Final answer:
Basic science or "pure" science seeks to expand knowledge regardless of short-term application. It is the source of most scientific theories and can lead to practical applications in the future. Frontier science is undertaken at the cutting edge of knowledge in a particular field.
Step-by-step explanation:
Basic science or "pure" science seeks to expand knowledge regardless of the short-term application of that knowledge. It is not focused on developing a product or a service of immediate public or commercial value. The immediate goal of basic science is knowledge for knowledge's sake, though this does not mean that, in the end, it may not result in a practical application.
Basic science is the source of most scientific theories. For example, a scientist that tries to figure out how the body makes cholesterol, or what causes a particular disease, is performing basic science. This is also known as basic research.
Frontier science is science undertaken in new areas at the frontier of knowledge in a particular field.
Science can be basic or applied. The main goal of basic science is to expand knowledge without any expectation of short-term practical application of that knowledge. The primary goal of applied research, however, is to solve practical problems.