Science terms starting with I

520 terms

I-Type Semiconductor A semiconductor material that is left intrinsic, or undoped so that the concentration of charge carriers is characteristic of the material itself rather…
I-V Curve A graphical plot or representation the current and voltage output of a solar photovoltaic cell or module as a load on the device is increased from short…
I/E region Abbreviation for integration-excision region.
ICE Ice The solid state of water.
Ice Age A time of widespread glaciation.
Ice blink Ice blink White glare on the underside of low clouds indicating presence of ice which may be beyond the range of vision.
Ice Boom A floating structure designed to retain ice.
Ice Bridge A continuous ice cover of limited size extending from shore to shore like a bridge.
Ice Core A cylindrical section of ice removed from a glacier or an ice sheet in order to study climate patterns of the past.
ice crystal Precipitation consisting of small, slowly falling crystals of ice.
Ice Crystals A barely visible crystalline form of ice that has the shape of needles, columns or plates. Ice crystals are so small that they seem to be suspended in air.
Ice Fog Same as Freezing Fog; a suspension of numerous minute ice crystals in the air, or water droplets at temperatures below 0Âº Celsius, based at the Earth's…
Ice Gorge The gorge or opening left in a jam after it has broken.
Ice Jam A stationary accumulation that restricts or blocks streamflow.
ice nuclei Particles that act as nuclei for the formation of ice crystals in the atmosphere.
Ice Nucleus Any particle that serves as a nucleus in the formation of ice crystals in the atmosphere.
Ice patrol ship Ice patrol ship A research ship which performs ice surveys in polar regions.
Ice Pellets (abbrev. IP) Same as Sleet; defined as pellets of ice composed of frozen or mostly frozen raindrops or refrozen partially melted snowflakes.
Ice Push Compression of an ice cover particularly at the front of a moving section of ice cover.
ice rafted detritus continental material transported within a matrix of ice and deposited in marine sediments when the ice matrix melts.
Ice Run Flow of ice in a river. An ice run may be light or heavy, and may consist of frazil, anchor, slush, or sheet ice.
ice sheet a mass of glacier ice that covers a wider area than a glacier does.
ice sheet margin edge of the ice sheet where melting and calving of icebergs occurs.
Ice Shove On-shore ice push caused by wind, and currents, changes in temperature, etcetera.
Ice Storm An ice storm is used to describe occasions when damaging accumulations of ice are expected during freezing rain situations.
Ice Storm Warning This product is issued by the National Weather Service when freezing rain produces a significant and possibly damaging accumulation of ice.
ice streams region within an ice sheet where ice moves towards the ice sheet margin significantly faster than the surrounding ice does.
Ice Twitch Downstream movement of a small section of an ice cover. Ice twitches occur suddenly and often appear successively.
Iceberg A piece of a glacier which has broken off and is floating in the sea.
Icelandic Low A semi-permanent, subpolar area of low pressure in the North Atlantic Ocean. Because of its broad area and range of central pressure, it is an area where…
Ichthyology The science or study of fish.
Icing A coating of ice on a solid object.
ICM cells Cells from the inner cell mass, a population of cells inside the blastula that give rise to the body of the new organism rather than to the chorion or…
ICSI See: intracytoplasmic sperm injection.
Ideal Gas Laws The thermodynamic laws applying to perfect gases.
Identical twin See: monozygotic twin.
Identical twinning Process in which genetically identical organisms arise from symmetrical division and separation of totipotent cells.
idiogram See: karyogram.
idiotype An identifying property or characteristic of an item or system. 1.A plant form expected on physiological grounds to represent an optimal type for the…
IFLOWS The Integrated Flood Observing and Warning System.
IFR Instrument Flight Rules
IgA/Igd/IgG/IgE/IgM See: antibody class.
Igneous Rock formed by molten magma. Rock that forms from the solidification of molten rock or magma.
Igneous rock A crystalline rock formed by the cooling and solidification of molten or partly molten material (magma).
Ignite To heat a gaseous mixture to the temperature at which combustion takes place.
Ignition Point The minimum temperature at which combustion of a solid or fluid can occur.
IGS Abbreviation for 1. internal guide sequence. 2. intergenic spacer.
Illuminance A measure of the amount of light incident on a surface; measured in foot-candles or Lux.
Illumination The distribution of light on a horizontal surface. The purpose of all lighting is to produce illumination.
imaginal disc A mass of cells in the larvae of Drosophila melanogaster and other holometabolous insects that gives rise to particular adult organs, such as antennae…
Imbalance energy Discrepancy between the amount that a seller contracted to deliver and the actual volume of power delivered.
imbibition 1. The absorption of liquids or vapours into the ultramicroscopic spaces or pores found in materials. 2.
Imhoff treatment system In wastewater treatment, a tank without aeration or oxygenation where solids settle out. The solids are digested in a separate compartment in the bottom.
immediate early gene A viral gene that is expressed promptly after infection.
immobilized cells Cells entrapped in matrices such as alginate, polyacrylamide and agarose, for use in membrane and filter bioreactors.
immortalization The genetic transformation of a cell type into which can proliferate indefinitely.
Immortalizing oncogene A gene that upon transfection enables a primary cell to grow indefinitely in culture. (See Oncogene.)
immune response (ih-MYOON reh-SPONTS) The activity of the immune system against foreign substances (antigens).
immune system (ih-MYOON SIS-tem) The complex group of organs and cells that defends the body against infections and other diseases.
Immune system cells White blood cells or leukocytes that originate from the bone marrow. They include antigen presenting cells, such as dendritic cells, T and B lymphocytes…
Immune-function assay A general term for a number of tests based on an immune cell's ability to carry out a particular immune function.
Immunity (ih-MYOO-nih-tee) The condition of being protected against an infectious disease.
immunization A technique used to cause an immune response that results in resistance to a specific disease, especially an infectious disease.
immunoaffinity chromatography A purification technique in which an antibody is bound to a matrix and is used to isolate a protein from a complex mixture. See: affinity chromatography.
immunoassay A test that uses the binding of antibodies to antigens to identify and measure certain substances. Immunoassays may be used to diagnose disease.
immunochemical control See: immunotherapy.
Immunocompromised mice These genetically altered mice are used for transplantation experiments because they usually do not reject the transplanted tissue.
Immunodeficient Unable to develop a normal immune response to, for example, a foreign substance.
immunodiagnostics See: immunoassay.
Immunofluorescence The detection of antibodies by using special proteins labeled with fluorescein.
immunogen See: antigen.
Immunogenic Relating to or producing an immune response.
immunogenicity The ability to elicit an immune response.
immunoglobulin (IH-myoo-noh-GLOB-yoo-lin) A type of protein that acts as an antibody.
Immunohistology Examination of tissues through specific immunostaining techniques.
Immunophenotyping (IM-yoo-no-FEE-no-tie-ping) A process used to identify cells, based on the types of antigens or markers on the surface of the cell.
immunoprophylaxis The process of active or passive immunization. Active immunization with vaccines leads to long-term protection through mobilizing the organism's own…
immunosensor A biosensor having an antibody as the biological element.
immunosuppression (IH-myoo-noh-suh-PREH-shun) Suppression of the body's immune system and its ability to fight infections and other diseases.
Immunosuppressive drugs Drugs that prevent or interfere with the development of an immunologic response.
immunosuppressor A substance, an agent or a condition that prevents or diminishes the immune response.
immunotherapy (IH-myoo-noh-THAYR-uh-pee) Treatment to boost or restore the ability of the immune system to fight cancer, infections, and other diseases.
immunotoxin (IH-myoo-noh-TOK-sin) An antibody linked to a toxic substance. Some immunotoxins can bind to cancer cells and kill them.
Impact The effect, influence, alteration, or imprint caused by an action.
Impact Fees Costs imposed on new development to fund public facility improvements required by new development and ease fiscal burdens on localities.
Impeller An agitator that is used for mixing the contents of a bioreactor.
Impermeable Refers to a rock matrix that water cannot infiltrate.
Impervious Not permeable; not allowing liquid to pass through. Resistant to movement of water.
Impervious core. See core.
Impervious material Relatively waterproof soils. Clay, for example, since water will percolate through clay at about one millionth of the rate at which it will pass through…
Impervious Surface Any surface through which rainfall cannot pass or be effectively absorbed. (Roads, buildings, paved parking lots, sidewalks etc.)
Impervious zone. See core.
Imperviousness Overlay Zoning One form of the overlay zoning process. Environmental aspects of future imperviousness are estimated based on the future zoning build-out conditions.
Impinge To collide or strike.
Impingement The entrapment of aquatic organisms on the outer part of an intake structure or against a screening device during periods of intake water withdrawal.
IMPL Impulse- Alternate term for Upper Level System and Shortwave; a general term for any large-scale or mesoscale disturbance capable of producing upward…
IMPLAN Input-output economic model based on economic accounts showing the flow of commodities to industries from producers and institutional consumers.
Implantation The attachement of the blastocyst to the uterine lining, and its subsequent embedding there. (Based on SMD)
Implementation process Procurement, installation, and implementation of all the components of an Early Warning System; includes inspecting and exercising the system.
Import Data brought into an environment or application which has been exported from another environment or application.