Languages:
A class of natural or man-made substances, such as penicillin, that kill or
inhibit the growth of some micro-organisms.
(Source: GreenFacts, based on CoRIS,
Glossary
An antimicrobial is a chemical substance which, at low concentrations, exerts an action against micro-organisms and destroys them or inhibits their growth.
Examples of antimicrobials targeting bacteria include antibiotics that act against infections in humans or animals and biocides such as disinfectants and preservatives. (Source: GreenFacts)
Antiviral drugs are used for treating viral infections. They do not kill the viruses but impede their development by suppressing their ability to multiply and reproduce. (Source: GreenFacts)
Artemisinin is a fast acting and highly effective anti malarial drug derived from the plant Artemesia Annua L (sweet wormwood, also known as the Chinese herbal Qinghao).
To guarantee the effectiveness of artemisinin, it is best used in combination with a longer-acting partner drug.
(Source: GreenFacts, based on
The Artemisinin Enterprise, About us
Bacteria are a major group of micro-organisms that live in soil, water, plants, organic matter, or the bodies of animals or people. They are microscopic and mostly unicellular, with a relatively simple cell structure.
Some bacteria cause diseases such as tetanus, typhoid fever, pneumonia, syphilis, cholera, and tuberculosis.
Bacteria play a role in the decomposition of organic matter and other chemical processes. (Source: GreenFacts)
Bacterial resistance is the capacity of bacteria to withstand
the effects of antibiotics or biocides that are intended to kill or control
them.
(Source: GreenFacts, based on the
Drug resistance occurs when a cell or bacteria becomes less sensitive to a specific drug. The clinical consequence of this is the decreased effectiveness of that drug to cure a disease or to improve a patient's symptoms.
Respiratory infections, HIV/AIDS, diarrhoeal diseases, tuberculosis and malaria are the leading killers among the infectious diseases. In recent years, all of these diseases have become resistant to first-line drugs. (Source: GreenFacts )
A protein that encourages a biochemical reaction, usually speeding it up.
Organisms could not function if they had no enzymes.
(Source:
NHGRI
NHGRI Talking Glossary of Genetic
Terms
The functional and physical unit of heredity passed from parent to offspring.
Genes are pieces of DNA, and most genes contain the information for making a
specific protein.
(Source:
NHGRI
Talking Glossary of Genetic
Terms
Any material of plant, animal, microbial or other origin that carries genetic information and that passes it from one generation to the next.
The information contained controls reproduction, development, behaviour, etc. (Source: GreenFacts )
It is the growth of a parasite within the human body that causes illness. It can be a virus, a bacteria, a fungus or a protozoa. (Source: GreenFacts )
Influenza is a highly infectious viral disease that affects mainly the nose, throat, bronchi and, occasionally, lungs. It is a contagious illness characterized by fever, headaches, sore throat, body aches and congestion of the nose.
Influenza can also lead to pneumonia and death especially among children, the elderly, and those with serious medical condition.
The virus is transmitted easily from
person to person via droplets and small particles produced when infected people
cough or sneeze. Influenza tends to spread rapidly in seasonal
epidemics.
(Source: GreenFacts, based on FAO, Agricultural
Department,
Avien Influenza Glossary
Malaria is caused by a parasite called Plasmodium, which is transmitted via the bites of infected [female] mosquitoes. In the human body, the parasites multiply in the liver, and then infect red blood cells.
Symptoms of malaria include fever, headache, and vomiting, and usually appear between 10 and 15 days after the mosquito bite. If not treated, malaria can quickly become life-threatening by disrupting the blood supply to vital organs. In many parts of the world, the parasites have developed resistance to a number of malaria medicines.
Key interventions to control malaria include: prompt and effective treatment
with artemisinin-based combination therapies; use of insecticidal nets by people
at risk; and indoor residual spraying with insecticide to control the vector
mosquitoes.
(Source:
WHO
Malaria
Any living organism that is too small to be seen by the naked eye such as bacteria, viruses, protozoa, single-celled algae, and many types of fungi. (Source: GreenFacts)
Any permanent change in the DNA of a cell.
Mutations may be caused by mistakes during cell division, or they may be caused by exposure to DNA-damaging agents in the environment.
Mutations can be harmful, beneficial, or have no effect. If they occur in cells that make eggs or sperm, they can be inherited; if mutations occur in other types of cells, they are not inherited.
Certain mutations may lead to cancer or other diseases.
(Source:
NCI
cancer.gov dictionary
Inflammation of lung alveoli, the tiny air sacs deep within the lungs where carbon dioxide and oxygen are exchanged.
Pneumonia can cause symptoms such as fever, chills, muscle stiffness, chest pain, coughing up of phlegm, shortness of breath, rapid heart rate and difficulty breathing.
The disease can be acute or chronic and is usually caused by bacteria or viruses. (Source: GreenFacts)
A group of organisms that differ from all other groups of organisms and that
are capable of breeding and producing fertile offspring. This is the smallest
unit of classification for plants and animals.
(Source:
OceanLink
Glossary of Common Terms and Definitions in Marine
Biology
The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) is an intergovernmental
organisation that supports countries in their transition to a sustainable energy
future, and serves as the principal platform for international cooperation, a
centre of excellence, and a repository of policy, technology, resource and
financial knowledge on renewable energy. IRENA promotes the widespread adoption
and sustainable use of all forms of renewable energy, including bioenergy,
geothermal, hydropower, ocean, solar and wind energy in the pursuit of
sustainable development, energy access, energy security and low-carbon economic
growth and prosperity.
(Source:
www.irena.org/
Measures taken to treat a physical or mental disease.
First-line therapy is the first type of therapy given for a condition or disease.
Second-line therapy is the treatment that is given when
initial treatment (first-line therapy) doesn't work, or stops working.
(Source: based on St Jude Hospital Medical Terminology & Drug
Database
Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease caused by a bacterium, most commonly Mycobacterium tuberculosis. It affects tissues in the human body, mainly the lungs (pulmonary tuberculosis). It causes small tumors that destroy the tissue.
Symptoms include cough, fatigue, weight loss, difficulty breathing, and fever. (Source: GreenFacts)
"As the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is recognized as the lead federal agency for protecting the health and safety of people - at home and abroad, providing credible information to enhance health decisions, and promoting health through strong partnerships. CDC serves as the national focus for developing and applying disease prevention and control, environmental health, and health promotion and education activities designed to improve the health of the people of the United States."
"CDC, located in Atlanta, Georgia, USA, is an agency of the Department of Health and Human Services."
(Source: CDC website
Method to improve a person’s immunity to a particular infectious disease. It involves the administration (oral intake or injection) of a vaccine, which is a weakened, dead or inactivated form of the pathogen responsible for the infection. This stimulates the immune system which produces antibodies (Source: GreenFacts)
A virus is a small organism which can infect other biological organisms.
Viruses can only reproduce by invading and taking over cells as they lack the cellular machinery for self reproduction.
They cause diseases in human beings, animals, plants and bacteria.
Examples of human diseases caused by viruses include the common cold, influenza, small pox, AIDS, and cold sores. (Source: GreenFacts)
"The World Health Organization
193 countries and two associate members are WHO’s membership. They meet every year at the World Health Assembly in Geneva to set policy for the Organization, approve the Organization’s budget, and every five years, to appoint the Director-General. Their work is supported by the 34-member Executive Board, which is elected by the Health Assembly. Six regional committees focus on health matters of a regional nature."
WHO's scientific publications are widely recognized as a reference source.
The WHO has a number of regional offices which address the specific issues of those regions.
| WHO African Region |
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| WHO European Region |
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| WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region |
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| WHO Region of the Americas |
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| WHO South-East Asia Region |
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| WHO Western Pacific Region |
 Biological diversity (Part 3): challenges 2050 |  Biological diversity (Part 2): the objectives, actions and means at the horizon 2030 |  Biological diversity (Part 1): the context of the Convention |
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