Chapter 3: information literacy Flashcards
What defines a toxic substance?
A substance that causes damage to living organisms through immediate or long-term exposure.
What are the two broad categories of toxic substances?
- Synthetic toxins
2. Natural toxins
Precautionary principle
‘better safe than sorry’ strategy, in the face of limited information you take pre-emptive decisions to prevent possible future harm.
Information Literacy
the ability to distinguish between reliable and unreliable sources
Primary source
sources that present new and original data- usually published in scientific journals
Secondary source
article reviews, sources that present and interpret information from primary sources
Tertiary source
a source that presents and interprets information from secondary sources (CNN)
Persistence
the ability of a substance to remain in its original form–how long it takes to break down in the environment
Solubility
the ability of a substance to dissolve in liquid or gas
Bioaccumulation
the buildup of a substance in the tissues of an organism over the course of its lifetime
Biomagnification
a consequence of bioaccumulation; what happens when animals that are higher up on the food chain eat other animals that have bioaccumulated toxic compounds.
Epidemiologist
A scientist who studies the causes and patterns of disease in humans populations
Toxicologist
Scientists who study the specific properties of any given potentially toxic substances
In vivo studies
“in the body” studies; research that studies the effects of an experimental treatment in intact organisms
In vitro studies
“in glass” studies; research that studies the effects of experimental treatment cells in culture dishes rather than in intact organisms
