Welcome to the STEMium Glossary!
This is your one-stop shop for easy-to-understand STEM definitions. Below you’ll find a list of terms/definitions that might pop up in some of our lessons. If we’re still not being clear, or you’re confused about our explanation, please drop us a note.
Terminology / Definitions
- Bacteria: a tiny, single celled organism – these can be shaped like rods, spheres or even spirals and are found everywhere. Some bacteria can act as pathogens and cause disease.
- Hypothesis: this is a guess or assumption or potential answer to a question that we’re asking. For example, we may be wondering if pizzas with meat toppings cook faster than pizzas with veggie toppings? Our hypothesis (or guess) could be that pizzas with veggie toppings cook faster.
- Molecular biology: sounds complicated I know. But the easiest way to describe it is as the field that studies biology at a molecular level. DNA in our body gets turned into RNA which gets turned into proteins. This is how the majority of processes work. Scientists working on understanding parts of molecular biology try to learn more about how molecules in the body interact.
- Raspberry Pi: If you’ve checked out our review on the Piper and Kano computer kits, this term might be a little confusing. The Raspberry Pi Foundation website offers an in-depth explanation that’s worth a run through. The short version – this is an inexpensive, computer that is about the size of a credit card. With ports to connect USB and HDMI devices, users can quickly throw it on a TV screen with a standard keyboard and mouse. The Raspberry Pi community is incredibly active (see google hits here) and with countless maker projects using it as the brains of the operations, it’s a great way for kids to learn about computers — hardware and software.
- Solar Cell: this is another way to say “solar battery”. A solar cell can convert energy from the sun into electrical energy. You might also see the term photovoltaic cell. When light hits a light-absorbing material, electrons are transferred which creates an electric current. Check out the Energy Education page from University of Calgary for more info.
