Article of the Week #6: Antivenom Vocabulary

What is the best definition of "immunity" as used in biology?

• The process of breaking down food for energy

• The body's ability to resist or fight off infection and disease

• The movement of water through a plant

• The process of cell division

Which word means "to adjust or fine-tune an instrument or process for accuracy"?

• Calibrate

• Neutralize

• Paralyze

• Heighten

What does "neutralize" mean in a scientific context?

• To make something more acidic

• To counteract or cancel the effect of something

• To increase the temperature

• To measure the mass

Deforestation is best described as:

• Planting new trees in a forest

• The removal or clearing of forests, often for agriculture or development

• The study of tree rings

• The process of photosynthesis

Which term refers to the spread of urban areas into surrounding regions?

• Sprawl

• Feat

• Methodical

• Monoclonal

To "heighten" something means to:

• Lower its intensity

• Increase its level or intensity

• Make it disappear

• Divide it into parts

A "neurotoxin" is a substance that:

• Boosts the immune system

• Harms or destroys nerve tissue

• Helps plants grow

• Neutralizes acids

Which word best describes an impressive or remarkable achievement?

• Mishap

• Feat

• Sprawl

• Antibodies

If someone is described as "methodical," they are:

• Careless and disorganized

• Systematic and orderly in their actions

• Quick to make decisions without thinking

• Easily distracted

A "mishap" is:

• A planned event

• A minor accident or unlucky event

• A scientific discovery

• A type of antibody