Hi, my name is Karine Alhoche, I live in Montreal, Quebec. I have been studying Health Sciences for almost a year and a half at Ahuntsic College. My field of study is biology. This glossary that I have made could be useful for students who are already studying that field or new students. It could also help non-Health Science focused students understand a little bit more about vaccines. This glossary is filled with words related to vaccines and their functions, those words are commonly used in this field. This glossary is really focused on the different parts of a vaccine, and I chose these words because their use is not very familiar to non-experts. By learning the meaning of those words you could learn a lot about biology and vaccines.
antibody
noun
A blood protein produced in response to and counteracting a specific antigen. Antibodies combine chemically with substances which the body recognizes as alien, such as bacteria, viruses, and foreign substances in the blood.
Example: The blood bears antibodies to the virus.
en: anticorps
antigen
noun
A toxin or other foreign substance which induces an immune response in the body, especially the production of antibodies.
Example: In the first group, the anti-substance simply combines with the antigen, without, so far as we know, producing any change in it.
en: antigène
cell
noun
The smallest structural and functional unit of an organism, typically microscopic and consisting of cytoplasm and a nucleus enclosed in a membrane. Microscopic organisms typically consist of a single cell, which is either eukaryotic or prokaryotic.
Example: The cancer cells in my body are spreading.
en: cellule
cilia
noun
A short microscopic hairlike vibrating structure found in large numbers on the surface of certain cells, either causing currents in the surrounding fluid, or, in some protozoans and other small organisms, providing propulsion.
Example: Mucus cannot be cleared efficiently by abnormal cilia.
en: cils
disease
nour
A disorder of structure or function in a human, animal, or plant, especially one that has a known cause and a distinctive group of symptoms, signs, or anatomical changes.
Example: Departmental administration has often led to the dread disease of departmentalitis.
en: maladie
exposed
adjective
Not covered or hidden; visible.
Example: The venue featured beautiful hardwood floors and exposed brick walls.
en: exposé
herd immunity
noun
Resistance to the spread of an infectious disease within a population that is based on pre-existing immunity of a high proportion of individuals as a result of previous infection or vaccination.
Example: The level of vaccination needed to achieve herd immunity varies by disease but ranges from 83 to 94 percent.
en: immunité collective
immune
adjective
Totally or partially resistant to a particular infectious disease or pathogen.
Example: They were naturally immune to hepatitis B.
en: immunitaire
organism
noun
An individual animal, plant, or single-celled life form.
Example: Fish and other organisms have been destroyed over large areas of the creek.
en: organisme
pathogen
noun
A bacterium, virus, or other microorganism that can cause disease.
Example: Those pathogens and weeds which are not controlled by solarization were also detected.
en: pathogène
protection
noun
The action of protecting, or the state of being protected.
Example: The B vitamins give protection against infection.
en: protection
subpart
noun
Something that is part of a larger part.
Example: Each part of a vaccine has a subpart that has a specific function.
en: sous-partie
vaccine
noun
A substance used to stimulate immunity to a particular infectious disease or pathogen, typically prepared from an inactivated or weakened form of the causative agent or from its constituents or products.
Example: Every year the flu vaccine is modified to deal with new strains of the virus.
en: vaccin
virus
noun
An infective agent that typically consists of a nucleic acid molecule in a protein coat, is too small to be seen by light microscopy, and is able to multiply only within the living cells of a host.
Example: Natural killer cells attack VIRUS-infected cells by releasing chemicals to kill them by apoptosis.
en: virus
weak
adjective
Lacking the power to perform physically demanding tasks; lacking physical strength and energy.
