sensitive
Definition
Sensitive has a few different meanings in science. In general, it means that something is able to detect small changes. For example, a sensitive instrument can detect very small changes in temperature or pressure.
In the context of electronics, sensitive means that something is easily affected by small amounts of electric current or voltage. For example, a sensitive circuit can be damaged by a small electric shock.
In the context of biology, sensitive means that something is easily affected by its surroundings. For example, a sensitive plant will close its leaves when it is touched.
How can the word be used?
A sensitive person is easily hurt or offended.
Different forms of the word
Adjective:
- able to detect or feel slight changes in something.
- easily affected by or responsive to something.
- easily hurt or offended.
Etymology
The word "sensitive" comes from the Latin word "sensitivus", which means "perceptive".
The first recorded use of the word "sensitive" in English was in the 14th century.
The word "sensitive" is a Latin word, and it is related to the English word "sensation".
Question
When have you experienced a pain which has been sensitive?
AQA Science Exam Question and Answer
Question:
Explain how plants and animals exhibit sensitivity to their environment, highlighting specific adaptations and mechanisms that enable them to respond to external stimuli.
Answer:
Plants and animals both exhibit sensitivity to their environment through a range of adaptations and mechanisms that allow them to respond to external stimuli. In plants, tropisms, such as phototropism (response to light) and gravitropism (response to gravity), enable them to grow and orient themselves in ways that maximise their access to light and nutrients. Additionally, plants can close their stomata in response to drought or touch-sensitive triggers, like Venus flytraps capturing prey.
Animals, on the other hand, possess complex sensory systems. Nervous systems, consisting of neurons and receptors, allow animals to detect and interpret stimuli. For instance, the human skin has receptors for touch, temperature, and pain. Animals also exhibit specialised senses, such as echolocation in bats, allowing them to navigate and locate prey using sound waves.
Behaviours driven by sensitivity include migration patterns in birds based on changing daylight, flowering triggered by environmental cues, and hibernation responses to temperature changes in certain animals. Sensitivity to environmental changes ensures the survival and successful reproduction of organisms, as they adapt their behaviours and physiological processes to match prevailing conditions.