Science — page 73 of 132

Science terms

7201. Make-Up Air Air brought into a building from outside to replace exhaust air.
7202. malformation A structural defect inherited in an organ or part of an organ that results from abnormal fetal development. See also syndrome
7203. Malignant (muh-LIG-nunt) Cancerous. Malignant tumors can invade and destroy nearby tissue and spread to other parts of the body.
7204. MALR Moist Adiabatic Lapse Rate- The rate at which the temperature of a parcel of saturated air decreases as the parcel is lifted in the atmosphere.
7205. malt extract A mixture of organic compounds prepared from malt, used as a culture medium additive.
7206. malting Enzymatic reduction of starch to sugars in germinating grain, used in brewing.
7207. Mammals A group of air-breathing animals whose skin is more or less covered with hair or fur and who have mammary glands.
7208. mammary gland Glandular organ located on the chest. The mammary gland is made up of connective tissue, fat, and tissue that contains the glands that can make milk.
7209. Mammatus Clouds Rounded, smooth, sack-like protrusions hanging from the underside of a cloud (usually a thunderstorm anvil).
7210. Management activities Planned activities initiated by land managers to meet the desired future condition for an area.
7211. Management area Management areas are specific geographical areas defined by a forest plan. Each management area has a set of objectives and a management prescription…
7212. Management indicator species Species selected as ecological indicators. The welfare of a management indicator species is presumed to be an indicator of the welfare of other species…
7213. management of farm animal genetic resources The sum total of technical, policy and logistical operations involved in understanding (characterization), using and developing (utilization), maintaining…
7214. Management plan A plan guiding overall management of an area administered by a federal or state agency.
7215. Management/Managing Agency or Authority The federal, state, commonwealth, territorial, local, or tribal entity or entities with legal authority to designate, promulgate regulations for, and/or…
7216. Manifold (Header) A large pipe to which a series of smaller pipes are connected.
7217. mannan The polymer of mannose with a repeating unit of C6H10O5. Can be hydrolyzed to mannose. (Source: Voet, D.; Voet, J. G. Biochemistry.
7218. Manning's roughness coefficient (n) A coefficient used to describe the relative roughness of a channel and overbank areas; used in hydraulic computations.
7219. mannitol (MA-nih-TOL) A drug used to decrease swelling of the brain and to treat kidney failure.
7220. mannose A hexose component of many polysaccharides, occasionally used as a carbohydrate source in plant tissue culture media.
7221. Mano A stone with a flat side that was primarily held in one's hand or hands and used to grind edible substances, typically corn, grains, and nut meats.
7222. Manometer An instrument for measuring pressure.
7223. Mantle The main bulk of the Earth, between the crust and core, ranging from depths of about 40 to 3,480 kilometers.
7224. Mantle hot spot A region of continental or oceanic crust below which a mantle plume causes melting of the overlying crust, resulting in a broad regional topographic swell…
7225. Manual J The standard method for calculating residential cooling loads developed by the Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Institute (ARI) and the Air Conditioning…
7226. Manuals. See publications.
7227. Manure Dung and urine of animals that can be used as a form of organic fertilizer. See fertilizer, organic fertilizer.
7228. MAP 1. verb: to determine the relative positions of loci (genes or DNA sequences) on a chromosome.
7229. MAP (Mean Areal Precipitation) The average rainfall over a given area, generally expressed as an average depth over the area.
7230. map distance The standard measure of genetic distance between loci, expressed in centiMorgans (cM) or map units .
7231. map unit One centiMorgan (1 cM) See: map distance; crossing-over unit.
7232. mapping Determining the physical location of a gene or genetic marker on a chromosome. (See Continuous map, Genetic map, Physical map.)
7233. mapping function A mathematical expression relating observed recombination fraction to map distance.
7234. Mapping population The group of related organisms used in constructing a genetic map.
7235. Marble Metamorphic rock formed by the "baking" and recrystallization of limestone.
7236. Mare's Trail The name given to thin, wispy cirrus clouds composed of ice crystals that appear as veil patches or strands, often resembling a horse's tail.
7237. MAREP (MArine REPort) A voluntary marine observation program of the National Weather Service whose goal is to solicit meteorological and oceanographic…
7238. Margin requirement The margin requirement is the minimum amount the Federal Reserve, in Regulation T, requires you to deposit in a margin account before you can trade…
7239. Marginal Cost The cost of producing one additional unit of a product.
7240. Marginal electric generating unit In organized wholesale markets, the price of the marginal source of electricity usually sets the price of the unit providing the next increment or…
7241. Marginal land Land which, in its natural state, is not well suited for a particular purpose, such as raising crops.
7242. Marginal Visual Flight Rules (Abbrev. MVFR) - In an aviation product, refers to the general weather conditions pilots can expect at the surface.
7243. mariculture See: aquaculture.
7244. Marine climate Marine (maritime or oceanic) climate A climate dominated by the ocean. Because of the moderating effect of water, sites having this climate are considered…
7245. Marine Environment (U.S.) ocean or coastal waters (note: coastal waters may include intertidal areas, bays, or estuaries); an area of the Great Lakes or their connecting…
7246. Marine Inversion Temperature inversion produced when cold marine air underlies warmer air.
7247. Marine Managed Area Any area of the marine environment that has been reserved by federal, state, territorial, tribal, or local laws or regulations to provide lasting…
7248. Marine Managed Areas (MMA) Inventory (MMA) An earlier (2001-2007) database of U.S. aquatic, coastal, or marine sites that have been set aside for the protection of some or all of the natural and…
7249. Marine Planning Areas Distinct marine locations subject to site-specific, ongoing management or regulatory planning within fixed boundaries.
7250. Marine Protected Area Any area of the marine environment that has been reserved by federal, state, territorial, tribal, or local laws or regulations to provide lasting…
7251. Marine Protected Areas (MPA) Inventory (MPA) A comprehensive inventory of U.S. marine protected areas established or managed by federal, state, or territorial agencies or programs.
7252. Marine Push A replacement of the current air mass with air from off the ocean. Temperatures are much cooler and relative humidities much higher.
7253. Marine Reserve A type of MPA where extractive uses are prohibited (also referred to as "no-take" reserve)
7254. Marine Resource Areas Broad or multiple geographic areas defined by an underlying, mapped marine resource that is afforded some degree of protection through state laws…
7255. Marine Sanctuary As defined by the U.S. government are areas of the marine environment with special national significance due to their conservation, recreational…
7256. Marine Small Craft Thunderstorm Advisory A marine warning issued by Environment Canada Atmospheric Environment Branch when the possibility of thunderstorms is greater than 40 percent.
7257. Marine Small Craft Wind Warning A marine warning issued by Environment Canada Atmospheric Environment Branch for winds which are forecasted to be in the 20-33 knot range inclusive.
7258. Marine Spatial Planning Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) is a comprehensive, ecosystem-based process through which compatible human uses are objectively and transparently allocated…
7259. Marine Waters As defined by U.S. Executive Order 13158 on MPAs: Waters under tidal influence, extending to the Mean High Water mark on land, and into river mouths to a…
7260. Marine Weather Statement A National Weather Service product to provide mariners with details on significant or potentially hazardous conditions not otherwise covered in existing…
7261. Marine Zone Specific, defined over-water areas contained in the various NWS marine forecasts. These are the equivalent of "zones" in the public forecast program.
7262. Maritime Air Mass An air mass influenced by the sea. It is a secondary characteristic of an air mass classification, signified by the small "m" before the primary…
7263. Maritime Polar Air Mass An air mass characterized by cold, moist air. Abbreviated mP.
7264. Maritime Tropical Air Mass An air mass characterized by warm, moist air. Abbreviated mT.
7265. Mark-to-market Adjustment of the book value or collateral value of a security – including a security such as a multiyear contract – to reflect current market value…
7266. marker A diagnostic indication that disease may develop.
7267. marker gene A gene of known function or known location, used for marker-assisted selection or genetic studies.
7268. marker peptide A portion of fusion protein that facilitates its identification or purification.
7269. marker-assisted introgression The use of DNA markers to increase the speed and efficiency of introgression of a new allele(s) or gene(s) into a breeding population.
7270. marker-assisted selection (Abbreviation: MAS). The use of DNA markers to improve response to selection in a population.
7271. Market Traditionally, a securities market was a place - such as the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) - where members met to buy and sell securities.
7272. Market capitalization Value of a corporation as determined by the market price of its issued and outstanding securities.
7273. Market concentration A measure, usually an estimate, of the market share of a participant or groups of participant in the overall market or a submarket (a given region…
7274. Market liquidity The ease, or lack thereof, with which a buyer can buy or a seller can sell at a prevailing price in a marketplace.
7275. Market participant A market buyer or a market seller, or both, that meets reasonable creditworthiness standards established by the market operator.
7276. Market power The ability of any market participant with a large market share to significantly control or affect price by withholding production from the market…
7277. Market structure The rules, mechanisms and processes, under which a market operates to form prices, provide benefits and introduce risks to participants, and ultimately…
7278. Market-based rates Rates for power or electric service that are established in an unregulated, competitive market.
7279. Marketer An agent for generation projects who markets power on behalf of the generator. The marketer may also arrange transmission, firming or other ancillary…
7280. MAROB A voluntary marine observation program of the National Weather Service in the early stages of development whose goal is to solicit meteorological and…
7281. MARS Machine Assisted Reference Section
7282. Marsh An area of low-lying wetlands dominated by grasslike plants.
7283. MAS Abbreviation for marker-assisted selection.
7284. mash A mixture of grain and other ingredients with water to prepare wort for brewing operations.
7285. Masonry Material such as brick, rock, or stone.
7286. Masonry dam Any dam constructed mainly of stone, brick or concrete blocks jointed with mortar.
7287. Masonry Stove A type of heating appliance similar to a fireplace, but much more efficient and clean burning.
7288. Mass balance The application of the principle of the conservation of matter.
7289. Mass Burn Facility A type of municipal solid waste (MSW) incineration facility in which MSW is burned with only minor presorting to remove oversize, hazardous, or explosive…
7290. Mass care center A facility for providing emergency lodging and care for people made temporarily homeless by an emergency or disaster.
7291. mass closure (%) The percent by weight of the total samples extracted from the biomass sample compared to the weight of the original sample.
7292. Mass Concrete Any large volume of concrete cast-in-place, generally as a monolithic structure.
7293. Mass Curve A graph of the cumulative values of a hydrologic quantity (such as precipitation or runoff), generally as ordinate, plotted against time or date.
7294. Mass Defect When two subatomic particles are bound together, their bound mass is slightly different than their mass if each particle is measured separately.
7295. mass selection As practised in plant and animal breeding, the selection ofa number of individuals, on the basis of their individual phenotypes, to interbreed to form the…
7296. Mass spectrometry this technique can be used to both measure and analyze molecules under study. It involves introducing enough energy into a target molecule to cause its…
7297. Massachusetts Sustainable Design Roundtable Created by the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs and the Division of Capital Asset Management the Roundtable explores ways in which the…
7298. MassGIS The Commonwealth's Office of Geographic and Environmental Information, within the Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs…
7299. Massif A compact portion of a mountain range, containing one or more summits.
7300. Massive head buttress dam A buttress dam in which the buttress is greatly enlarged on the upstream side to span the gap between buttresses. See solid head buttress dam.