Scientists Say
A weekly word defined, in a sentence and in context.
- Health & Medicine
Scientists Say: Parasite
Lots of organisms live in pairs, benefitting from each other. But when one organism benefits while the other suffers? That first organism is a parasite.
- Ecosystems
Scientists Say: Understory
A forest isn’t made just out of the tallest trees. Shorter trees and shrubs thrive in their shade. This layer is called the understory.
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Scientists Say: Data
Data are a group of facts that are collected together for analysis.
- Space
Scientists Say: Yellow dwarf
Yellow dwarf is a term used for a medium-sized star. Our sun is a yellow dwarf.
- Humans
Scientists Say: Neandertal
This extinct species is a close relative of modern humans. Neandertals lived in Europe and Asia, and made tools and jewelry — just like us.
- Physics
Scientists Say: Kelvin
Kelvin is a temperature scale. It’s based around the concept of “absolute zero,” a temperature so cold that molecules stop moving.
- Chemistry
Scientists Say: Peptide
Peptides are short chains made of smaller molecules called amino acids. These chains can form proteins, and they can also do work on their own.
- Animals
Scientists Say: Larva
Many insects, amphibians and fish have a life stage after they hatch that looks very different from the animal’s adult form. This life stage has its own name.
- Climate
Scientists Say: Climate
Climate is the atmospheric conditions that are typical to a general area over a long period of time.
- Earth
Scientists Say: Stalactite and stalagmite
Stalactites are mineral deposits forms on the ceilings of caves. Stalagmites are also mineral deposits, but they form on the floor of the cave.
- Animals
Scientists Say: Nematocyst
Nematocysts are special cells in some ocean critters, such as jellyfish, sea anenomes and corals. They have a barb coated in venom that shoots out at their prey.
- Health & Medicine
Scientists Say: Remission
Remission is a term used in medicine. It describes a disease that isn’t active anymore —whether it is cured or simply dormant.
