Harmful Chemicals:



Harmful Chemicals:

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Your body uses many different kinds of chemicals; however some chemicals can harm your health.

Cancer

• Cancer is a group of diseases caused by abnormal cell growth and reproduction.

• Different kinds of cancer can affect specific organs.

• All forms of cancer involve the uncontrolled growth of body cells.

• Organisms grow as a result of cell division, which is usually controlled.

• Cancer affects cell division and causes uncontrolled cell division that forms abnormal cells or unusually large numbers of cells.

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• Cells joining together in a large mass are known as a tumor.

• Some cancers are caused by exposure to certain chemicals.

• A chemical that causes cancer is called a carcinogen.

• For example, lung cancer is often caused by carcinogens in tobacco products.

Birth Defects

• Some chemicals can cause birth defects.

• Smoking during pregnancy increases the baby’s chances of being premature, having a low birth weight, being stillborn, and having birth defects.

• A woman who drinks alcohol during pregnancy may have a baby with fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS).

• This may result in brain damage creating learning disabilities and/or behavioral problems.

• Not drinking alcohol while pregnant eliminates the risk of FAS.

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*A birth defect affects about 1 in every 33 babies born in the U.S. Some are minor and nearly noticeable. Others can be serious or even fatal.

Heart Disease

• Heart disease is the leading cause of deaths in the U.S.

• Heart disease occurs when the arteries that supply blood to the heart are narrowed or blocked.

• Nicotine in tobacco is one product that causes arteries to narrow.

• Cholesterol, a fatty acid, is a chemical that can cause heart disease.

• It can build up and block the arteries restricting the blood’s flow and resulting in a heart attack.

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Kidney Disease

• The kidneys are the main organs of the urinary system that filter waste products from the blood.

• Some chemicals can harm the kidneys and cause kidney disease.

• Exposure to chemicals can create waste build up, known as kidney stones.

• Kidney stones block the ureters, which connect each kidney to the bladder, blocking the flow of urine.

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Asthma

• Harmful chemicals can also cause asthma, which causes a person to breath with difficulty.

• The passages (bronchi) that lead from the throat to the lungs swell and become inflamed.

• Inhaling harmful chemicals, such as cleaning products, can cause an asthma attack.

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Review Questions:

1. Describe cancer and the general term for a cancer-causing chemical.

- Cancer is caused by abnormal cell growth and division. A carcinogen is a chemical that causes cancer.

2. List two things a pregnant mother could do to prevent her unborn baby from having birth defects.

- Don’t smoke or drink alcohol.

3. List two things a person could do to prevent heart disease.

- Don’t smoke, eat a low cholesterol (low fat) diet.

4. Describe what an excessive exposure to chemicals can do to the urinary system.

- Create a build up in wastes resulting in kidney stones which block the flow of urine.

5. What is asthma?

- Air passages swell and become inflamed, making it difficult to breath.

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