ATI TEAS Glossary

absolute value: A bracket function that turns any value within its brackets positive; for example, |3−5| = |–2| = 2
acid: A sour, corrosive chemical that ionizes in water to form H+ ions and has a pH of below 7.0
adjective: A word that modifies a noun or pronoun; for example, a red coat, a small dog
adverb: A word that modifies a verb, adjective, or another adverb; for example, Jane is very smart. Jane walks slowly.
allele: A form of a gene that codes for proteins that produce given traits; for example, Mendel’s peas had a dominant tall allele and a recessive short allele
amino acid: One of 20 small nitrogen-containing organic acids that serve as building blocks for all proteins
antecedent: In grammar, the noun to which a pronoun refers; for example, in the sentence, “Charles wants Sue to look at him,” Charles is the antecedent of him.
antibody: A blood protein that is made by B cells to bind to foreign antigens that enter the body so they can be eliminated
antigen: A toxin or foreign substance that produces an immune response in the body; for example, the immune response might be the production of antibodies
antonym: A word that has the opposite meaning of another word
apostrophe: A punctuation mark (‘) that shows ownership or identifies missing letters in contractions; for example, Larry’s book, or isn’t
area: What is enclosed within the perimeter of a figure, expressed in square units
artery: A blood vessel that carries blood away from the heart
atom: The fundamental unit of matter that makes up the 118 different elements, or forms of matter; an atom consists of a central nucleus containing protons, neutrons, and outer electrons
atomic mass: The mass of a single atom, usually expressed in atomic mass units (amu)
atomic number: The number that identifies a particular element on the periodic table; it tells how many protons and electrons that atom has; for example, carbon, with atomic number 6, has 6 protons and 6 electrons
atomic radius: The distance from an atom’s nucleus to its outermost electron
atrium: One of the top chambers of the heart that receives blood from the body
author’s purpose: The aim of the author in writing the text; typically to explain, persuade, entertain, or express feelings
axon: The long, thin, conductive part of the neuron that conducts impulses away from the neuron cell body
B cells: A type of white blood cell that produces antibodies
base: A chemical that produces OH−1 ions in solution, has a pH of greater than 7.0, and reacts with acids
bases: One of the four “alphabet letters” that make up the genetic code for DNA:A (adenine), T (thymine), C (cytosine), and G (guanine)
bias: A prejudice that is typically based on a faulty opinion
capillary: A very tiny blood vessel that can be either an artery or a vein
cause and effect: A text structure in which the cause of an event directly precedes the outcome of the event, or its effect
cell: The basic biological unit of all living things
cellular respiration: The process of cells burning oxygen to obtain energy and giving off carbon dioxide as a waste product
central nervous system: The part of the nervous system that includes the brain and spinal cord
ceruminous glands: Glands found in the ear canals that secrete a waxy substance to protect the ear canal and lubricate the eardrum
chemical change: A change in the composition of atoms or molecules as a result of a chemical reaction; for example, when H2O is broken into H2 and O2, the composition of atoms has changed
chromosomes: Structures in the cell nucleus that are made up of DNA and contain the genetic code for an organism; humans have 23 pairs of chromosomes
circuit: An electrical system in which current flows in a circular path
circulatory system: The body system that includes the heart and blood vessels
claim-evidence: Text structure in which a claim is stated and evidence is presented to support the claim
clause: A group of words that include a noun and a verb
colon: The punctuation mark (:) that typically introduces a list
comma: The punctuation mark (,) that signals a pause in the text
comma splice: A construction that combines two sentences into a single sentence separated by a comma; comma splices are not found in well-written text
command: A sentence that gives an order or makes a request
compare and contrast: A text structure in which an item is introduced in one section and then compared with another item in the following section
compound: A pure substance such as methane (CH4) or water (H2O), that is made up of two or more elements
concentration: The amount of solute that is dissolved in a solution; a solution with a high concentration has a large amount of solute dissolved
conclusion: A judgment or decision that a reader draws from reading a text
constant: In algebra, a number that is not linked to a variable
context: The text that surrounds a particular item or passage and gives it background meaning
context clues: Hints about the meaning of a text that are derived from assessing its surrounding words, or context
control: A variable kept constant during an experiment
coordinating conjunction: The words that include and, so, but, for, or, nor, and yet; they are used to connect two independent clauses
coronal plane: Anatomical plane that divides body into front and back portions
covalent bonds: Chemical bonds in which electrons are shared equally
dash: A long dash (—) sets off important information in a sentence or introduces surprise; a short dash (–) connects numbers such as in “the period 1965–1968”
decimal: A number expressed in place values based on powers of 10
declarative: A sentence that states a fact or makes a statement
dendrites: The parts of a neuron that receive input from other neurons
denominator: The bottom part of a fraction
denotative meaning: The dictionary meaning of a word
dependent clause: A clause that cannot stand on its own; for example, the italicized words in the following sentence comprise a dependent clause:When the rain stopped, Jo went home
dependent variable: What an experiment measures as an effect or outcome
dermis: Middle layer of the skin, consisting of dense connective tissue
diabetes: A disease in which the body does not secrete a sufficient amount of insulin into the bloodstream; thus, body cells become “starved” because they cannot take in glucose
diameter: The distance across a circle through its center
difference: The answer in subtraction; in 9 – 4 = 5, the 5 is the difference
diffusion: The process in which material flows from a more concentrated area (e.g., in a solution) to an area that is less concentrated
digestive system: The body system that breaks down food and delivers it to the bloodstream
displacement: A change of position, typically the result of movement
divisor: In division, the number that divides into a second number; for 24 ÷ 3, the number 3 is the divisor
DNA: The genetic molecule that makes up chromosomes in the cells and forms the genetic code; DNA transmits information for the proteins that help carry out all important life processes
dominant: In genetics, an allele with a trait that prevails when it is present and the other allele is recessive; for example, a tall allele is dominant over a short allele
double replacement: A chemical reaction in which two components switch places as in AB + CD → AD + CB
drawing a conclusion: Using evidence and reasoning in a text to make a deduction
electric current: The movement of electrons
electronegativity: The tendency of an atom to attract electrons
electrons: Negatively charged fundamental particles that exist outside of the nucleus of every atom
element: A substance, such as carbon, nickel, or chlorine, that is made of a single type of atom
embryo: A growing organism that is incomplete and unborn
endocrine: Pertaining to hormones that secrete internally into the blood
endothermic: A change in state of matter that requires heat
energy: The ability to do work
entertain: One of the four purposes for which an author writes a text, which include to explain, persuade, entertain, or express feelings
enzyme: A protein that facilitates a chemical reaction
epidermis: Outermost layer of the skin
estimate: In math, to find an approximate answer
exclamatory: A sentence that expresses excitement or surprise
excretory system: The body system that removes cellular waste that is expelled from the body after being processed in the kidneys
exothermic: A change in state of matter that gives off heat
experiment: A scientific procedure to test a hypothesis or answer a question
explain: One of the four purposes for which an author writes a text, which include to explain, persuade, entertain, or express feelings
expository: A sentence or passage that explains
express feelings: One of the four purposes for which an author writes a text, which include to explain, persuade, entertain, or express feelings
fact: A description that can be supported by logic and evidence
factor: A quantity that when multiplied by another quantity equals a third quantity; 3 and 5 are both factors of 15 because 3 × 5 = 15
fertilization: The process in human reproduction in which the sperm penetrates the egg, the sperm and ovum nuclei fuse, and a zygote is formed
first person: A sentence told from the “I” or “me” point of view
footnote: An explanatory note keyed to the text and found at the bottom of the page
fractions: Division expressed in rational form with a numerator over a denominator
gas: The state of matter in which atoms or molecules move freely and fill up any space that they inhabit
gas exchange: The process by which oxygen is delivered to the body cells and carbon dioxide is removed as waste
GCF (greatest common factor): The factor of two numbers that is greatest in value; the GCF of 8 and 12 is 4 because 4 is the greatest number that divides equally into both 8 and 12
gene: A section of a chromosome; typically a gene codes for a particular protein
genotype: The genetic makeup of an organism with regard to its alleles; an organism with dominant and recessive “T” and “S” genes might have genotype TtSs, or ttSs, among others
glomerulus: A functional unit of the kidney that controls excretion
heart cycle: The rhythmic contraction and relaxation of heart muscles
homeostasis: The tendency of an organism to find a safe, stable state for all body functions within its internal environment
hormones: Chemicals that are secreted by glands, distributed through the blood, and facilitate activity and change in other parts of the body
hypertonic: An area in which matter is concentrated and tends to diffuse to a less concentrated area hyphen:The small, dash-like punctuation mark (-) used to join words that are used as modifiers, such as the mark that joins “dash-like” here
hypodermis: Innermost layer of the skin that connects to underlying muscle and bone
hypothesis: A proposed explanation for a scientific phenomenon that can be tested in an experiment
hypotonic: An area in which a substance is less concentrated; a substance tends to diffuse into a hypotonic area from an area of higher concentration
idiom: A colloquial metaphor, such as “raining cats and dogs”
immune system: A network of cells, tissues, and organs that work in concert to protect the body from attack by tiny organisms that cause infections
improper fraction: A fraction in which the numerator is greater than the denominator
independent clause: A clause that can stand on its own as a complete sentence; in the following sentence, both clauses are independent:Ralph was hungry, so he bought a sandwich
independent variable: What an experiment measures as a cause
inequality: A mathematical statement that two expressions are unequal
inference: An educated guess that a reader makes about a text based on evidence within the text, logic, and personal experience
ingredients label: A label on a food product that reveals the food’s nutritional composition
insulin: A hormone secreted by the pancreas that makes it possible for blood glucose to enter body cells
integers: Whole numbers that are both positive and negative and include zero
integumentary system: Organ system that consists of skin, hair, nails, glands, and nerves
interrogative: A sentence that asks a question
inverse operations: Mathematical operations that undo each other, such as addition and subtraction
ionic bond: A chemical bond between ions such as Na+ and Cl− in which the negative ion completely “captures” the electron from the positive ion
ionization energy: The energy required to remove an atom’s outermost electron
ions: Atoms that take on extra electrons or give up an electron; ions typically exist in solution such as NaCl breaking up into Na+ and Cl− ions in water
isotopes: Atom species that contain a particular number of neutrons and therefore have particular atomic mass; isotopes of carbon include C14 and C12
killer T cells: Cells in the immune system that kill off foreign cells in the body that are identified by helper cells
kingdom: One of the six divisions of biological organisms that include bacteria, archaeobacteria, plants, animals, fungi, and protists
large intestine: The lower portion of the body’s digestive system that concentrates waste and delivers it so it can be expelled from the body
LCD (lowest common denominator): The lowest value that each individual denominator can divide into evenly; for example, 24 is the LCD for 5/12 and 3/8 because 24 is the lowest number that can be used as a denominator for both fractions:5/12 = 10/24; 3/8 = 9/24
LCM (least common multiple): The lowest value that each of two or more values can divide into evenly; for example, 24 is the LCM for 12 and 8 because 24 is the lowest number that is a multiple of 12 and 8
like terms: Algebraic terms that have the same variable to the same power and can be combined using addition or subtraction
liquid: The state of matter in which particles are attracted but still can move somewhat freely
litmus paper: Paper used to determine the pH (acidity) of a chemical; blue litmus paper turns red in an acid and red litmus paper turns blue in a base
lungs: Organs in the human body used for breathing, taking in oxygen and expelling carbon dioxide
magnitude: The relative size of a substance or object that helps determine the appropriate measuring unit
main idea: The primary point in a text; the reason that a text is written
mean: The average of all the values in a data set
measures of central tendency: Statistical tools (mean, median, mode) that describe the trend of data
median: The value for which half of the data set is below it; the median doesn’t have to be a member of the data set
meiosis: A type of cell division in which gametes (egg and sperm cells) are formed that have only a single set (1n) of chromosomes rather than the normal double (2n) set of chromosomes that all other body cells have
mental math: Calculation process that is carried out mentally without paper, pencil, or a mechanical or electronic calculating device
mitosis: Process in which cells divide to grow
mixture: A blend of particles
mode: The most common value in a data set; a data set can have more than one mode
molarity: The number of moles of a chemical per liter of solution; a solution of 2M contains 2 moles of the chemical for every liter of solution
mole: 6.02 × 1023 particles of a substance; for example, a mole of carbon has 6.02 × 1023 atoms and a mass of exactly 12 grams; a mole of oxygen has 6.02 × 1023 molecules and a mass of exactly 32 grams
molecule: The smallest particle of a substance that consists of atoms that are bonded to one another; for example, water consists of molecules of H2O; nitrogen consists of molecules of N2
musculoskeletal system: Body system that includes the muscles and bones and makes movement possible
mutation: A mistake in the copying of DNA that usually results in faulty proteins that are lethal but can sometimes result in beneficial adaptations
narrative: A text that has a story form
negative number: Any number that is less than zero
nephrons: Units of the excretory system within the kidney
neurons: Nerve cells
neurotransmitters: Chemicals released in a synapse that transmits an electrical nerve signal from one neuron to the next neuron
neutrons: Particles in the nucleus of an atom that have a mass of 1 amu but no charge
noun: A word that names a person, place, thing, or idea
nucleus: (1) Center part of an atom that contains protons and neutrons; (2) In a cell, the part of the cell that contains chromosomes and DNA
number line: Continuous line that includes all numbers, mainly used as an aid in inequalities, addition, and subtraction
numerator: Top part of a fraction
operation: Addition, subtraction, multiplication, or division
opinion: A statement that reflects a person’s personal judgment, which may or may not be supported by evidence or facts
order of operations: Order in algebra in which operations are carried out, namely, parentheses, exponents, multiplication and division, addition and subtraction (abbreviated PEMDAS)
organ: Highly organized body part such as the heart, brain, or liver that performs a specific function or group of functions
organelles: Discrete structures in cells such as mitochondria, the nucleus, Golgi bodies, and chloroplasts
organic: Chemical that contains carbon
ovaries: Female organs that produce eggs
parallel: Two lines that never meet
participle: A form of a verb that indicates an action or past action (called a past participle) and can also be used as an adjective; for example, the word broiled in “I ate broiled fish” is a participle used as an adjective, and the word eaten in “I have eaten” is a past participle
passive voice: A sentence or text in which the initiator of the action is not clearly identified; for example, Mistakes were made
percentage: A special ratio that compares a quantity to 100
period: Punctuation mark (.) that ends a declarative sentence
periodic table: In chemistry, the table that organizes all 118 known elements into groups with similar properties
peristalsis: Muscular process by which food in the digestive system is moved through the system
personal pronoun: Pronoun that stands for a person, such as I, you, or she
persuasive: The type of writing that attempts to convince the reader to take a position or do something
pH: Log scale that measures the acidity of a substance; whereas low pH indicates high acidity, high pH indicates low acidity (highly basic)
phenotype: The body form of an organism as opposed to its genotype; when T is dominant for “tall,” an individual with “tall” phenotype may have genotype TT or Tt
phrase: A group of words that does not include both a subject or predicate
physical changes: Changes that do not involve a change in chemical composition; ice melting is a physical change because H2O does not change chemical composition during melting
place value: Value of a place in the number system; the 4 in the number 846 shows 4 in the tens column
possessive pronoun: Pronoun that shows possession such as hers, yours, or mine
predicate: The “verb” part of a sentence that expresses action or being
prediction: A guess made by the reader about future events or actions
prefix: A word part added to the beginning of a root or word to change its meaning
preposition: A word before a noun to show the relationship of the noun to another word or phrase in the sentence; examples include for, in, at, from
present participle: The verb form used with helping verbs (for example, are or am) that show ongoing action as eating, bringing, or hearing
primary source: A source created at the time period being studied, such as a letter, diary or original photograph
problem-solution: Text structure in which problems are posed and are followed by solutions
product: The answer in multiplication; in 4 × 9 = 36, the 36 is the product
pronoun: A word such as he, she, it, or me that takes the place of a noun
proper noun: A noun that names a person, place, or thing that is always capitalized, such as Arizona and Donald Draper
proportion: Special algebraic equation in which two ratios are set equal to one another
protein: Body chemicals that perform an enormous number of disparate functions, some of which are structural; many proteins function as enzymes that facilitate otherwise “impossible” chemical reactions that allow life processes such as metabolism to be carried out
protons: Positive particles in the nucleus of an atom that have atomic mass of 1 amu
quotation marks: Punctuation (“) that identifies the exact words of a speaker
quotient: The answer in division; in 40 ÷ 5 = 8, the 8 is the quotient
radius: The distance from the center of a circle to any point on the circle
ratio: Relationship between two numbers that can be expressed in several ways; for example, as a fraction 4/5 or as 4 to 5, 4:5
recessive: In genetics, a trait that is expressed only when both alleles are identical and recessive; for example, if T is dominant for tall and t is recessive for short, a Tt individual is tall, and only a tt individual is short
reciprocal: The result of a fraction in which the numerator and denominator of the original fraction switch places
red bone marrow: Consists of blood stem cells and blood cells in various stages of development
reliability: The probability that a scientific procedure or experiment or other procedure is repeatable
respiration: The process by which oxygen is used to break down food (e.g., sugar) and produce energy in the form of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) molecules
RNA: In cells, nucleic acids that carry out protein synthesis, expressing the code inscribed in DNA
rounding: In math, approximating a number to a certain place value; for example, 48 rounded to the nearest ten is 50
run-on: A construction that contains two independent clauses that should be broken up into two separate sentences
sagittal plane: Anatomical plane that divides body into left and right portions
sebaceous glands: Glands that produce sebum, an oily secretion that lubricates the skin and makes it more elastic
secondary source: A source that analyzes an event after it has happened—sometimes long afterward
second person: A sentence presented in terms of you
semicolon: A punctuation mark (;) that is used to separate independent clauses that are not connected by a conjunction or to separate items in a list
sentence: A group of words that includes a subject and predicate and expresses a complete thought
sentence fragment: A sentence-like construction that is incomplete in some way and therefore does not qualify as a sentence; typically, it is missing a subject or a predicate
sequence: A text structure that can take the form of a list, numbered steps, a bulleted list, or a series in outline form
series: A group of items that are connected in some consecutive way
sidebar: A sentence or short paragraph located at the side of the main text or in a box
sign: The designation of a number as positive (+) or negative (−)
simple sentence: A sentence that contains only a subject and a verb and has no clauses or phrases
simplest terms: A fraction with both numerator and denominator having their smallest possible values, but retaining the original fraction’s value
single replacement: A chemical reaction in which one component switches for another as in AB + C → AC + B
slang: Informal language that is nonstandard and usually not appropriate in formal writing
slope: The ratio of rise to run in a graph calculated by the ratio of Δy to Δx; a graph with a high positive slope appears to rise sharply from left to right
small intestine: Part of the body’s digestive system in which food is broken down into its smallest form and absorbed into the bloodstream
solid: State of matter in which particles are “frozen” into place and cannot move freely past one another
solubility: How readily a substance dissolves
solute: The substance that dissolves in a solution; in salt water, salt is the solute
solution: (1) A homogeneous mixture in which solute particles such as salt completely disappear within the solvent (e.g., water); (2) the answer to a math problem
solvent: The medium in a solution; in salt water, water is the solvent
stereotype: An oversimplified and often incorrect view of a group or a member of a group; for example, “hardworking” is a common stereotype for Asians
subject: The item that a phrase or a sentence is about
sudoriferous glands: Sweat glands that secrete water and sodium chloride and serve to cool the body’s temperature
suffix: A word part added to the end of a root or word to change its meaning
sum: The answer in math when quantities are added; in 2 + 3 = 5, the 5 is the sum
summarizing: A brief, condensed accounting of a longer text
supporting detail: A fact or item within a text that supports a main idea
synonym: A word that has the same meaning or nearly the same meaning as another word
synthesis: Process in which two (or more) items are combined to form a single item
testosterone: Male sex hormone
text structure: Text that has a particular format such as sequence, problem–solution, or cause and effect
theme: A text’s highest and most general subject; the message the author wants to get across
third person: Text written from the “he,” “she,” and “they” points of view
tissues: Cells that are joined together for a single function, such as muscle tissue
topic: The subject of a text
topic sentence: Sentence that typically contains the main idea of a paragraph
transverse plane: Anatomical plane that divides body into top and bottom portions
triple point: The temperature and pressure at which all three states of matter can exist at once
unlike terms: Algebraic terms that cannot be combined using addition or subtraction because they do not share the same variable to the same power
uterus: Part of the female reproductive system in which fertilized eggs implant and grow into embryos, eventually developing into fetuses
vaccine: A weakened form of an antigen that is deliberately introduced into the body to activate the production of antibodies to prevent disease
valence electrons: The outermost electrons in an atom that are typically lost or gained when the atom forms an ion
validity: Ability of a scientific procedure or experiment to measure a specific quantity or quality
variable: In algebra, a letter quantity that can stand for any number or quantity
veins: Blood vessels that carry blood to the heart; typically, veins carry deoxygenated blood, but the pulmonary vein that goes from the lungs to the heart carries oxygenated blood
ventricles: The lower chambers of the heart
verb: An action word or a word of being; for example, run, eat, or is
volts: A measurement of energy in a battery or electrical system; a system with greater voltage has greater electrical “pressure” for electrons to move and current to flow
zygote: A fertilized egg that has not yet begun to divide