GAMSAT key terms

A single sentence that states the central claim of an essay, giving the reader a clear position that the rest of the writing supports and develops.

The opening sentence of a paragraph that announces its main idea and shows how that paragraph connects to the essay's overall argument.

The way sentences and paragraphs are linked so writing flows logically, achieved through connectives, repeated key words, and consistent pronoun reference.

The level of formality in language chosen to suit an audience and purpose, ranging from conversational to formal academic prose.

The emotional or cultural associations a word carries beyond its literal meaning, which shape how a reader responds to a phrase.

The literal, dictionary meaning of a word, considered apart from any emotional associations or implied suggestions it may carry.

An opposing view introduced into an essay and then answered, demonstrating that the writer has considered alternative positions before defending a conclusion.

A reasoned line of thinking in which evidence and explanation are used to support a claim, rather than mere assertion or disagreement.

Information such as examples, data, or reasoning offered to support a claim and persuade a reader that it is credible.

A broad statement applied to a whole group from limited cases; persuasive writing must qualify such claims rather than overstate them.

Language that softens a claim, such as possibly or tends to, acknowledging uncertainty and limiting how far a conclusion is asserted.

A question asked for persuasive effect rather than to obtain an answer, inviting the reader to accept an implied point.

An ethical theory judging actions by their consequences, holding that the right action produces the greatest overall welfare for all affected.

An ethical approach holding that certain duties and rules are binding regardless of outcomes, so some acts are wrong even if they produce good results.

The capacity of a person to make informed decisions about their own life, a principle central to consent and medical ethics.

The idea that political authority rests on an implicit agreement among citizens to accept shared rules in exchange for protection and order.

The question of how benefits and burdens in a society should be shared fairly among its members, including access to healthcare and education.

Fairness in treatment that accounts for differing needs and circumstances, distinguished from treating everyone in exactly the same way.

Agreement to a procedure or study given by someone who understands its purpose, risks, and alternatives, and who decides freely.

The obligation to keep personal information private and to disclose it only with permission or where a clear justification exists.

A statistical relationship in which two variables vary together, which does not by itself establish that one causes the other.

An unmeasured factor linked to both the supposed cause and the observed outcome, which can create a misleading apparent relationship.

The comparison group in an experiment that does not receive the treatment, allowing researchers to isolate the effect being tested.

Assigning participants to groups by chance so that known and unknown differences are spread evenly and bias is reduced.

A result unlikely to have arisen by chance alone under a stated probability threshold, indicating a real effect is plausible.

The number of observations in a study; larger samples generally give more precise estimates and greater power to detect effects.

The maintenance of stable internal conditions, such as temperature and blood glucose, through feedback mechanisms that resist change.

A control mechanism in which a change triggers a response that reverses the change, restoring a variable toward its set point.

The movement of water across a partially permeable membrane from a region of higher water concentration to one of lower water concentration.

The net movement of particles from an area of higher concentration to lower concentration, driven by random molecular motion.

A difference in the concentration of a substance between two regions, which provides the driving force for diffusion and transport.

A protein that speeds up a biochemical reaction by lowering its activation energy, acting on a specific substrate at its active site.

The minimum energy required for a reaction to proceed, which enzymes reduce so reactions occur at body temperature.

One of the alternative versions of a gene at a given position on a chromosome, which may produce different observable traits.

The particular combination of alleles an organism carries for a gene or set of genes, which interacts with environment to shape traits.

The observable characteristics of an organism, resulting from the interaction between its genetic makeup and its environment.

The process by which heritable traits that improve survival and reproduction become more common in a population over generations.

A logarithmic scale measuring hydrogen ion concentration, where values below seven are acidic and above seven are alkaline.

The amount of substance containing a fixed number of particles, used to convert between mass and numbers of reacting particles.