100 words every high school grad should know

The editors of the American Heritage dictionaries have selected a list of 100 words they recommend every high school graduate -- and their parents -- should know.

"The words we suggest," says senior editor Steven Kleinedler, "are not meant to be exhaustive but are a benchmark against which graduates and their parents can measure themselves. If you are able to use these words correctly, you are likely to have a superior command of the language."

What caught my eye is that a full one-sixth of the words are scientific or technical terms. I have reproduced them below. This, I think, reflects the near imperative of being scientifically literate to prosper in the 21st century.

• chromosome
• gamete
• hemoglobin
• hypotenuse
• kinetic
• metamorphosis
• mitosis
• nanotechnology
• oxidize
• parabola
• photosynthesis
• plasma
• polymer
• quasar
• taxonomy
• tectonic
• thermodynamics

And sorry kids, plasma does not mean "TV." So did you know them all? I did, although I wasn't 100 percent sure of gamete.