Glossary
- Page ID
- 71892
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\(\newcommand{\avec}{\mathbf a}\) \(\newcommand{\bvec}{\mathbf b}\) \(\newcommand{\cvec}{\mathbf c}\) \(\newcommand{\dvec}{\mathbf d}\) \(\newcommand{\dtil}{\widetilde{\mathbf d}}\) \(\newcommand{\evec}{\mathbf e}\) \(\newcommand{\fvec}{\mathbf f}\) \(\newcommand{\nvec}{\mathbf n}\) \(\newcommand{\pvec}{\mathbf p}\) \(\newcommand{\qvec}{\mathbf q}\) \(\newcommand{\svec}{\mathbf s}\) \(\newcommand{\tvec}{\mathbf t}\) \(\newcommand{\uvec}{\mathbf u}\) \(\newcommand{\vvec}{\mathbf v}\) \(\newcommand{\wvec}{\mathbf w}\) \(\newcommand{\xvec}{\mathbf x}\) \(\newcommand{\yvec}{\mathbf y}\) \(\newcommand{\zvec}{\mathbf z}\) \(\newcommand{\rvec}{\mathbf r}\) \(\newcommand{\mvec}{\mathbf m}\) \(\newcommand{\zerovec}{\mathbf 0}\) \(\newcommand{\onevec}{\mathbf 1}\) \(\newcommand{\real}{\mathbb R}\) \(\newcommand{\twovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\ctwovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\threevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cthreevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\mattwo}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{rr}#1 \amp #2 \\ #3 \amp #4 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\laspan}[1]{\text{Span}\{#1\}}\) \(\newcommand{\bcal}{\cal B}\) \(\newcommand{\ccal}{\cal C}\) \(\newcommand{\scal}{\cal S}\) \(\newcommand{\wcal}{\cal W}\) \(\newcommand{\ecal}{\cal E}\) \(\newcommand{\coords}[2]{\left\{#1\right\}_{#2}}\) \(\newcommand{\gray}[1]{\color{gray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\lgray}[1]{\color{lightgray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\rank}{\operatorname{rank}}\) \(\newcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\col}{\text{Col}}\) \(\renewcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\nul}{\text{Nul}}\) \(\newcommand{\var}{\text{Var}}\) \(\newcommand{\corr}{\text{corr}}\) \(\newcommand{\len}[1]{\left|#1\right|}\) \(\newcommand{\bbar}{\overline{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bhat}{\widehat{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bperp}{\bvec^\perp}\) \(\newcommand{\xhat}{\widehat{\xvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\vhat}{\widehat{\vvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\uhat}{\widehat{\uvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\what}{\widehat{\wvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\Sighat}{\widehat{\Sigma}}\) \(\newcommand{\lt}{<}\) \(\newcommand{\gt}{>}\) \(\newcommand{\amp}{&}\) \(\definecolor{fillinmathshade}{gray}{0.9}\)Words (or words that have the same definition) | The definition is case sensitive | (Optional) Image to display with the definition [Not displayed in Glossary, only in pop-up on pages] | (Optional) Caption for Image | (Optional) External or Internal Link | (Optional) Source for Definition |
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(Eg. "Genetic, Hereditary, DNA ...") | (Eg. "Relating to genes or heredity") | ![]() |
The infamous double helix | https://bio.libretexts.org/ | CC-BY-SA; Delmar Larsen |
Word(s) | Definition | Image | Caption | Link | Source |
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“traditional” student | A college student, typically age seventeen to nineteen, attending college directly or soon after completing high school. | ||||
abstinence | Not engaging in sexual activity. | ||||
abuse | The use of illegal drugs or the use of prescription or over-the-counter drugs or alcohol for other than their intended purposes or in excessive amounts. | ||||
academic dishonesty | Cheating or using any unauthorized or unacceptable material in academic activities such as assignments and tests; turning in work that is not your own under your name. | ||||
academic freedom | The concept present in almost all colleges that instructors are free, within the boundaries of laws and ethics, to pursue studies and to teach topics they deem appropriate within their field, without interference from administrators, officials, or others. | ||||
academic honesty | Fundamental principle that a student does his or her own work and does not interfere with the honest work of others; violations of academic honesty include cheating, plagiarism, fabrication of false authorities, misrepresentation, inappropriate assistance from others, acting to prevent others from accomplishing their own work, and so on. | ||||
academic integrity | An instructor’s or student’s honesty and responsibility related to scholarship and academic interpersonal interactions. | ||||
Academic writing | Analytical or informative nonfiction writing that is assigned by college instructors. | ||||
acronyms | A word formed from the initial letters of words in a phrase or series of words, such as “USA” for “United States of America.” | ||||
Acrostics | A mnemonic method in which words in a sentence or phrase work as memory aids for something beginning with the same first letters in the acrostic. | ||||
active listening | A strategy for listening effectively in interactive situations by focusing on what is being said, confirming that you heard the right message, asking for any needed clarification, watching for nonverbal messages, and listening for requests. | ||||
active reading | A conscious process in which the reader chooses to create an interaction with the written word, with the objective of increasing understanding. | ||||
aerobic exercise | Brisk physical activity that requires the heart and lungs to work harder to meet the body’s increased oxygen needs. | ||||
Aggressive communication | One-sided communication in which a speaker attacks what others say or uses a pushy, domineering style to express ideas or thoughts. | ||||
Anorexia | An eating disorder involving a loss of the desire to eat, often as a result of psychological problems related to how a person perceives her or his appearance. | ||||
Anxiety | Feelings of worry, tension, and nervousness with or without a specific focus of concern; severe or persistent anxiety can be a mental disorder. | ||||
articulation agreements | An agreement between a community college and four-year institution that allows for seamless transfer into a four-year bachelor’s program. | ||||
bias | A personal inclination that may prevent unprejudiced consideration of a question. | ||||
Binge eating | An eating disorder involving frequent binge eating not followed by compensatory behaviors. | ||||
blood pressure | The pressure blood exerts on the walls of blood vessels, resulting from complex processes in the body; high blood pressure is associated with several diseases and health problems. | ||||
Bloom’s taxonomy | A classification of thinking skills developed by Benjamin Bloom. In order of increasing complexity, they are knowledge, comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation. | ||||
body fluids | In general, any fluid within the body, but more specifically used for those fluids that may carry a sexually transmitted disease: blood, semen, and vaginal secretions. | ||||
body language | Another term for forms of nonverbal communication, including gestures, postures, and facial expressions. | ||||
body mass index, BMI | A measure of a person’s weight in relation to height, used medically to determine whether a person is underweight, of normal weight, overweight, or obese. | ||||
Brainstorming | A process of generating ideas for solutions in a group of people. | ||||
budget | An organized plan for coordinating income and expenditures. | ||||
Bulimia | An eating disorder involving frequent binge eating followed by compensatory behaviors such as vomiting. | ||||
caffeine | A stimulant found in coffee, tea, many soft drinks, and other foods and drinks that increases alertness and wakefulness but also may have adverse effects in large quantities. | ||||
calories | The basic unit of food energy; consuming more calories in one’s diet than are used leads to weight gain. | ||||
cardiovascular fitness | Having a healthy heart and blood vessels. | ||||
career | An occupation or profession requiring special skills or training; a progression of jobs followed as one’s life pursuit. | ||||
certificates of deposit, CDs | A bank deposit, usually made for a fixed term, at a specified interest rate that is typically higher than the rate of a regular savings account, involving a penalty for early withdrawal. | ||||
cholesterol | A fat-like substance, made by the body and found naturally in animal foods, that when in excess levels in the body contributes to cardiovascular disease. | ||||
common knowledge | Knowledge that is generally accepted as true and that can be found easily in various sources. | ||||
conflict resolution | A step-by-step process designed to resolve a dispute or disagreement. | ||||
contraceptives | A drug, device, or procedure used for the deliberate prevention of pregnancy. | ||||
Cornell method | A classic method of taking organized class notes using a two-column approach that highlights key ideas. | ||||
coronary heart disease | A heart disease caused by damage to the arteries that supply blood and oxygen to the heart. | ||||
cover letter | A letter to potential employers to entice them to read a résumé. | ||||
Craigslist | A free online listing of classified ads, organized by city, useful for job searches; access through Craigslist.org. | ||||
Creative thinking | The ability to look at things from a new perspective, to come up with fresh solutions to problems. It is a deliberate process that allows you to think in ways that increase the likelihood of generating new ideas or thoughts. | ||||
credit history | A general term referring to a person’s past use of credit and payment patterns. | ||||
credit rating | The classification of credit risk based on a person’s financial resources, past payment pattern, and personal history of debts. | ||||
credit report | A written report, compiled by a credit bureau, listing the details of a person’s credit history, possibly including a credit rating, FICO score, or both. | ||||
Critical thinking | The ability to discover the value of an idea, a set of beliefs, a claim, or an argument. It requires you to use logic and reasoning to evaluate evidence or information to make a decision or reach a conclusion. | ||||
date rape | The rape of a person by someone whom the person is dating. | ||||
debit card | A card like a credit card that functions like a check and through which a purchase or cash withdrawal from an automated teller machine (ATM) is made directly from the holder’s bank account. | ||||
dependence | Being abnormally tolerant to and dependent on something that is psychologically or physically habit forming (especially alcohol or narcotic drugs); addiction. | ||||
Depression | A despondent emotional state with feelings of pessimism and sometimes feelings of inadequacy; severe or persistent depression affecting one’s daily life can be a mental disorder. | ||||
diabetes | A disease in which the body has high levels of sugar in the blood because of an inability to manage blood glucose; diabetes is associated with a range of serious health problems. | ||||
Discrimination | Treatment of a person based on some group, class, or category to which that person belongs rather than on individual merit. | ||||
distinct contributions | Knowledge or an idea that may be disputed or that is not found in many sources. | ||||
diversity | A condition of having differences, generally referring to meaningful differences among various groups of people. | ||||
drugs | A substance used for treating, curing, or preventing disease (prescription and over-the-counter drugs) or used without medical reason to alter the body or mind (illegal drugs or prescription drugs used without prescription). | ||||
Editing and proofreading | A close review of a revised draft that leads to stylistic refinements and sentence- or word-level corrections. | ||||
emergency contraception | Contraceptive measures, such as a drug, used to prevent pregnancy after sexual intercourse has already occurred. | ||||
empathy | The ability to understand and share the feelings of another person. | ||||
ethical code | A system of principles for acceptable conduct. | ||||
eustress | A positive and stimulating kind or level of stress. | ||||
extracurricular | Activities at college, usually organized and involving a group, outside academic activities related to one’s courses. | ||||
Free Application for Federal Student Aid, FAFSA | A detailed financial application form including a college student’s (and often his or her parents’ or guardians’) detailed financial information such as income; required by almost all U.S. colleges as part of applying for financial aid. | ||||
Fallacies | Defects in logic that weaken arguments. | ||||
FICO score | A standard credit score often included in a credit report generated by a credit bureau, used to measure a person’s credit risk; an acronym for the Fair Isaac Credit Organization, which devised the basic formula for calculating this score. | ||||
financial aid | Funds or a tuition waiver in a formal program designed to help students pay for college; forms of financial aid include scholarships, grants, student loans, and work study programs. | ||||
front matter | A publishing term used to describe the first parts of the book that are not part of the actual text. The front matter may include a preface, a foreword, an introduction, biographical profiles of the authors, and the table of contents. | ||||
generic | Any product commonly marketed under a brand name that is sold in a package without a brand. | ||||
genre | A kind or type of essay; an approach or a specific form of organization; a compare-and-contrast essay, for example, is a genre often assigned by college instructors. | ||||
goals | A result or achievement toward which one directs one’s efforts. | ||||
grade point average, GPA | A numerical score representing the average of a student’s grades in all courses during a term and cumulatively through the student’s duration at the particular high school or college. | ||||
grants | A sum of money or other financial aid given to a student usually based on demonstrated financial need or other criteria, intended to help meet the expenses of attending college. | ||||
Harassment | Actions or words meant to disturb, belittle, or torment another person. | ||||
HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) | Virus transmitted via body fluids during sexual activity and by other means such as drug needle sharing; the cause of AIDS, a fatal disease. | ||||
human immunodeficiency virus, HIV | Virus transmitted via body fluids during sexual activity and by other means such as drug needle sharing; the cause of AIDS, a fatal disease. | ||||
hormones | A substance produced in the body that has physical, mental, or emotional effects. | ||||
Human sexuality | A general term for how people experience and express themselves as sexual beings, including feelings, thoughts, and actions. | ||||
Identity theft | A fraudulent use of someone’s identifying or personal data or documents, such as a credit card. | ||||
idioms | An expression whose meaning is not predictable by the meanings of the words that make it up; many slang expressions are idioms. | ||||
immigrated | To move to a country of which one is not a native, usually for permanent residence. | ||||
immune system | The body system, involving many different organs and body tissues, responsible for defending the body against infection and disease. | ||||
insomnia | An inability to sleep; chronic sleeplessness. | ||||
internships | A paid or unpaid position in a formal program designed for a student to gain practical experience in a career field. | ||||
Jingles | A phrase that is set to music and is easy to remember. | ||||
Kinesthetic | Referring to the sensation of body movement or position. | ||||
learning styles | A person’s preferred approach to or way of learning most effectively. | ||||
learning styles | A person’s preferred approach to or way of learning most effectively. | ||||
liberal arts education | A college program that provides general knowledge about the humanities, arts, and natural and social sciences, rather than professional or technical subjects. | ||||
listening | Purposefully focusing on what a speaker is saying with the objective of understanding. | ||||
Loneliness | An emotional state of sadness and feeling isolated from or not connected to others. | ||||
major | A subject or field of study chosen by a college student representing his or her principal interest. | ||||
Memory | The process of storing and retrieving information. | ||||
mentor | A trusted individual, often an older and wiser role model, who provides guidance and advice. | ||||
Mnemonics | Tricks for memorizing lists and data. | ||||
Multiculturalism | Accepting, respecting, and preserving different cultures or cultural identities within a unified society. | ||||
Multitasking | The performing of multiple tasks at the same time, often involving technology and communications. The term originates in computer science, referring to how a computer’s CPU can be programmed to function. (Importantly, the human brain does not function the same as a computer!) | ||||
networking | The process of engaging others in helping reach an objective. | ||||
nicotine | A habit-forming stimulant found in tobacco, which raises blood pressure, increases heart rate, and has toxic effects throughout the body. | ||||
nontraditional students | A general term for college students who do not attend college within a year or so after graduating high school and who therefore are usually older than seventeen to nineteen years of age and have significant work or other noneducational experiences. | ||||
obesity | Condition in which body fat has accumulated to the point of having adverse health effects, often defined as a body mass index of 30 or greater. | ||||
One-on-one interviews | An interview or series of interviews with hiring managers to get to know candidates and determine their fit with the organization. Hiring decisions are largely based on these interviews. | ||||
online | Referring to a computer connected to other computers, typically through the Internet; online education, for example, may occur entirely through the computer. | ||||
overdraft | The act of withdrawing (or purchasing with a debit card) more funds from an account than are in the account at the time. | ||||
Plagiarism | The unacknowledged use of another writer’s words or ideas. | ||||
podcast | An audio or video recording, such as of a class lecture, made available online; so named because podcasts were originally developed to be downloaded and played on iPods. | ||||
PowerPoint | The name of a specific software presentation program (within Microsoft Office) used in many educational and business settings to produce and deliver “slides” containing text and graphics to a group via a projected computer screen. | ||||
prescription drugs | A drug prescribed to a specific person for a specific medical condition by a health-care provider; many prescription drugs are illegal when used by someone other than the person for whom it was prescribed. | ||||
primary sources | Documents, letters, diaries, newspaper reports, financial reports, lab reports, and records that directly report or offer new information or ideas, rather than secondary sources (like many textbooks) that collect information that originated in primary sources. | ||||
priorities | Something that is more important than other things or given special attention. | ||||
procrastinates | To intentionally (often habitually) put something off until another day or time. | ||||
product | The outcome or end result of a writing process; the finished paper you submit. | ||||
professional school | An academic program to prepare for certain professions after completion of a bachelor’s degree, such as medical school, law school, business school, and others. | ||||
Rape | Unlawful sexual intercourse with or sexual penetration of another person without that person’s consent, typically with force or threat of force. | ||||
relaxation techniques | Any specific physical or mental practice developed to help a person calm the mind, relax the body, or both to lower stress and promote rest or concentration. | ||||
résumé | A document used to summarize the experience of a person. | ||||
returning students | A college student, typically over age twenty, who has worked or engaged in other significant activities between high school and college. | ||||
revision | A critical reflection of an early draft that leads to significant changes. | ||||
Rhymes | Short verses used to remember data. | ||||
safer sex | The use of protective actions or devices during sexual activity to minimize the risk of sexually transmitted infections and unwanted pregnancy. | ||||
scholarships | A sum of money or other financial aid granted to a student based on academic merit or other ability, intended to help meet the expenses of attending college. | ||||
scope (or focus) | A deliberate and purposeful narrowing of coverage. Writers must define specific limitations to work within to narrow the scope or sharpen the focus of their subject. | ||||
sexual intercourse | As used here, referring to heterosexual intercourse in which the penis penetrates the vagina. | ||||
Sleep deprivation | A chronic lack of sufficient restorative sleep. | ||||
smoking cessation | The general term for any of many different programs developed to help people stop smoking, including use of medications, counseling, group therapy and support, hypnosis, and other programs. | ||||
social networking | The use of a Web site to connect with people who share personal or professional interests. | ||||
standard English | Use of relatively formal English language with correct grammar and syntax, avoiding slang, colloquialisms, and irregular phrasings and word meanings that may be common to a particular cultural group but that differ from those generally accepted by the larger culture. | ||||
stereotypes | A simplified and standardized image of what a certain type or group of people is like, often held in common by members of a different group. | ||||
stress | A natural response of the body and mind to a demand or challenge, often associated with feelings of tension and negative emotions. | ||||
stressor | Anything, such as an event or situation, that causes a person stress. | ||||
subsidized federal Stafford loan | A type of federal college student loan that does not begin accruing interest until after graduation. | ||||
summative assessments | A test or exam used by an instructor to determine if a student has mastered the material sufficiently to get credit for the course. | ||||
syllabus | An outline of the course from the instructor, which covers the course objectives, the material to be covered in each class, and often assignments. | ||||
target heart rate | The level of heartbeat that gives you the best workout: about 60 to 85 percent of your maximum heart rate, which is typically calculated as 220 minus your age. | ||||
teaching styles | The preferred methods or techniques an instructor uses to teach students, often based on personal preferences, individual skills, and the norms of the academic discipline. | ||||
Test anxiety | A psychological condition in which a person feels distress before, during, or after a test or exam to the point where stress causes poor performance. | ||||
transferable skills | Skills that contribute to success in any number of occupations. | ||||
URL | An Internet address; URL stands for “uniform resource locator.” | ||||
values | An object or quality a person believes is desirable as a means or as an end in itself. | ||||
wellness | A state of physical, emotional, mental, and social well-being, not merely the absence of disease. | ||||
wellness | A state of physical, emotional, mental, and social well-being, not merely the absence of disease. | ||||
Work study | A type of financial aid in which a student works part time to earn funds for financing the costs of attending college; may include a federally subsidized or another work study program. | ||||
work-based skills | Skills that are specific to a single occupation but are not likely to be used for others. |