Environmental Conditions Vocabulary

Acclimatization

the short-term process where an individual organism adjusts to environmental changes—such as temperature, humidity, or altitude—over hours, days, or weeks to maintain physical function and health.

Acute Mountain Sickness

a mild form of altitude sickness that occurs when ascending too quickly above 8,000 feet

Basal Cell Cancer

The most common type of skin cancer that most often develops on areas of skin exposed to the sun

Conductive heat exchange

the transfer of thermal energy between objects or substances that are in direct physical contact

Convective heat exchange

heat transfer caused by the movement of air or water around the body.

dehydration

a condition that happens when your body loses more water and fluids than it takes in.

electrolyte

essential minerals in your blood, sweat, and bodily fluids that carry an electric charge when dissolved in water

evaporative heat loss

the loss of body heat when sweat or other moisture evaporates from the skin.

frostbite

an injury caused by freezing of the skin and underlying tissues, typically affecting fingers, toes, nose, and ears

heat cramps

painful, involuntary muscle spasms that happen during or after heavy exercise in hot weather

heat exhaustion

a heat-related illness that occurs when your body overheats, typically from high temperatures, heavy exercise, and dehydration

heat rash

caused by blockage of sweat glands during times of high heat or humidity, causing itching or prickling of the skin.

heat stroke

a medical emergency that happens when your core body temperature rises above 104°F (40°C) and your body can no longer cool down

heat syncope

a fainting episode or dizziness caused by a sudden drop in blood pressure

high altitude cerebral edema

a rare, life-threatening illness where low oxygen levels at high elevations (usually above 8,000 to 10,000 feet) cause the brain to swell with fluid

high altitude headache

a throbbing pain that usually starts within 24 hours of going above 8,000 feet (2,500 meters)

high altitude pulmonary edema

a life-threatening fluid buildup in the lungs that typically occurs when people ascend rapidly above 2,500 meters (8,200 feet)

hyponatremia

a medical condition where the sodium level in your blood drops below normal (less than 135 mEq/L)

hypothermia

a medical emergency that happens when the body loses heat faster than it can make it

melanoma

a serious type of skin cancer that starts in cells called melanocytes, which make the pigment that colors your skin

metabolic heat production

the internal generation of heat energy within an organism

psychrometer

a tool used to measure water in the air, known as relative humidity

radiant heat exchange

the transfer of thermal energy between surfaces through electromagnetic waves, mostly in the infrared spectrum

relative humidity

the amount of water vapor in the air compared to the maximum amount the air can hold at that specific temperature, written as a percentage

rhabdomyolysis

a serious medical condition where damaged muscle tissue breaks down fast

sickle cell trait

a genetic condition where a person inherits one normal hemoglobin gene and one sickle hemoglobin gene.

squamous cell cancer

a common type of cancer that begins in flat, scale-like cells

wet bulb globe temperature

an advanced measure of heat stress that accounts for ambient air temperature, humidity, wind speed, sun angle, and solar radiation