Cambridge IGCSE Combined and Co-ordinated Sciences
Glossary
Biology
absorption the movement of digested food molecules
through the wall of the intestine into the blood
aerobic respiration the chemical reactions in cells that
use oxygen to break down nutrient molecules to release
energy
allele a version of a gene
anaerobic respiration the chemical reactions in cells
that break down nutrient molecules to release energy
without using oxygen
asexual reproduction a process resulting in the
production of genetically identical offspring from one
parent
assimilation the movement of digested food molecules
into the cells of the body where they are used, becoming
part of the cells
carnivore an animal that gets its energy by eating other
animals
catalyst a substance that increases the rate of a chemical
reaction and is not changed by the reaction
chemical digestion the breakdown of large insoluble
molecules into small soluble molecules
chromosome a thread-like structure of DNA, carrying
genetic information in the form of genes
consumer an organism that gets its energy by feeding on
other organisms
decomposer an organism that gets its energy from dead
or waste organic matter
diffusion the net movement of molecules and ions from
a region of their higher concentration to a region of their
lower concentration down a concentration gradient, as a
result of their random movement
digestion the breakdown of large, insoluble food
molecules into small, water-soluble molecules using
mechanical and chemical processes
diploid nucleus a nucleus containing two sets of
chromosomes (e.g. in body cells)
dominant an allele that is expressed if it is present
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Glossary
ecosystem a unit containing all of the organisms and their
environment, interacting together, in a given area (e.g. a lake)
egestion passing out of food that has not been digested,
as faeces, through the anus
enzymes proteins that function as biological catalysts
excretion removal from organisms of toxic materials and
substances in excess of requirements
excretion removal from organisms of the waste products
of metabolism (chemical reactions in cells including
respiration), toxic materials and substances in excess of
requirements
food chain a diagram showing the flow of energy from
one organism to the next, beginning with a producer
food web a network of interconnected food chains
gene a length of DNA that codes for a protein
genotype the genetic makeup of an organism in terms of
the alleles present
gravitropism a response in which a plant grows towards
or away from gravity
growth a permanent increase in size
growth a permanent increase in size and dry mass by an
increase in cell number or cell size or both
haploid nucleus a nucleus containing a single set of
unpaired chromosomes (e.g. in gametes)
herbivore an animal that gets its energy by eating plants
heterozygous having two different alleles of a particular
gene
homozygous having two identical alleles of a particular
gene
hormone a chemical substance produced by a gland,
carried by the blood, which alters the activity of one or more
specific target organs and is then destroyed by the liver
ingestion taking substances (e.g. food, drink) into the
body through the mouth
inheritance the transmission of genetic information from
generation to generation
Cambridge IGCSE Combined and Co-ordinated Sciences
mechanical digestion the breakdown of food into
smaller pieces without chemical change to the food
molecules
meiosis reduction division in which the chromosome
number is halved from diploid to haploid, resulting in
genetically different cells
mitosis nuclear division giving rise to genetically identical
cells
movement an action by an organism causing a change of
position or place
movement an action by an organism or part of an
organism causing a change of position or place
mutation a change in a gene or chromosome
nutrition taking in of materials for energy, growth and
development
nutrition taking in of materials for energy, growth and
development; plants require light, carbon dioxide, water
and ions; animals need organic compounds and ions and
usually need water
osmosis the net movement of water molecules from a
region of higher water potential (dilute solution) to a region
of lower water potential (concentrated solution), through a
partially permeable membrane
phenotype the observable features of an organism
photosynthesis the process by which plants
manufacture carbohydrates from raw materials using
energy from light
phototropism a response in which a plant grows towards
or away from the direction from which light is coming
pollination the transfer of pollen grains from the male
part of the plant (anther of stamen) to the female part of the
plant (stigma)
process of adaptation the process resulting from natural
selection, by which populations become more suited to
their environment over many generations
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Glossary
producer an organism that makes its own organic
nutrients, usually using energy from sunlight, through
photosynthesis
recessive an allele that is only expressed when there is no
dominant allele of the gene present
reflex action a means of automatically and rapidly
integrating and coordinating stimuli with the responses of
effectors (muscles and glands)
reproduction the processes that make more of the same
kind of organism
respiration the chemical reactions in cells that break
down nutrient molecules and release energy
respiration the chemical reactions in cells that
break down nutrient molecules and release energy for
metabolism
sensitivity the ability to detect and respond to changes
in the environment
sensitivity the ability to detect or sense stimuli in the
internal or external environment and to make appropriate
responses
sexual reproduction a process involving the fusion of the
nuclei of two gametes (sex cells) to form a zygote, and the
production of offspring that are genetically different from
each other
translocation the movement of sucrose and amino acids
in phloem, from regions of production (source) to regions of
storage, or to regions of utilisation in respiration or growth
(sink)
transpiration loss of water vapour from plant leaves
by evaporation of water at the surfaces of the mesophyll
cells followed by diffusion of water vapour through the
stomata
trophic level the position of an organism in a food chain,
food web or pyramid of biomass or numbers
Cambridge IGCSE Combined and Co-ordinated Sciences
Chemistry
acid a substance that dissolves in water to produce a
solution that turns litmus red, has a pH lower than 7 and
contains an excess of H+ ions
acid a molecule or ion that is able to donate a proton
(H+ ion) to a base
alcohols a series of organic compounds containing
the functional group OH and with the general formula
CnH2n+1OH
alkali a base that is soluble in water
alkali a substance that dissolves in water to produce a
solution that turns litmus blue, has a pH higher than 7 and
contains an excess of OH ions
alkanes saturated hydrocarbons containing only single
bonds between the carbon atoms in the chain and with the
general molecular formula CnH2n+2
alkenes unsaturated hydrocarbons containing a C=C
double bond somewhere in the chain and with the general
formula CnH2n
amphoteric hydroxide (or amphoteric metal oxide)
a hydroxide or metal oxide that reacts with both an acid and
an alkali to give a salt and water
base a substance that reacts with an acid to form a salt
and water only
base a molecule or ion that is able to accept a proton
burning combustion in which a flame is produced
catalyst a substance that increases the rate of a chemical
reaction
combustion the reaction of a substance with oxygen
causing the release of energy
diffusion the process by which different fluids mix as a
result of the random motions of their particles
electrical conductor a substance that conducts
electricity but is not chemically changed in the process
electrolysis the breakdown of an ionic compound,
molten or in aqueous solution, by the use of electricity
giant covalent (molecular) lattice a giant molecule
(macromolecule) making a lattice
giant ionic lattice a lattice of alternating positive and
negative ions
giant metallic lattice a lattice of positive ions in a sea of
electrons
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Glossary
homologous series a family of organic compounds
that have the same general formula, have similar chemical
properties and show a gradual increase in physical
properties such as melting point and boiling point
hydrocarbon a compound that contains carbon and
hydrogen only
ion a charged particle made from an atom by the loss or
gain of electrons
isotopes atoms of the same element which have the
same proton number but a different nucleon number
law of conservation of mass the total mass of all the
products of a chemical reaction is equal to the total mass of
all the reactants
matter anything that has mass and takes up space
oxidising agent a substance that will add oxygen to
another substance
precipitation the sudden formation of a solid, either
when two solutions are mixed or when a gas is bubbled into
a solution
pure substances substances that cannot be chemically
broken down into simpler substances (elements);
substances made from two or more elements chemically
combined together (compounds)
reducing agent an element or compound that will
remove oxygen from other substances
relative atomic mass (A r) of an element the average
mass of naturally occurring atoms of the element on a
scale where the carbon-12 atom has a mass of exactly
12 units
relative formula mass (Mr) of a substance the sum
of the relative atomic masses of the elements present in a
formula unit
salt a compound made from an acid when a metal takes
the place of the hydrogen in the acid
simple molecular substances substances consisting of
simple molecules in a lattice held together by weak forces
solution a homogenous mixture of two substances: a
solid (the solute) dissolved in a liquid (the solvent)
Valency the combining power of an atom or group of
atoms: in ionic compounds, the valency of each ion is equal
to its charge; in a covalent molecule, the valency of an atom
is the number of bonds that an atom makes
Cambridge IGCSE Combined and Co-ordinated Sciences Glossary

Physics
acceleration the rate of change of an objects velocity moment of a force the turning effect of a force about
a point
change in velocity
acceleration = moment of a force
time taken
= force perpendicular distance from pivot to force
current the rate at which electric charge passes a point in
newton (N) the force required to give a mass of 1kg an
a circuit
acceleration of 1m/s2
charge(C)
current(A) = speed of light in a vacuum
time (s) refractive index n =
speed of light in the material
Q
I= speed the distance travelled by an object per unit time
t
density the ratio of mass to volume for a substance distance
speed =
time
mass
density = wavelength the distance between adjacent crests (or
volume
troughs) of a wave
force the action of one body on a second body that
work done by a force = force distance moved by the
causes its velocity to change
force in the direction of the force
force = mass acceleration (F = ma)
W=Fd
frequency the number of waves per second passing a point

4 Cambridge University Press 2017