]

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

Ex: Intestinal bacteria play a crucial role in digestion and nutrient absorption in the intestines. 
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prefrontal cortex

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

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spleen
spleen
[noun]

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

Ex: The spleen is an organ located in the upper left side of the abdomen, beneath the ribcage, and is part of the lymphatic system. 
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enamel
enamel
[noun]

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

Ex: Enamel is the hard outer layer of the teeth that protects them from decay and damage. 
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clavicle
clavicle
[noun]

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

Ex: She broke her clavicle while skiing. 
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cochlea
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

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cecum
cecum
[noun]

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

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torso
torso
[noun]

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

Ex: The artist sculpted a lifelike statue of a human torso, capturing the muscular contours with precision. 
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artery
artery
[noun]

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

Ex: Atherosclerosis, a condition where plaque builds up inside the arteries, can restrict blood flow and lead to serious health issues like heart attacks and strokes. 
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joint
joint
[noun]

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

Ex: The knee is a complex joint that allows for bending and straightening of the leg. 
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spine
spine
[noun]

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

Ex: The surgeon carefully examined the patient's spine to assess the extent of the injury. 
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tract
tract
[noun]

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

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coronary
coronary
[Adjective]

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

Ex: Coronary artery disease occurs when the coronary arteries become narrowed or blocked, leading to reduced blood flow to the heart muscle. 
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thyroid
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: Autoimmune diseases like Hashimoto's thyroiditis can lead to inflammation and dysfunction of the thyroid. 
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talus
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 talus bone plays a crucial role in ankle stability and movement. 
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bladder
bladder
[noun]

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

Ex: She had to go to the restroom urgently as her bladder was full. 
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reproductive
reproductive
[Adjective]

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

Ex: Reproductive organs in animals and plants facilitate the production of offspring. 
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sensory
sensory
[Adjective]

relating to any of the five senses

Ex: Sensory receptors in the skin detect pressure, temperature, and pain. 
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tactile
tactile
[Adjective]

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

Ex: The artist explored the tactile qualities of different materials, using touch as a primary means of expression in her sculptures. 
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retinal
retinal
[Adjective]

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

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auditory
auditory
[Adjective]

related to the ability of hearing

Ex: The auditory system includes the ears and the brain's processing of sound signals. 
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optical
optical
[Adjective]

relating to sight or vision

Ex: Optical illusions play tricks on the mind, challenging our perception of reality. 
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chromosome

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

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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. 
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genotype
genotype
[noun]

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

Ex: The genotype of an individual is responsible for the inheritance of specific traits, such as eye color and height. 
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phenotype
phenotype
[noun]

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

Ex: Eye color, hair texture, and height are examples of human phenotypes. 
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allele
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: In Mendelian genetics, offspring inherit one allele from each parent for a particular trait. 
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recessive
recessive
[Adjective]

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

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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. 
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expression

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: Gene expression is regulated by various factors, including environmental signals and regulatory proteins. 
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to modify
to modify
[Verb]

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

Ex: Researchers have successfully modified bacteria to produce insulin for medical treatments. 
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mutation
mutation
[noun]

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

Ex: The fish exhibited a unique fin shape, which was later identified as a result of a genetic mutation. 
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to inherit

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

Ex: She inherited her father's blue eyes and her mother's curly hair. 
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lineage
lineage
[noun]

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

Ex: She inherited her musical talent from her mother, continuing the lineage of musicians in their family. 
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progenitor

a person from whom other offsprings are descended

Ex: The ancient civilization's progenitors laid the foundation for the cultural traditions that endured for centuries. 
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transgenic
transgenic
[Adjective]

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

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geneticist

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 conducted experiments to understand how certain traits are inherited in different animal species. 
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karyotype
karyotype
[noun]

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

Ex: Genetic counselors use karyotypes to explain potential risks to parents. 
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eugenics
eugenics
[noun]

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

Ex: The idea of eugenics influenced many early 20th-century social policies. 
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trisomy
trisomy
[noun]

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

Ex: Down syndrome is caused by trisomy of chromosome 21. 
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centromere

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

Ex: The centromere plays a crucial role in the proper segregation of chromosomes during mitosis. 
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palindrome

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

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cytogenetics

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

Ex: Cytogenetics involves analyzing chromosomal abnormalities in patients with genetic disorders. 
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autosome
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: Humans have 22 pairs of autosomes and one pair of sex chromosomes. 
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transfection

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

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genetically
genetically
[Adverb]

in a manner that is related to genetics or genes

Ex: The disease was found to be genetically inherited, passed down from one generation to the next. 
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haploid
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: Gametes, such as sperm and egg cells, are haploids that fuse during fertilization to form a diploid zygote. 
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early growth response

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

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