What Is A Vector In Science Definition

A vector is commonly represented by a line segment in a specific direction indicated by an arrow.

What is a vector in science definition. Vectors 1 epidemiology an organism or vehicle that transmits the causative agent or disease causing organism from the reservoir to the host. A plasmid used to transfer the genetic material such as dna sequences from the donor organism to the target cell of the recipient organism. For example velocity is a vector because it describes both how fast something is moving and in what direction it is moving. Vectors are a logical element in programming languages that are used for storing data.

In molecular biology a vector may be a virus or a plasmid that carries a piece of foreign dna to a host cell. A vector in programming is a type of array that is one dimensional. Vector biology traditionally in medicine a vector is an organism that does not cause disease itself but which spreads infection by conveying pathogens from one host to another. Mathematically a vector is a quantity defined by both magnitude and direction.

It is typically represented by an arrow whose direction is the same as that of the quantity and whose length is proportional to the quantitys magnitude. Vector definition noun plural. The arrow means that this is not only a scalar value which would be represented by a but also something with direction. Continue scrolling or click here for related slideshow.

Vectors are similar to arrays but their actual implementation and operation differs. For example in malaria a mosquito is the vector that carries and transfers the infectious agent. Another vector may be 25 inches and point at a 160 degree angle. Because velocity is a vector other quantities in which velocity is a factor such as acceleration and momentum are vectors also.

Entry 1 of 2 1. In physical science and engineering a vector is a geometric object which has both magnitude or length and direction. 2 molecular biology a vehicle eg. A quantity that has magnitude and direction and that is usually represented by part of a straight line with the given direction and with a length representing the magnitude.

In physics you generally use a letter in bold type to represent a vector although you may also see a letter with an arrow on top like this. For example a vector could be illustrated by an 1 inch arrow pointing at a 30 degree angle. Medical definition of vector. Although a vector has magnitude and direction it does not have position.

In medicine a carrier of disease or of medication.