9781422287880

WORDS TO UNDERSTAND substances: The materials or things that make something. organs: Parts of your body made to do a certain task such as your heart pumping blood or your lungs breathing. tissues: The materials (skin and muscle and bone) living things are made of. digest: The way your body breaks down food into the nutrients you need. cancers: A disease that causes harmful cells in the body to grow, divide, and spread. Cancer can affect different parts of the body. diabetes: A disease in which patients have too much of a certain type of sugar (called glucose) in their blood because their bodies can’t make enough insulin, which keeps blood sugar normal. stroke: A health problem caused by a blocked or broken blood vessel in the brain. cataracts: A problem with the eyes that causes them to get cloudy and sight to become blurry. obesity: Having too much body fat and being overweight. Not all overweight people are obese, but all obese people are overweight. asthma: A health problem that can make breathing more difficult. Asthma can also cause coughing, wheezing, or tightness in the chest. high blood pressure: A health problem caused by too much blood pumping through veins that are too small. The force of the blood against the walls of the veins can cause other health issues, such as problems with the heart.