ASVAB General Science Practice Test 235806

Questions 5
Topics Breathing, Cambrian Period, Compound, Medulla, Radiation

Study Guide

Breathing

The diaphragm is a system of muscles that allows breathing. During inhalation, the diaphragm expands and air rushes in to fill the space created. Then, during exhalation, the diaphragm contracts and forces the air back out.

Cambrian Period

The Cambrian period is one of the most significant geological time periods. Lasting about 53 million years, it marked a dramatic burst of changes in life on Earth known as the Cambrian Explosion. It is from this period that the majority of the history of life on Earth, as documented by fossils, is found. Called the fossil record, the layering of these mineralized imprints of organisms preserved in sedementary rock have allowed geologists to build a historical record of plant and animal life on Earth.

Compound

A compound is a substance containing two or more different chemical elements bound together by a chemical bond. In covalent compounds, electrons are shared between atoms. In ionic compounds, one atom borrows an electron from another atom resulting in two ions (electrically charged atoms) of opposite polarities that then become bonded electrostatically.

Medulla

Part of the brainstem, the medulla is the connection between the brain and the spinal cord. It controls involuntary actions like breathing, swallowing, and heartbeat.

Radiation

Radiation occurs when electromagnetic waves transmit heat. An example is the heat from the Sun as it travels to Earth.