Carbon- 14 Dating 



The use of radioactive carbon which has an atomic mass 

 of 14 and an approximate half-life of 5,500 years, for deter- 

 mining approximately the age of soils, buried materials 

 such as wood, and other organic materials. See Radiation, 

 Radioactivity. 



Carboniferous 



Refers to the Pennsylvanian (Upper Carboniferous) and 

 the Mississippian (Lower Carboniferous) geological periods 

 in the upper part of the Paleozoic era, about 200-260 mil- 

 lion years ago. 



Carcinogen 



A substance that produces cancer. 



Cardinal Points 



The four chief directions of the compass; south, east, 

 north, and west. 



Carnivore 



An animal in the order Carnivora such as the dog, cat, 

 bear, and seal. 



Carnivorous 



Refers to carnivores or to plants such as the sundew that 

 trap and digest insects and other small animals. 



Carolinian Life Zone 



One of the divisions of the Upper Austral life zone. See 

 Austral life zone. 



Carotene (Carotin) 



An orange-yellow pigment, a hydrocarbon, which occurs 

 commonly in plants, especially in the roots of carrots, a 

 precursor of vitamin A. 



Carpel 



The part of the flower, usually consisting of stigma, style, 



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