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  • 51metabolism — /meuh tab euh liz euhm/, n. 1. Biol., Physiol. the sum of the physical and chemical processes in an organism by which its material substance is produced, maintained, and destroyed, and by which energy is made available. Cf. anabolism, catabolism …

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  • 52chemical element — Introduction also called  element,         any substance that cannot be decomposed into simpler substances by ordinary chemical processes. Elements are the fundamental materials of which all matter is composed.       This article considers the… …

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  • 53language — /lang gwij/, n. 1. a body of words and the systems for their use common to a people who are of the same community or nation, the same geographical area, or the same cultural tradition: the two languages of Belgium; a Bantu language; the French… …

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  • 54poison — poisoner, n. poisonless, adj. poisonlessness, n. /poy zeuhn/, n. 1. a substance with an inherent property that tends to destroy life or impair health. 2. something harmful or pernicious, as to happiness or well being: the poison of slander. 3.… …

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  • 55liquid — liquidly, adv. liquidness, n. /lik wid/, adj. 1. composed of molecules that move freely among themselves but do not tend to separate like those of gases; neither gaseous nor solid. 2. of, pertaining to, or consisting of liquids: a liquid diet. 3 …

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  • 56river — river1 riverless, adj. riverlike, adj. /riv euhr/, n. 1. a natural stream of water of fairly large size flowing in a definite course or channel or series of diverging and converging channels. 2. a similar stream of something other than water: a… …

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  • 57climate — /kluy mit/, n. 1. the composite or generally prevailing weather conditions of a region, as temperature, air pressure, humidity, precipitation, sunshine, cloudiness, and winds, throughout the year, averaged over a series of years. 2. a region or… …

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  • 58heterocyclic compound — Any of a class of organic compounds whose molecules contain one or more rings of atoms with at least one atom (the heteroatom) being an element other than carbon, most frequently oxygen, nitrogen, or sulfur. As in regular cyclic hydrocarbons,… …

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  • 59animal learning — ▪ zoology Introduction       the alternation of behaviour as a result of individual experience. When an organism can perceive and change its behaviour, it is said to learn.       That animals can learn seems to go without saying. The cat that… …

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  • 60industrial polymers, major — Introduction       chemical compounds used in the manufacture of synthetic industrial materials.       In the commercial production of plastics, elastomers, man made fibres, adhesives, and surface coatings, a tremendous variety of polymers are… …

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