Unit 23: Vocabulary

Please study the 18 vocabulary terms below. Then press the Mark Complete button to continue.
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CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
US agency based in Atlanta, Georgia whose main goal is to protect public health and safety through the control and prevention of disease
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The CDC does not generally issue advisories or restrictions for travel within the United States.
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contagion
the spread of disease from one person to another by close contact
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Hospitals are optimized to prevent the spread of contagions.
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dodged a bullet
avoided a dange
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The traveler really dodged a bullet when he missed the train that ended up crashing.
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easily overtake
to overcome or pass without difficulty
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A sports car can easily overtake a truck on the highway.
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genetic material
DNA (or RNA in RNA viruses)
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Some scientists believe that much of the human genome is composed of genetic material from viruses.
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H1N1
virus strain responsible for the 2009 flu pandemic known as "swine flu"
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The H1N1 virus spread worldwide and has caused 18,500 laboratory-confirmed deaths.
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had succumbed to
yielded to something they've tried to fight off such as a disease
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The researchers found that after a tough struggle he had succumbed to pancreatic cancer.
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KV
host
an organism on which a parasite derives benefit such as food
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A living cell is the host in which a virus multiplies.
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inject
to drive or force into
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The doctor injected a painkiller into the patient's veins.
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microscopic
not visible with naked eye
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Protozoa are microscopic, amoeba-like organisms that live in liquid.
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miniscule amount of
extremely small number of something
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A minuscule amount of rat excrement is found in common foods such as chocolate or peanut butter.
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multiply
increase in quantity
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Mammals multiply by means of sexual reproduction.
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mutate
change or adapt in nature
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Viruses sometimes mutate and grow resistant to vaccines.
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new strain
a new breed, stock, or variety of something
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A new strain of virus can be immune to treatment.
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organism
an individual life form
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The study found that crawfish, frogs, and other organisms had been destroyed over a large area of the estuary.
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pandemic
a widespread outbreak of an infectious disease with global health implications
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Life expectancy statistics from 1918 may have been skewed by an influenza pandemic.
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progression
the moving of something towards a more advanced state
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Disease can halt the progression of a human from childhood to adulthood.
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WHO (World Health Organization)
an international agency established in 1948 by the United Nations to promote health and control communicable diseases.
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The WHO is a generally neutral and trusted authority in cases of pandemics.
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