agar: A gelatinous material made from certain marine algae used as a material (and food source) in which to grow bacteria.
angle: The space (usually measured in degrees) between two intersecting lines or surfaces at or close to the point where they meet.
annual: Adjective for something that happens every year. (in botany) A plant that lives only one year, so it usually has a showy flower and produces many seeds.
astronaut: Someone trained to travel into space for research and exploration.
cell: (in biology) The smallest structural and functional unit of an organism. Typically too small to see with the unaided eye, it consists of a watery fluid surrounded by a membrane or wall. Depending on their size, animals are made of anywhere from thousands to trillions of cells.
clinostat: A device that can hold a petri dish and turn it (on end) at specified rates of rotation to simulate the effects of microgravity for anything growing in the petri dish.
coil: Concentric rings or spirals formed by winding wire or some other fiber around and around a core; or the shape that such a wire would make.
crop: (in agriculture) A type of plant grown intentionally grown and nurtured by farmers, such as corn, coffee or tomatoes. Or the term could apply to the part of the plant harvested and sold by farmers. (in zoology) A throat-like structure that can store food as an animal, especially a bird, moves from the field back to its nest.
degree: (in geometry) A unit of measurement for angles. Each degree equals one three-hundred-and-sixtieth of the circumference of a circle.
engineering: The field of research that uses math and science to solve practical problems. Someone who works in this field is known as an engineer.
gel: A gooey or viscous material that can flow like a thick liquid.
germinate: To sprout and grow.
gravity: The force that attracts anything with mass, or bulk, toward any other thing with mass. The more mass that something has, the greater its gravity.
high school: A designation for grades nine through 12 in the U.S. system of compulsory public education. High-school graduates may apply to colleges for further, advanced education.
hormone: (in zoology and medicine) A chemical produced in a gland and then carried in the bloodstream to another part of the body. Hormones control many important body activities, such as growth. Hormones act by triggering or regulating chemical reactions in the body. (in botany) A chemical that serves as a signaling compound that tells cells of a plant when and how to develop, or when to grow old and die.
hypothesis: (v. hypothesize) A proposed explanation for a phenomenon. In science, a hypothesis is an idea that must be rigorously tested before it is accepted or rejected.
iron: A metallic element that is common within minerals in Earth’s crust and in its hot core. This metal also is found in cosmic dust and in many meteorites.
magnet: A material that usually contains iron and whose atoms are arranged so they attract certain metals.
magnetism: The attractive influence, or force, created by certain materials, called magnets, or by the movement of electric charges.
microgravity: Gravity that is a fraction of the force experienced at sea level on Earth.
NASA: Short for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Created in 1958, this U.S. agency has become a leader in space research and in stimulating public interest in space exploration. It was through NASA that the United States sent people into orbit and ultimately to the moon. It also has sent research craft to study planets and other celestial objects in our solar system.
nutrient: A vitamin, mineral, fat, carbohydrate or protein that a plant, animal or other organism requires as part of its food in order to survive.
orientation: (v. orient) The deliberate arrangement of your position (of that of something else) relative to the cardinal directions (north south, east or west), to the ordinal directions (northeast, southeast, southwest or northwest) or to some landmark (such as the horizon, a particular street corner or a statue).
petri dish: A shallow, circular dish used to grow bacteria or other microorganisms.
protein: A compound made from one or more long chains of amino acids. Proteins are an essential part of all living organisms. They form the basis of living cells, muscle and tissues; they also do the work inside of cells. Antibodies, hemoglobin and enzymes are all examples of proteins. Medicines frequently work by latching onto proteins.
Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair: (Regeneron ISEF) Initially launched in 1950, this competition is one of three created (and still run) by the Society for Science. Each year now, as many as 2,000 high school students from up to 70 countries, regions, and territories are awarded the opportunity to showcase their independent research at Regeneron ISEF and to compete for some $9 million in prizes.
seedling: The initial plant that sprouts leaves and roots after emerging from a seed.simulate: To deceive in some way by imitating the form or function of something. A simulated dietary fat, for instance, may deceive the mouth that it has tasted a real fat because it has the same feel on the tongue — without having any calories. A simulated sense of touch may fool the brain into thinking a finger has touched something even though a hand may no longer exists and has been replaced by a synthetic limb.