California Current an ocean current that carries cold water toward the equator along the western coast of the United States, keeping the climate of the northwest cool
calorie the amount of energy needed to raise the temperature of 1 gram of water by 1°C
cambium a layer of plant cells that sometimes separates the xylem and the phloem
canopy the second-tallest layer of the rain forest; it shades the rain forest with a thick blanket of foliage
capillary action one force that pulls water up into plants by water molecules' sticking to one another and to other substances
carbon cycle the process in which carbon is recycled between the atmosphere and living things
carnivore a secondary or tertiary consumer; an animal that eats other animals
Central Valley an area of low land bordered by the Sierra Nevada to the east and the Coast Ranges to the west
chaparral a dry region with a thick growth of brush and small trees found in the foothills of California's southern mountain ranges, in the Sierra Nevada, and along the California coast
chemical reaction a change in matter that produces new substances with properties different from those of the original substances
chemical weathering the process that changes the composition of rock, forming new minerals that have properties different from those of the original rock
chemosynthesis a chemical reaction that bacteria living near hydrothermal vents use to produce food
chlorophyll a green substance in plants that absorbs energy from sunlight
chloroplast a structure that contains chlorophyll and is found in the cells of leaves and stems of green plants
cilia small, hairlike projections extending from the outsides of some protists' cells; used for movement and for capturing food
ciliate any protist that has small, hairlike projections, or cilia, extending from the outside of its cell
cinder cone volcano a volcanic landform made up of small rock particles, or cinders, which pile up around the vent to form a small cone with steep sides
climate the average weather pattern of a region
coal a hard, black substance formed from plants that lived about 300 million years ago
collection a process in which water soaks into the ground and is stored as groundwater
community all the populations living in an area
composite volcano a landform made up of layers of lava flows alternating with layers of ash, cinders, and rocks
composting the process in which decomposers break down organic matter so it can be used as a natural fertilizer for gardening or farming
compound leaf a leaf with two or more blades
compound light microscope a microscope that uses two or more lenses and a light source to magnify objects
compression wave a wave that moves back and forth in the same direction as the molecules of matter in the wave; sound waves are an example
concrete a mixture of sand, gravel, and pebbles in a binding material such as mortar
condensation the process in which a gas changes into a liquid
conduction the movement of energy through direct contact
conductor an object that absorbs heat and distributes it evenly; one example is metal
conifer an evergreen that produces seeds in special structures called cones
conservation using natural resources wisely by limiting their use to times of need
consumer an organism that gets energy by feeding directly on producers or by eating animals that feed on producers
continental crust crust that makes up Earth's land; made up mostly of a relatively lightweight rock called granite
continental drift the idea that a past supercontinent split apart into pieces, which drifted over time to their present locations
convection the transfer of energy by the flow of a liquid or a gas
convection current the circulation of hot and cold fluids due to differences in temperature and resultant changes in density
convective flow the continuous circular pattern of fluids as they are heated and cooled
convergent boundary a boundary between plates that are moving toward each other, or colliding
core the central part of Earth that lies beneath the mantle and is made up of an outer, liquid part and an inner, solid part
Coriolis effect the shift in wind direction to the right or left caused by Earth's rotation
cost-effectiveness a measure determined by comparing the costs and the consequences of different ways of doing something
crater a bowl-shaped depression
crust the thin layer of solid rock that makes up the outermost part of Earth
cuticle a waxy coating secreted by cells of a plantÕs epidermis to prevent water from leaving the plant
cyanobacteria prokaryotic producers that produced the oxygen that first made Earth inhabitable for other living things
cycle a series of events that happen one after another in the same order, over and over again
cyclone a huge mass of spinning air that forms when an area of low pressure is surrounded by high pressure on all sides
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