Exploring Basic Science Terms for 2nd Graders

Plants capture light energy from the sun using chlorophyll in their leaves during photosynthesis. This energy drives the chemical process that converts water and carbon dioxide into glucose and oxygen. Light energy is essential for plant survival and growth, forming the foundation of all food chains since it fuels primary productivity in ecosystems.

The stem is a crucial plant structure that transports water, minerals, and nutrients from the roots to the leaves. It also provides physical support, elevating leaves toward sunlight for efficient photosynthesis. Stems can store food, conduct growth, and help plants withstand environmental stress, making them vital for nutrient distribution and overall stability.

Humans require oxygen for respiration, a process that converts glucose into energy within cells. Oxygen enables efficient energy production in mitochondria, allowing organs and tissues to function properly. Without it, cells cannot perform metabolic activities, leading to fatigue or organ failure. Oxygen’s availability in Earth’s atmosphere supports nearly all aerobic life forms.

Evaporation is the process where water changes from a liquid to a gaseous state due to heat. It plays a critical role in the water cycle, influencing humidity, weather, and temperature regulation. This transformation helps transfer water from oceans and lakes into the atmosphere, where it eventually condenses into clouds and returns as precipitation.

Day and night occur because of Earth’s rotation on its axis once every 24 hours. As Earth spins, one hemisphere faces the sun (daytime) while the other faces away (nighttime). This rotation creates predictable cycles essential for regulating biological rhythms, weather patterns, and temperature variations across the globe.

Amphibians are cold-blooded vertebrates that typically begin their lives in water as larvae and then undergo metamorphosis to live on land as adults.

When something is pulled towards something else, it is being attracted. The other words do not have the same meaning as 'attract'.

The axis is the line passing through a planet's center and around which it rotates.

Birds are the only animals among the options that have feathers and wings. Fish have fins, mammals have fur or hair, and reptiles have scales.

Consumers are organisms that rely on consuming other organisms for nutrients and energy. They are unable to produce their own food through processes like photosynthesis. Producers, decomposers, and autotrophs are not examples of living things that cannot make food but eat food.