Industrialized Agriculture
Large-scale, tech-driven farming
Genetically Modified Organisms
Organisms altered through genetic engineering for desired traits
I.P.M.
Integrated Pest Management: A combination of techniques to control pests with minimal environmental impact.
PCBs (Polychlorinated Biphenyls)
Industrial chemicals that persist in the environment and are harmful to health.
Bacterial Pathogen (e.g., Salmonella)
Bacteria causing illness, e.g., food poisoning.
Traditional Subsistence Agriculture
Farming for personal or local consumption
Aquaculture/Fish Farming
Raising fish or seafood in controlled environments
Soil Conservation Strategies
Methods to prevent soil erosion and maintain fertility.
BPA (Bisphenol A)
Chemical used in plastics, linked to health issues.
Viral Pathogen (e.g., Norovirus)
Viruses causing illness, e.g., stomach flu.
Monoculture
Growing one crop at a time.
C.A.F.O.
Confined Animal Feeding Operation; factory-style animal farming.
Overnutrition vs. Malnutrition vs. Undernutrition
Overnutrition is excess nutrients, malnutrition is imbalanced nutrients, undernutrition is insufficient nutrients.
Endocrine Disruptors
Chemicals that interfere with hormone systems
Parasitic Pathogen (e.g., Giardia)
Parasites causing infections, e.g., intestinal diseases.
Polyculture
Growing multiple crops together.
First & Second Generation Pesticides
Chemicals used to kill pests; first generation are natural, second are synthetic.
Risk Analysis
Assessing potential hazards and their impacts.
Carcinogen
Substances that cause cancer.
Mutagen
Substance that causes genetic mutations.
Organic Agriculture
Farming without synthetic chemicals
Persistence
The ability of a substance to remain in the environment for a long time
Dose-Response Curve
Graph showing the relationship between the amount of substance and its effect.
Teratogen
Substance that causes birth defects.
Precautionary Principle
Approach to preventing harm by taking action before full evidence is available.