TEAS Science flashcards
TEAS Science · Build recall with a focused review session.
33 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.
- Main idea
- The central point that a passage or paragraph develops. Every supporting detail should relate back to it, so it can usually be stated in one sentence.
- Inference
- A conclusion drawn from evidence in the text plus sound reasoning. It is not stated directly but must be logically supported by what is written.
- Author's purpose
- The reason a writer produces a text, such as to inform, persuade, entertain, or instruct. Purpose is often revealed by word choice and structure.
- Tone
- The writer's attitude toward the subject, conveyed through word choice and detail. Tone differs from mood, which is the feeling created in the reader.
- Chronological order
- Organization of information by time sequence, signaled by words such as first, next, then, and finally, or by dates and times.
- Cause and effect
- A text structure that explains why something happened and what resulted, signaled by words like because, therefore, and as a result.
- Compare and contrast
- A structure that examines similarities and differences between two or more subjects, often signaled by however, similarly, and unlike.
- Percent change
- Computed as the difference between new and old values divided by the original value, then multiplied by 100. A positive result indicates an increase.
- Solving percent problems
- Use part equals percent times whole. Rearranged, percent equals part divided by whole, and whole equals part divided by percent.
- Slope formula
- Slope equals the change in y divided by the change in x between two points, written as (y2 - y1) / (x2 - x1).
- Slope-intercept form
- The equation y = mx + b, where m is the slope and b is the y-intercept, the point where the line crosses the y-axis.
- Order of operations
- Evaluate parentheses first, then exponents, then multiplication and division left to right, then addition and subtraction left to right.
- Proportion
- An equation stating that two ratios are equal. It is solved by cross-multiplying, then dividing to isolate the unknown value.
- Mean, median, mode
- Mean is the sum divided by the count, median is the middle value of ordered data, and mode is the most frequent value.
- Circle formulas
- Area equals pi times the radius squared, and circumference equals two times pi times the radius. Diameter is twice the radius.
- Unit conversion
- Multiply by a ratio equal to one that places the desired unit on top, so the unwanted unit cancels and the value is expressed in new units.
- Cell theory
- Three principles: all living organisms are composed of cells, the cell is the basic unit of life, and new cells arise from existing cells.
- Mitochondria
- Organelles that carry out cellular respiration, converting glucose and oxygen into ATP, the usable energy currency of the cell.
- Ribosomes
- Structures that assemble proteins by translating messenger RNA, linking amino acids in the order specified by the genetic code.
- Chloroplasts
- Plant organelles containing chlorophyll that capture light energy to carry out photosynthesis, producing glucose and releasing oxygen.
- Mitosis versus meiosis
- Mitosis produces two genetically identical diploid cells for growth and repair. Meiosis produces four genetically varied haploid gametes for reproduction.
- DNA base pairing
- Adenine pairs with thymine, and cytosine pairs with guanine, held together by hydrogen bonds between the two strands of the double helix.
- Transcription and translation
- Transcription copies DNA into messenger RNA in the nucleus. Translation uses that mRNA to build a protein at the ribosome.
- Homeostasis
- The maintenance of stable internal conditions, such as temperature and blood glucose, through feedback mechanisms that correct deviations from a set point.
- Newton's second law
- Force equals mass times acceleration. For a given force, acceleration increases as mass decreases, and acceleration increases with greater force.
- Atomic number and mass number
- Atomic number is the number of protons, which identifies the element. Mass number is protons plus neutrons. Isotopes differ only in neutrons.
- pH scale
- A measure of hydrogen ion concentration from 0 to 14. Values below 7 are acidic, 7 is neutral, and above 7 is basic; each step is tenfold.
- Complete sentence
- A group of words containing a subject, a verb, and a complete thought. Missing any one of these produces a fragment.
- Comma splice
- Two independent clauses joined by only a comma. Correct it with a period, a semicolon, or a comma plus a coordinating conjunction.
- Commonly confused words
- Its is possessive and it's means it is. Their is possessive, there indicates place, and they're means they are.
- Subject-verb agreement
- A verb must match its subject in number. Prepositional phrases between them do not change whether the verb is singular or plural.
- Active versus passive voice
- In active voice the subject performs the action. In passive voice the subject receives the action and a by-phrase may name the doer.
- Apostrophe use
- Apostrophes mark possession, with 's for singular and s' for plural owners, and mark contractions. They never form ordinary plurals.