Scientific Terminolgy

 If you've ever read a scientific paper you would have noticed some complicated words or phrases that leave you stumped. This lack of accessible language can push you away from exploring new ideas. While science communication will not improve overnight, let's make it a bit easier by looking at a few definitions of scientific terminology.

Phospholipids are components of cell membranes. They consist of a phosphate group, a glycerol molecule and two fatty acid molecules. They are amphihilic: Their heads are hydrophilic (attract water) and their tails are hydrophobic (repel water).

Peptidoglycan forms many bacterial cell walls. It is made up of sugars and amino acids.

A Polymer is a large molecule. It is made up of repeated monomers (small subunits) that are covalently bonded. They can be natural or synthetic, for example cellulose or plastics.

Catalytic is used to describe a reaction that involves a catalyst. A catalyst, for example amylase, speeds up a reaction (i.e. catalyses it).

Macromolecules are - like polymers - large, complex molecules made up of monomers. They are needed for the function of cells and living organisms. Marcromolecules include carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids.

Peptides are short chains of amino acids.

RNA (ribonucleic acid) is involved in gene expression and protein synthesis. It is usually single-stranded, but some viruses have double-stranded RNA. There are three types of RNA: messenger (carries genetic information to ribosomes), transfer (transports amino acids to ribosomes) and ribosomal (a component of ribosomes).

On their own these words can be intimidating. Having to search up new words every minute makes reading difficult. Hopefully this post has encouraged your appreciation of accessible language; not every word can be avoided, but making changes where you can will greatly benefit readers.