Science — page 115 of 132

13,110 terms including subtopics (0 terms filed directly here)

Science terms

stock plant The source plant from which cuttings or explants are obtained. Stock plants should be well maintained to optimize explant and cutting quality.
stock solution Pre-prepared solution of commonly used reagents.
Stockpile A storage pile of materials.
Stoichiometric condition That condition at which the proportion of the air-to-fuel is such that all combustible products will be completely burned with no oxygen remaining in the…
Stoichiometric Ratio The ratio of chemical substances necessary for a reaction to occur completely.
Stoichiometry Chemical reactions, typically associated with combustion processes; the balancing of chemical reactions by providing the exact proportions of reactant…
Stolon A lateral stem that grows horizontally along the ground surface. Used by some plant species as a mechanism for dispersal, since stolon nodes can…
stoma (STOH-muh) A surgically created opening from an area inside the body to the outside.
stomatal complex Includes the stoma, together with its guard cells and, when present, any related subsidiary cells.
stomatal index A measurement of the surface density of stoma ta. This parameter has been found useful in comparing leaves of different sizes.
Stone A concretion of earthy or mineral matter; rock.
Stoney gate The fundamental difference between Stoney and fixed-wheel gates is that a moving train of rollers is substituted for the fixed wheels.
Stop codon See Termination codon.
Stoping An upward erosion/piping action into an embankment or foundation (possibly leading to a breach).
Stoplogs Large logs, planks, cut timbers, steel or concrete beams placed on top of each other with their ends held in guides between walls or piers to close an…
Storage The retention of water or delay of runoff either by planned operation, as in a reservoir, or by temporary filling of overflow areas, as in the progression…
Storage Capacity The amount of energy an energy storage device or system can store.
Storage Equation The equation for the conservation of mass.
Storage Hydropower A hydropower facility that stores water in a reservoir during high-inflow periods to augment water during low-inflow periods.
Storage Tank The tank of a water heater.
Storage Water Heater A water heater that releases hot water from the top of the tank when a hot water tap is opened.
Storm Any disturbed state of the atmosphere, especially affecting the Earth's surface, and strongly implying destructive and otherwise unpleasant weather.
Storm Data This National Climatic Data Center (NCDC) monthly publication documents a chronological listing, by states, of occurrences of storms and unusual weather…
Storm Door An exterior door that protects the primary door.
Storm Hydrograph A hydrograph representing the total flow or discharge past a point.
Storm Motion The speed and direction at which a thunderstorm travels.
Storm Relative Measured relative to a moving thunderstorm, usually referring to winds, wind shear, or helicity.
Storm Relative Mean Radial Velocity Map (SRM): This WSR-88D radar product depicts a full 360Âº sweep of radial velocity data with the average motion of all identified storms subtracted out.
Storm Relative Mean Radial Velocity Regi (SRR): This WSR-88D radar product depicts a 27 nm by 27 nm region of storm relative mean radial velocity centered on a point which the operator can…
Storm Scale Referring to weather systems with sizes on the order of individual thunderstorms. See synoptic scale and mesoscale.
Storm Surge An abnormal rise in sea level accompanying a hurricane or other intense storm, whose height is the difference between the observed level of the sea…
Storm Tide The actual level of sea water resulting from the astronomic tide combined with the storm surge.
Storm Total Precipitation This radar image is an estimate of accumulated rainfall since the last time there was a one-hour, or more, break in precipitation.
Storm Tracking Information This WSR-88D radar product displays the previous, current, and projected locations of storm centroids (forecast and past positions are limited to one hour…
Storm Warning A warning of sustained surface winds, or frequent gusts, in the range of 48 knots (55 mph) to 63 knots (73 mph) inclusive, either predicted or occurring…
Storm Windows Glass, plastic panels, or plastic sheets that reduce air infiltration and some heat loss when attached to either the interior or exterior of existing…
Stormwater Discharge Precipitation that does not infiltrate into the ground or evaporate due to impervious land surfaces but instead flows onto adjacent land or water areas…
stover The dried stalks and leaves of a crop remaining after the grain has been harvested.
STR Strength
Straight-Line Hodograph The name pretty well describes what it looks like on the hodograph. What causes this shape is a steady increase of winds with height (vertical wind shear).
Straight-line Winds Generally, any wind that is not associated with rotation, used mainly to differentiate them from tornadic winds.
Strain A genetic variant within a species.
Stranded Investment (Costs and Benefits) An investment in a power plant or demand side management measures or programs, that become uneconomical due to increased competition in the electric power…
Strata Single, distinct layers of sediment or sedimentary rock.
Strata (stratum) Distinct layers of stratified rock. A layer of sedimentary rock, visually separable from other layers above and below. Layers of rock.
Strategic plan A written plan outlining a government agency's framework for management.
Stratification Layering of a lake, by temperature, during warmer seasons.
Stratified reservoir A reservoir with several thermal layers of water.
Stratiform Having extensive horizontal development, as opposed to the more vertical development characteristic of convection.
Stratiform Rings and Bands These occur between the active convective bands of a hurricane outside of the eye wall.
Stratigraphy Geology that deals with the origin, composition, distribution, and succession of strata. Study or description of layered or stratified rocks.
Stratigraphy (stratigraphic) Layers of sediments and rocks that reflect the geologic history of an area. With respect to cultural resources and archaeological sites, the relative…
Stratocumulus Low-level clouds, existing in a relatively flat layer but having individual elements. Elements often are arranged in rows, bands, or waves.
Stratopause The boundary between the stratosphere and mesosphere.
Stratosphere The region of the atmosphere extending from the top of the troposphere to the base of the mesosphere, an important area for monitoring stratospheric ozone.
Stratospheric Ozone In the stratosphere, ozone has beneficial properties where it forms an ozone shield that prevents dangerous radiation from reaching the Earth's surface.
Stratus A low, generally gray cloud layer with a fairly uniform base. Stratus may appear in the form of ragged patches, but otherwise does not exhibit individual…
stream A body of running water.
Stream capacity Total volume of water that a stream can carry within the normal high water channel.
Stream class Classification of streams based on the present and foreseeable uses made of the water, and the potential effects of on-site changes on downstream uses.
Stream Corridor The area (containing wetlands, flood plains, woodlands, unique habitats, and steep slopes) which lies between relatively level uplands and stream banks…
Stream Gage A site along a stream where the stage (water level) is read either by eye or measured with recording equipment.
Stream line An imaginary line within the flow which is everywhere tangent to the velocity vector.
Stream Segment Refers to the surface waters of an approved planning area exhibiting common hydrological, natural, physical, biological, or chemical processes.
Stream terrace A remnant of a floodplain surface formed by streams as they carve downward into their floodplains.
Streambed at the dam axis The lowest-point elevation in the streambed at the axis or centerline crest of the dam prior to construction.
Streamflow Discharge that occurs in a natural channel.
Streetscape The space between the buildings on either side of a street that defines its character.
streptavidin A small bacterial protein that binds with high affinity to the vitamin biotin. This streptavidin-biotin combination can be used to link molecules such as…
Stress The response of the body to physical, mental, or emotional pressure. This may make a person feel frustrated, angry, or anxious, and may cause unhealthy…
stress protein (... PROH-teen) One of a group of proteins that help protect cells from stresses such as heat, cold, and low amounts of oxygen or glucose (sugar).
Stressors Physical, chemical, or biological entities that can induce adverse effects on ecosystems or human health.
STRFM Stratiform
Striation Scratch or groove in bedrock caused by rocks within a glacier grinding the earth's surface as the glacier moves.
Striations Grooves or channels in cloud formations, arranged parallel to the flow of air and therefore depicting the airflow relative to the parent cloud.
Strike Strike means a labor dispute wherein employees engage in a concerted stoppage of work (including stoppage by reason of the expiration of a collective…
Strike-slip fault Vertical (or nearly vertical) fractures where the blocks have mostly moved horizontally.
Stringency Reaction conditions--notably temperature, salt, and pH--that dictate the annealing of single-stranded DNA/DNA, DNA/RNA, and RNA/RNA hybrids.
Stringent plasmid A plasmid that only replicates along with the main bacterial chromosome and is present as a single copy, or at most several copies, per cell. (See plasmid.
Strip cropping A crop production system that involves planting alternating strips of row crops and close-growing forage crops; the forage strips intercept and slow…
Strip mining Cutting deep trenches to remove minerals such as coal and phosphate found near the earth's surface in flat or rolling terrain. See surface mining.
Stripping Removal of a surface layer or deposit for the purpose of excavating other material beneath it.
Stroma (stro' mah) the supporting tissue or matrix of an organ; as distinguished from the functional part of the organ.
Stromal Relating to the stroma of an organ or other structure, that is, its framework, usually of connective tissue, rather than its specific substance.
Stromal cell (STROH-mul SEL) A type of cell that makes up certain types of connective tissue (supporting tissue that surrounds other tissues and organs).
Stromal cells Non-blood cells derived from blood organs, such as bone marrow or fetal liver, which are capable of supporting growth of blood cells in vitro.
Strong Force The interaction responsible for binding quarks, antiquarks, and gluons to make hadrons. Residual strong interactions provide the nuclear binding force.
structural chemical analysis The composition of biomass reported by the proportions of the major structural components; cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin.
Structural fires Fire originating in and burning any part or all of any building, shelter, or other structure.
structural gene A gene that encodes a polypeptide, with either enzymatic or structural functions, and that is required for the normal metabolism and growth of a cell or…
Structural genomics The effort to determine the 3D structures of large numbers of proteins using both experimental techniques and computer simulation
Structural Height Distance between the lowest point in the excavated foundation (excluding narrow fault zones) and the top of dam.
Structure Changes in the shape of the bottom of lakes, rivers, or impoundments, especially those that influence fish behavior.
Structure-functionalism The scientific tradition that stresses the relationship between a physical structure and its function, for example, the related disciplines of anatomy and…
Strut An inside brace.
STS See Sequence\-tagged site.
Stud A popular term used for a length of wood or steel used in or for wall framing.
Stumpage (1) Standing live or dead uncut trees. (2) The value or rate paid to purchase standing trees for harvest.
style Slender column of tissue that arises from the top of the ovary and terminates in the stigma, and through which the pollen tube must grow to achieve…
Sub-canopies Woody vegetation that grows beneath the canopy or tree tops of a forest or woodland.