Enviromysteries: Inside Stories

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Word Definitions


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Thinksheets


Word Definitions

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A  
Abdominal Relating to the abdomen or the part of the body between the thorax and the pelvis
Absorb Take inside; soak up
Accredited Having official approval
Afford To be able to pay for
Alarming Upsetting; shocking
Allergens Substances that cause an allergic reaction, such as difficulties in breathing or itching
Alternatives Other choices or options
Announcements Public messages
Anti-Inflammatory A substance that treats inflammation in your body, such as pain, or redness, which a re clues that your body's immune system is under attack
Apologized Said one was sorry; expressed regret for making a mistake
Argument A quarrel or disagreement
Ashamed Feeling guilty or inferior
Asthma A lung disorder caused by inflamed air passages
Asymmetry Not symmetrical; having no central line that divides the structure into pieces that mirror each other
Authority Power to control the way people act
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Bacteria Germs; plural word for very small, living things (microorganisms) that often cause sickness
Bacterium A germ; the singular word for a very small, living thing (microorganism) that often cause sickness
Banned Outlawed the use of
Barrier Something that blocks things from passing through it
Basal cell cancer A kind of skin cancer where tumors grow in the cells that line in the deepest layer of the epidermis (the outer layer of the skin)
Behavior The way people act
Bio A short form of biography, or the story of someone's life
Blurted Said something without thinking
Brochure A short folded text that contains information
Bronchial Tubes The passage ways through which air moves from the trachea, or windpipe, to the lungs
Bronchodilators Medicines that relax the muscles that have tightened in an asthma episode
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Café A small restaurant
Campylobacter jejuni A rod-shaped bacterium that can be carried in food, causing illness
Candidate A person who is likely to be suited for something
Cataracts Clouding of the lenses in the eyes, causing poor vision
Celebrated Marked a special occasion with a party
Ceramic Pottery made from clay and made hard by placing in a fire
Challenge To test or dare
Chelates Chemicals that surround and cover other materials, taking away their effect
Chronic Constant; not ending
Client A customer
Clients Customers or patrons
Clinic A place where people can get medical treatment
Colitis A disease where the colon is irritated or inflamed
Coma A state of unconsciousness caused by injury or disease
Complicated Tricky or difficult
Complications Problems that make something difficult
Concentration The act of focusing your attention on an idea or task
Concerned Worried about
Confront To meet face to face in a threatening way
Constantly Always; regularly
Contractor A person who builds or fixes buildings
Conversation A chat or talk
Contaminated Unfit for use because of contact with a substance that can harm people
Controlled Regulated or governed by specific rules
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Dander Tiny particles from hair, feathers, or skin that may cause allergic reactions
Dangerous Unsafe or harmful
Decisions Choices made after thinking about them
Definite Specific, exact, clear-cut
Dehydration The state when your body has lost some of its water and other fluids
Deny To say something isn't true
Depressed Sad; low in spirits
Description Explanation or report
Detection The act of finding or discovering something
Diagnosed Correctly identified the cause of a patient's condition
Diagnosis Identification of a disease by looking at its symptoms
Dialysis A medical process that uses equipment to clean wastes from the body after the kidneys have stopped working
Diameter The length of an imaginary straight line that stretches from one edge of a tumor, through its center, to the opposite edge.
Difficulties Problems or troubles
Digestive Related to the systems in your body that break down food so it can be used
Dihydroxyacetone (DHA) A harmless skin dye that reacts with amino acids in the skin to produce a temporary tan
Disfigurement The act of damaging the way something looks
Disgusting Highly revolting; sickening
Disinfected Destroyed harmful organisms such as bacteria
Disrupted Interrupted or caused a breakdown in orderly progress
Disrupting Causing unwelcome interruptions
Distract Cause people's attention to go elsewhere
Dominate Control or take over
Dreading Fearing; being anxious about
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Electrolytes Elements or chemicals, such as sodium and calcium, that your body needs to be able to work properly
Elegant Graceful; pleasing to watch
Embarrassed Ashamed; uncomfortable
Embarrassing Something that causes others to be uncomfortable or uneasy
Emphasized Pointed out or stressed
Emptied To take everything out of
Environment The place or area where something lives
Environmental Related to the environment, or everything in an area surrounding a living thing, including air, water, and land
Epic Unusual; not ordinary
Escherichia coli (E.coli) A bacteria group found in humans and animals; although some kinds are harmless, others can cause diseases
Estimate A statement of how much a job or a service will cost
Exercise-Induced Asthma A chronic breathing problem that is triggered by physical activity
Excessive Beyond the normal limits
Exhausted Tired; worn out
Expensive High-priced; costly
Experience A string of events and emotions that a person has lived through
Expiration date The date on certain foods that tells when they must be used by
Exposure Contact with
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Fatal Causing death
Flailing Waving about
Food-borne illness Any disease caused by eating food or drinking beverages that have been contaminated by bacteria or other harmful substances; also called food poisoning
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Gastrointestinal Having to do with the body's digestive system which includes the mouth, esophagus, stomach, and intestines
Guaranteed Fail-safe; sure
Guilty Feeling as if you were responsible for doing something wrong
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Harmless Safe; risk-free
Harvesting Gathering in a crop from the fields
Hospitalized Sent to the hospital to be treated for an illness or injury
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Imitate To act like or copy
Immune system The body system that defends you against disease and invasion from other foreign substances, such as bacteria.
Impact A major effect
Increase Grow in size, amount, number, or intensity
Inhale To breathe in
Inspires Encourages or motivates
Intense Stronger; to a greater degree
Interferes Gets in the way of; complicates
Intermittently From time to time
Introduced Presented someone to another
Investing Spending money now to gain a reward in the future
Involvement Participation in
Irrigation A system that brings water to dry land
Irritants Things that bother the nose, throat, or airways
Isolated Cut off from others
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Judgment Reasoning
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Knowledge Information that you understand
Kung Fu A Chinese form of combat, involving many skillful moves
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Lead A bluish-white metal that has a high atomic weight
Lead Abatement The process of safely removing lead from a building
Lead Poisoning An illness caused by breathing or swallowing lead
Listeria A bacterium that can cause food borne illnesses
Listeria monocytogenes The scientific name for Listeria, a bacterium that can cause food poisoning
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Manual A book of instructions; a guide
Martial Art A personal fighting system that includes practices and traditions for combat
Medication Pills or liquids that cure symptoms of a disease
Melanin A substance that gives skin its color (also called pigment)
Melanocytes The cells in the epidermis that produce melanin (the substance that gives skin its color)
Melanoma A very serious skin cancer that begins as a tumor in the cells that produce melanin
Microscopic So small that it can only be seen with a microscope
Misdiagnosed Made an incorrect diagnosis; failed to correctly identify the cause of a patient's condition
Misjudged Got the wrong idea about something
Moist Slightly damp; wet
Mucus Thick, slippery fluids
Multiply Increase or grow in number
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Neurologic Related to the body's nervous system
Non-Melanomas Skin cancers other than melanoma
Nutrition All the processes related to taking food in and using it
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Organic food Food that has been raised or grown without any synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, antibiotics, growth hormones, or food additives
Organized Something that has a definite structure and rules
Organs Body parts such as the heart or kidneys that perform a specific function
Ozone Layer The layer of the atmosphere that absorbs some of the ultraviolet rays from the sun
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Pamphlet A brief booklet containing information
Paperwork Record-keeping or working with written documents
Particles Very small specks
Pathogens Bacteria or viruses that cause disease
Penetrate Go into
Percentage Part of
Periodic Table of Elements A display of all the known chemicals, their atomic weight, and their symbols
Permanent Continuing without change; unending
Pollutants Unwanted gases or particles of matter that are carried in the air
Poultry Food from domesticated birds, such as chicken, turkey, goose, or duck
Premature Happening before the usual time
Prevent Stop from happening
Primary Chief; most important
Processing Handling a food product from harvest to packaging
Productivity A measure of the output by a worker per the hours worked
Public Health Organized efforts to protect, promote, and restore people's health
Publicity Materials that attract public attention
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Range Variety; collection
Recalled Took an item out of the market place to prevent its sale
Recommended Suggested as worthwhile
Reduce Lessen; cut; make smaller
Refrigerate To keep food cool or cold by placing it in a refrigerator or freezer
Regulations Rules about procedures to follow
Relatively Somewhat
Reminder Something that helps you remember something you need to do
Renal Related to the kidneys
Renovate To fix up by cleaning, repairing, or rebuilding
Renovations Changes made to fix up a room or building
Resources People, information, or materials used to accomplish a task
Respectful Considerate; paying attention to the needs of others
Respiratory Related to the system of breathing (taking in oxygen and getting rid of carbon dioxide)
Risk To try something that may have a good or bad outcome; to take a chance
Runoff Water that flows over land, sometimes picking up substances that can pollute the air, water, or crops grown on that land
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Salmonella A rod-shaped bacterium that can cause food borne illnesses
Scars Marks left on the skin as a result of injury
Seafood Fish and shellfish that people eat
Sensitive Unusually responsive to something in the environment
Severe Extremely bad or unpleasant
Shallowly Not deep or strong
Similar To Like
Situation A current state or problem
Solution An answer to a problem
Spa A place where you can go to relax, exercise, lose weight, get massages, or tan
Specialty A specific line of work within a career
SPF (Sun Protection Factor) A rating given to sunscreens
Spiritual Concerned with the soul, spirit, or religion
Squamous cell cancer A kind of skin cancer where tumors grow in squamous cells, which are the cells that make up most of the epidermis, or the outer layer of the skin
Stared Looked at steadily, seeing nothing else
Strategy Long term plan of action
Stunned Amazed or confused
Symptoms Conditions that indicate something is wrong in your body
Sunscreen A substance that protects the skin by blocking out some of the harmful ultraviolet rays of the sun
Supplier A merchant that provides certain products to other businesses
Supportive Encouraging; helpful; providing mental and physical assistance and support
Symptoms Conditions that indicate something is wrong in your body
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Temporary Lasting only a short time
Thrilled Very pleased; excited
Tissues Groups of cells in the body that have a specific function, such as muscle or nerve tissue
Toxins Poisons
Transfusions Taking blood or blood-like products from one person and giving them to another
Trachea The largest breathing tube in the body, leading from the throat to the chest, where it connects to two tubes (bronchi) that lead to the lungs
Treatable Capable of being cured by medical treatment
Treatments Ways of taking care of an illness; remedies
Tremendous Huge
Triggers Things that cause asthma symptoms to begin or get worse
Tumor An abnormal growth in body tissues that form a mass
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Ultraviolet The invisible part of the light spectrum that has wavelengths that are shorter than violet light
Undiagnosed Conditions that have not been identified or recognized by their symptoms
Unexpected Surprising; unpredicted
Unpasteurized Not pasteurized, or heated until the bacteria in a food or beverage has been killed
Upset Troubled or disturbed
Upshot Result or consequence
Utensil Items like silverware, spatulas, and pots and pans that are used to prepare and eat food
UVA rays Rays of ultraviolet light from the sun that have the shortest wavelength. These rays damage the inner parts of the skin. Most sunscreens do not block UVA rays.
UVB rays Rays of ultraviolet light from the sun that can be blocked from damaging the skin by sunscreens. These rays damage the outer layers of the skin.
UVC rays Rays of ultraviolet light from the sun that have the shortest wavelengths and can cause the most damage to our skin. Molecules in the atmosphere absorb all of the UVC rays from the sun.
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Walkathon A charitable event where people pledge to give money to others who walk a certain distance. The walkers then give the pledged money to the charity.
Weird Strange; eerie