|
Aerosols |
Scientific term used to describe particles suspended in a fluid such as
air. |
| Airways |
The passageways through which air
moves while traveling in and out of the lungs during breathing. |
| Asthma |
A disease characterized by inflamed
and narrowed airways and difficulty breathing. |
|
Alveolar region |
Gas-exchange region of the deep lung. |
|
Alveoli |
Small saclike areas of the lungs that make up the alveolar region. |
|
Ambient |
Outdoor. |
|
Anemia |
A condition in which the blood does not contain enough hemoglobin, the
compound that carries oxygen from the lungs to other parts of the body. |
|
Antibody |
A protein made by white blood cells
to fight a specific foreign protein. |
|
Bronchitis |
Inflammation of the bronchial tubes, which connect the trachea to the
lungs. |
|
Carcinogenic |
Cancer-causing. |
| Emphysema |
A condition caused by a breakdown
of alveoli walls resulting in shortness of breath and coughing. |
|
Epidemiology |
Scientific study of the causes and control of epidemics and illnesses. |
|
Free radical |
Extremely reactive chemical compound. |
|
Hemoglobin |
The compound in red blood cells that is responsible for carrying oxygen;
hemoglobin bound to oxygen gives blood its red color. |
| Greenhouse
gases |
Gases including carbon dioxide,
methane and nitrous oxide that have a high potential for trapping heat in
the Earth's atmosphere. |
| Global
warming |
Predicted warming of the Earth's climate
due to increasing levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, largely
due to the burning
of fossil fuels. |
|
Lung function |
A gauge of how well the
lung performs measured by the volume of exhaled air. |
|
Macrophages |
In response to foreign materials, these immune system cells may become
stimulated and play an important role in killing some tumor cells,
bacteria and protozoa. |
|
Microgram |
One-millionth of one gram. |
| Micron |
One-millionth of a meter, or
one-thousandth of a millimeter. |
|
Mutagenic |
Anything that can increase the rate of abnormal change in cells, which
can lead to cancer. |
|
Organic compounds |
Chemical compounds containing carbon and hydrogen molecules. |
| Pathogen |
Any substance capable of causing
disease. |
| Photochemical
reactions |
Chemical reactions of pollutants in
the atmosphere driven by the sun's energy. |
|
ppm |
Parts per million. |
