| Term | Definition |
| Vaccine | A preparation, containing weakened or dead pathogens that cause a particular disease, given to prevent one from contracting that disease |
| Medicine | Helps prevent or cure a disease or medical problem |
| Analgesics | Pain relievers |
| Side Effects | Reactions to the medicine other than the one intended |
| Additive Interaction | When medicines work together in a positive way |
| Synergistic Effect | The interaction of two or more medicines that results in a greater effect than when the medicines are taken independently |
| Antagonistic Reaction | When the effect of a medicine is canceled or reduced when taken with another medicine |
| Tolerance | A condition in which the body becomes used to the effect of a medicine |
| Withdrawal | The process that occurs when a person stops using a medicine or other substance to which her or she has a physiological dependence |
| Prescription Medicines | Medicines that cannot be used safely without the written approval of a licensed physician |
| Over-the-Counter (OTC) Medicines | Medicines you can buy without a doctor's prescription |
| Medicine Misuse | Using a medicine in a way other than the one intended |
| Addiction | A physiological or psychological dependence on a substance or activity |
| Nicotine | The addictive drug in cigarettes |
| Stimulant | A drug that increases the action of the central nervous system, the hear, and other organs |
| Tar | A thick, sticky, dark fluid produced when tobacco burns |
| Carcinogens | Cancer-causing substances |
| Carbon Monoxide | A colorless, odorless, poisonous gas in cigarette smoke that passes through the lungs into the blood |
| Smokeless Tobacco | Tobacco that is sniffed through the nose or chewed |
| Leukoplakia | Thickened, white, leathery-appearing spots on the inside of a smokeless tobacco user's mouth that can develop into cancer of the mouth |
| Passive Smoke | Cigarette, cigar, or pipe smoke inhaled by nonsmokers as well as smoke that remains in a closed environment after the smoke is through smoking |
| Stream Smoke | The smoke that a smoker blows off |
| Side-stream Smoke | The smoke that comes from burning tobacco |
| Nicotine Withdrawal | The process that occurs when nicotine, an addictive drug, is no longer used |
| Nicotine Substitutes | Manufactured forms of nicotine that deliver small amounts of the drug into the user's system while he or she is trying to give up the tobacco habit |
| Ethanol | The type of alcohol found in alcoholic beverages |
| Fermentation | The chemical action of yeast on sugars |
| Intoxication | Physical and mental impairment resulting from the use of alcohol |
| Blood Alcohol Concentration | The amount of alcohol in a person's blood expressed as a percentage |
| Designated Drivers | People in social settings who choose not to drink so that they can safely drive themselves and others |
| Fatty Liver | A condition in which fats build up in the liver and cannot be broken down |
| Cirrhosis | A condition in which liver tissue is destroyed and then replaced with useless scar tissue |
| Fetal Alcohol Syndrome | A condition in which a fetus has been adversely affected mentally and physically by its mother's heavy alcohol use during pregnancy |
| Binge Drinking | Periodic excessive drinking |
| Alcohol Poisoning | A dangerous toxic condition that occurs when a person drinks a large amount of alcohol in a short period of time |
| Alcoholism | A Physical and psychological dependence on the drug ethanol |
| Delirium Tremens | The dramatic physical and psychological effects of alcohol withdrawal |
| Substance Abuse | Any unnecessary or improper use of chemical substances for non-medical purposes |
| Synthetic Drugs | Chemical substances produced artificially in a laboratory |
| Illicit Drug | The use or sale of any substances that are illegal or otherwise not permitted |
| Illegal Drugs | Street drugs |
| Gateway Drugs | Drugs that often lead to other serious and dangerous drug use |
| Overdose | A strong or even fatal reaction to taking a large amount of a drug |
| Psychoactive Drugs | Drugs that affect the central nervous system and interfere with the normal functioning of the brain |
| Stimulants | Drugs that speed up the central nervous system |
| Paranoia | Irrational suspiciousness or distrust of others |
| Euphoria | A feeling of intense well-being or elation that maybe be followed by a complete "crash" or let down |
| Depressants | Drugs that tend to slow down the central nervous system |
| Narcotics | Drugs derived from the opium plant that have a sedative effect |
| Hallucinogens | Drugs that alter moods, thoughts, and sense perceptions including vision, hearing, smell, and touch |
| Marijuana | Cannabis that is smoked, eaten, or drunk for intoxicating effects |
| Hashish | "Hash," the dark brown resin collected from the tops of the cannabis plant |
| Inhalants | Substance with breathable fumes that are sniffed and inhaled to give a hallucinogenic or mind-altering high |
| Designer Drugs | Synthetics substance meant to imitate the effects of narcotics and hallucinogens |
| Look-Alike Drugs | Drugs made so as to physically resemble specific illegal drugs |
| Therapeutic Communities | Residential treatment centers |
| Drug-Free School Zones | Areas within 1,000 feet of schools and designated by signs, within which people caught selling drugs will receive especially tough penalties |
| Drug Watches | Organized community efforts by neighborhood residents to patrol, monitor, report, and otherwise help try to stop drug deals and drug use |
| Embryo | A cluster of developing cells following implantation |
| Placenta | A blood-rich tissue developed from an outer layer of cells from the embryo and tissue from the mother |
| Umbilical Cord | A tube through which nutrients and oxygen pass from the mother's blood into the embryo's blood |
| Apgar Test | A routine diagnostic test that determines and infant's physical condition at birth |
| Miscarriage | A spontaneous abortion |
| Stillbirth | The birth of a dead fetus |
| Chromosomes | Tiny structures within the nuclei of cells that carry information about hereditary traits |
| Genes | Segments of DNA molecules |
| Amniocentesis | A procedure in which a syringe is inserted through the pregnant female's abdominal wall into the amniotic fluid surrounding the developing fetus |
| Ultrasound | A test in which sound waves are used to project light images on a screen |
| Chorionic Villi Sampling | A test in which a small piece of membrane is removed from the chorion, a layer of tissue that develops into the placenta |
| Developmental Task | Something that needs to occur during a particular stage for a person to continue his or her growth toward becoming a health, mature adult |
| Autonomy | The confidence that one can control one's own body, impulses, and environment |
| First Aid | The immediate, temporary care given to a person who has become sick or who has been injured |
| Poison | Any substance-solid, liquid, or gas that causes injury, illness, or death when introduce into the body |
| Pressure Point | One of a number of points along the main artery supplying blood to an affected limb |
| Shock | The failure of the cardiovascular system to keep adequate blood circulating to the vital organs of the body |
| Poison Control Center | A 24-hour hot line that provides emergency medical advice on treating poisoning victims |
| Emetic | An agent that induces vomiting |
| Venom | A poisonous substance secreted by a snake or other animal |
| Abdominal Thrusts | The application of sudden pressure on the victim's diaphragm so as to expel the substance blocking the airway |
| Respiratory Failure | A state in which air is unable to reach the lungs |
| Rescue Breathing | Artificial respiration |
| Carotid Pulse | The heartbeat found on each side of the neck |
| Cardiovascular Failure | Failure of the heart to pump blood |
| Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) | A lifesaving technique in which a heart that has stopped is forced to pump blood to the body by means of applied pressure |
| Xiphoid Process | The lower part of the sternum that projects downward to the point where the sternum meets the lower ribs |
| Rabies | A viral disease of the nervous system that eventually causes madness and death |
| Gangrene | The death of tissue in a part of the body |
| testosterone | the male sex hormone |
| sperm | male reproductive cells |
| testes | two small glands that produce sperm |
| penis | tube-shaped organ attached to the trunk of the body just above the testes |
| semen | a thick fluid containing sperm and other secretions from the male reproductive organs |
| fertilization | the union of a reproductive cell from a male and one from a female |
| circumsion | surgical removal of the foreskin of the penis |
| sterility | condition in which a person is unable to reproduce |
| ova | female reproductive cells |
| vagina | a muscular, elastic passageway that extends from the uterus to the outside of the body |
| ovaries | the female sex glands that house the ova and produce female sex hormones |
| ovulation | the process of releasing one mature ovum each month |
| fallopian tubes | pair of tubes with fingerlike projections that draw the ovum in |
| zygote | cell that results from the union of sperm and ovum |
| uterus | small, muscular, pear-shaped organ, about the size of a fist |
| cervix | neck of the uterus |
| menstrual cycle | the time from the beginning of one menstrual period to the onset of the next |
| infertility | the inability of a woman to become pregnant |