Final Exam Definitions Flashcards
A brain chemical that transmits nerve impulses
Neurotransmitters
The amount of alcohol in the blood expressed as the percentage of alochol in a deciliter of blood; a measure of intoxication
Blood Alcohol Level (BAC)
Chronic disease that disrupts the brain’s system of motivation and reward, characterized by a compulsive desire and increasing need for a substance or behavior, and by harm to the individual and/or society
Addiction
Any of several drugs that alter perception, feelings, or thoughts
Hallucinogens
Relationship in which a non-substance-abusing partner or family member is controlled by the abuser’s behavior
Codependency
Strategies that minimize the negative effects of drug use and misuse
Harm reduction strategies
Students trained in order to help other students with drug problems
Peer counseling
Group that follows a 12-step program
Group counseling
A measure of local air quality and what it means for health
Air quality index
Global warming; increase in the earth’s atmosphere temperature when averaged across seasons and geographical regions
Climate change
A warming of the earth due to a buildup of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere
Greenhouse effect
The collective interactions of humans with the environmental and the short-term and long-term health consequences of those interactions
Environmental health
Buried deposits of decayed animals and plants that are converted to carbon-rich fuels by exposure to heat and pressure over millions of years
Fossil fuels
When a patient improves after receiving a placebo
Placebo effect
Sources that are naturally replenished and essentially inexhaustible
Renewable resources
The process by which organic substances break down naturally and disappear back into the environment
Biodegradation
The 4 R’s of green consumerism
Reduce
Reuse
Recycle
Recover
Chemical pollutants
Asbestos
Lead
Pesticides
Mercury
Drug not registered or protected by a commercial trademark; drug that does not have an exclusive brand name
Generic drugs
Synthetic or naturally occurring substances used as drugs to kill bacteria
Antibiotics
Medication or product that can be purchased by a consumer without a prescription
OTC medicines
Practice that takes into account the whole person (body, mind, and spirit) when assessing, treating, and preventing illnesses and maintaining them
Holistic health care
Alternative, unconventional medical system that uses a holistic approach to diagnosis, and treatments that involve administering very small doses of remedies that would produce symptoms like those of the illness
Homeopathy
The average length of time a person is expected to live
Life expectancy
