ORGANS OF THE BODY

heart - pumps blood through the body intestines - tubes through which food passes after it is broken down in the stomach; part of the intestines also remove solid wastes from the body kidney - cleans liquid wastes from the body liver - makes some proteins and enzymes; removes poisons from the blood lung - takes in and expels air from the body prostate - a part of the male reproductive system stomach - breaks down food for the body to use uterus - a part of the female reproductive system where a fetus develops WORDS USED IN VOA SPECIAL ENGLISH SCIENCE PROGRAMS atom - a very small part of all things; the smallest part of an element that can join with parts of other elements bacteria - living things that are one cell and can be seen only through a microscope; some cause disease cell - a small mass of living material that is part of all plants and animals chromosome - a line of genes; most human cells contain 46 chromosomes compound - a substance containing two or more elements dense - close together; thick electron - a small part of an atom that has an electrical force element - one of more than 100 substances known to science that cannot be separated into other substances enzyme - a special kind of protein; it produces changes in other substances without being changed itself fetus - unborn young fission - a splitting; in atomic fission, the nucleus of an atom is split to produce nuclear energy fusion - a joining together; in atomic fusion, atomic particles are joined together to produce nuclear energy gene - parts of cells that control the growth and development of living things; genes from the mother and father are passed to the child; genes contain nucleic acid genetic engineering - the science of changing the genes of a living organism gravity - the force that pulls things toward the center of the earth image - a reproduction of the appearance of a person or thing laser - an instrument that makes a thin, powerful light magnet - a piece of iron or other material that has a pulling force; this pulling force is called magnetism molecule - the smallest amount of a chemical substance that can exist nerve - a thin piece of tissue that sends information through the body to and from the brain nucleus - the center part of an atom or cell nucleic acid - a molecule that holds the genetic information necessary for life; there are two kinds of nucleic acid: DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) and RNA (ribonucleic acid) nutrient - a food or substance that makes plants, humans or animals grow organ - a part of the body that has a special purpose, such as the heart or brain organism - a living thing, often so small it can be seen only through a microscope particle - a very small piece of matter protein - substances responsible for the growth of tissue and for fixing damaged tissue robot - a machine that moves and performs tasks tissue - living material; a group of cells that are similar in appearance and do the same thing virus - a kind of organism that causes disease x-ray - a kind of radiation that can pass through most solid materials, often used in medicine