apes unit 5 vocab

pesticides

biological controls (with examples)

use living organisms to manage pests, such as insects, weeds, and plant diseases

ex. ladybugs control aphids and cottony cushion scale

biomagnification

the process by which the concentration of persistent toxic substances, such as pesticides and heavy metals, increases in organisms at each successive level of a food chain

ddt

a persistent organic pollutant and synthetic insecticide

genetic resistance (tolerance)

the inherited ability of an organism to cope with adverse environmental factors, such as pathogens, pests, or toxins

ld-50

a standard toxicological measure defined as the amount of a material, administered all at once, which causes the death of 50% of a group of test animals within a specified observation period

homeostasis

the self-regulating process by which biological systems maintain a stable, relatively constant internal environment despite changes in external conditions

synergism

the interaction between two or more agents, substances, or organisms to produce a total effect that is greater than the sum of their individual effects

antagonism

the interaction between two or more substances, organisms, or forces where the action of one inhibits, counteracts, or reduces the effect of another, producing a total combined effect that is less than the sum of their individual effects

hypoxic

an adjective that describes a condition, environment, or organism affected by hypoxia, which is the state of having inadequate levels of oxygen

urban sprawl

the rapid and often uncontrolled expansion of low-density, car-dependent development into surrounding rural land

risk

the chance of harmful effects to human health or ecological systems resulting from exposure to an environmental stressor

non transmissible disease

a medical condition that is not caused by an acute infection and cannot be spread from person to person

infectious disease

an illness caused by a specific pathogenic microorganism—such as a bacterium, virus, fungus, or parasite—that can be spread, directly or indirectly, from one host to another

transmissible disease

an illness caused by a pathogenic agent that can be spread from one host to another

epidemic

a sudden, unexpected increase in the number of cases of a disease above what is normally expected for a particular population in a specific geographical area and time period

pandemic

an epidemic of an infectious disease that has spread across a large area, such as multiple continents or worldwide, and affects a substantial number of people

tuberculosis (symptoms, spread, cause etc.)

• a potentially life-threatening bacterial infection that primarily affects the lungs but can impact almost any organ in the body, including the brain, kidneys, and spine

• caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis

vaccines

biological preparations that provide active acquired immunity to a specific infectious disease

antibiotics

powerful, life-saving medications used to treat bacterial infections by either killing the bacteria (bactericidal) or stopping their growth and multiplication (bacteriostatic)

hiv/aids (symptoms, spread, cause etc.)

• a virus that attacks the body's immune system

• is the final, most severe stage of HIV infection, characterized by a severely damaged immune system and the presence of opportunistic infections

• primarily spread through contact with specific body fluids from a person with HIV who has a detectable viral load

• a virus that targets and destroys immune system cells called CD4+ T cells, which are key infection fighters

malaria (symptoms, spread, cause etc.)

• a disease spread through the bites of infected female Anopheles mosquitoes

• symptoms include attacks from hot and cold sweats

• The disease is primarily spread by the bite of an infected female Anopheles mosquito, which becomes infected after feeding on the blood of a person who already has malaria

• caused by single-celled parasites of the Plasmodium genus

typhus (symptoms, spread, cause etc.)

• a general term for a group of bacterial infections causing similar symptoms, spread to humans by infected arthropods

• not contagious

• caused by bacteria, primarily from the genera Rickettsia and Orientia

• Humans usually get typhus when the feces of an infected insect (flea, louse, or chigger) are rubbed into a bite wound or other break in the skin, or less commonly, by inhaling dried infected feces

• symptoms are fever, headache, body ache, rash, fatigue, nausea, cough

lyme disease (symptoms, spread, cause etc.)

• a bacterial infection spread to humans through the bite of infected blacklegged ticks (also known as deer ticks)

• caused by bacteria of the Borrelia genus, primarily Borrelia burgdorferi in the United States and Borrelia afzelii or Borrelia garinii in Europe and Asia

• bacteria are transmitted to humans through the bite of an infected blacklegged tick (Ixodes species)

• symptoms resemble the flu

toxic chemical (toxin)

any substance that is harmful to living organisms

carcinogens

any substance, organism, or agent that has the potential to cause cancer

mutagens

physical, chemical, or biological agents that induce permanent changes, or mutations, in the genetic material (DNA) of an organism

pcbs and human health

causes cancer, reproductive issues, immune system suppression, and neurological problems

endocrine system

a network of glands and organs that use hormones to control and coordinate vital bodily functions like growth, metabolism, reproduction, and mood

endocrine disruptors

natural or human-made chemical substances that interfere with the body's endocrine (hormonal) system

thyroid disruptors

a specific class of endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) that interfere with the function of the body's thyroid hormone system

toxicity

the degree to which a substance can cause harm to a living organism

dose and response

a fundamental principle in pharmacology and toxicology that describes the association between the amount of a substance administered or absorbed (the dose) and the magnitude of the effect it produces on a biological system (the response)