APES- Chapter 8 Vocabulary

This is the vocabulary that must be known for the chapter 8 vocabulary quiz.

Acute Effects

sudden, severe effects

Allergens

substances that activate the immune system

Antigens

Chemical compounds to which antibodies bind.

Bioaccumulation

the selective absorption and concentration of molecules by cells

Biomagnification

An increase in the concentration of certain stable chemicals (for example, heavy metals or fat-soluble pesticides) in successively higher trophic levels of a food chain or web.

Cancer

Invasive, out-of-control cell growth that results in malignant tumors.

Carcinogen

substance that causes cancer

chronic effect

Long-lasting results of exposure to a toxin; can be a permanent change caused by a single, acute exposure or a continuous, low-level exposure.

Corrosive

having the quality of corroding or eating away

Disability-Adjusted Life year (DALY)

A measure of premature deaths and losses due to illnesses and disabilities in a population.

Disease

a deleterious change in the body's condition in response to destabilizing factors, such as nutrition, chemicals, or biological agents

ED50

The dose of a medication that produces a special affect in 50% of the population that takes the dose

emergent disease

a new disease or one that has been absent for at least 20 years

fetal alcohol syndrome

A tragic set of permanent physical, mental, and behavioral birth defects that result from the mother's drinking alcohol during pregnancy.

Hazardous

The term used for chemicals that are dangerous air pollutants, including flammables, explosives, irritants, sensitizers, acids, and caustics; these chemicals may be relatively harmless in diluted concentrations.

Health

a state of complete physical and emotional well-being; the absence of disease or ailment

LD50

A chemical dose lethal to 50 percent of a test population

Morbidity

Illness/disease

Mutagens

Agents, like chemicals or radiation, that damage or alter genetic material (DNA) in cells

Neurotoxins

toxic substances, such as lead or mercury, that specifically poison nerve cells

Particulates

Small particles (ex. dusk, soot)

Risk

The probability that something undesirable will happen as a consequence of exposure to a hazard

Stress

factors within an environment that negatively affect productivity, reproduction, and development

Teratogens

chemicals or other factors that specifically cause abnormalities during embryonic growth and development

Threshold dose

The minimal dose of a drug that triggers minimal detectable biological effect in an organism

Toxins

poisonous chemicals that react with specific cellular components to kill cells or to alter growth or development in undesirable ways; often harmful, even in dilute concentrations

Trauma

Emotional, physical, or psychological response to an event, community, environment, or series of events that has lasting adverse effects on an individual's functioning