• asteroid, meteor, meteorite, meteoroid

    asteroid: a minor planet (with a diameter between 1 km and several hundred kilometres), especially in the inner Solar System (between Mars and Jupiter)

  • autopsy, necropsy, postmortem

    All 3 words refer to examination of the body of an animal after death.

  • benzene, benzine

    benzene: a single species of hydrocarbon molecule (which, confusingly, was originally called benzine!) benzine: a mixture of hydrocarbons obtained in the dis

  • benzine

    See benzene, benzine

  • billion, trillion (-illion)

    The meaning of billion and other large numbers may depend on the country in which they are used or, more probably these days, the age of the writing in which th

  • Navigation for online content

    Effective navigation for online content means that users can find the information they want quickly and easily, and that they are guided to other useful content

  • biodegradable, compostable, recyclable

    biodegradable: capable of being decomposed by the action of living organisms, especially bacteria compostable: made of a material that is suitable for formin

  • bioengineering, biomedical engineering, biotechnology

    bioengineering: the combination of biology and engineering to advance medical interventions biomedical engineering: interchangeable with bioengineering bi

  • biomedical engineering

    See bioengineering, biomedical engineering, biotechnology

  • biotechnology

    See bioengineering, biomedical engineering, biotechnology

  • blackwater, greywater, wastewater

    blackwater: dark water in water bodies such as rivers and waterholes, resulting from decay of excessive organic matter and consequent sudden depletion of oxygen

  • breed, species

    breed (animals): an animal husbandry term for animals of the same species that have been artificially (by humans) selected to have certain characteristics that

  • breeding line, germplasm

    breeding line: a group of pure-breeding organisms with a unique phenotype or genotype that distinguishes them from other individuals of the same species germ

  • bug, germ, microbe, microorganism

    bug: specifically, a kind of insect with piercing and sucking mouthparts (family Hemiptera), but ubiquitously used as an inaccurate term for ‘invertebrate’, ‘il

  • can, may, might

    can: to be able Dogs can see a smaller range of colours than humans. may: expressing uncertainty, or to be possible He may be correct in his assumption

  • cancer, neoplasm, tumour

    cancer: a malignant neoplasm neoplasm: a blanket term referring to an uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells in either humans or animals.

  • Content extension devices

    Learn about using content extension devices to support effective online navigation, including expandable sections, content toggles and linked lists.

  • carcase, carcass

    These 2 spellings are usually used interchangeably (in Australia and other English-speaking countries).

  • carcass

    See carcase, carcass

  • carry out, perform

    Both these terms are a sign of weak and passive constructions: The tests were carried out on the samples The pond sampling was performed at 6.00 am Avoid

  • case–control study, cohort study

    case–control study: an observational study design in which the history of a group of participants with a specific outcome (eg a disease) is compared with t

  • cell cycle, cell division

    cell cycle: the period from one cell division to the same point in the next cell division: the formation of 2 cells (daughter cells) from one cell (parent ce

  • cell division

    See cell cycle, cell division

  • cell line

    See cell strain, cell line

  • cell strain, cell line

    cell strain: cultured tissue cells that will not divide indefinitely.