Unit 15

UNIT 15 WORD LIST aggregate When something is aggregate, it is made up of smaller amounts added together. The company totaled its aggregate sales for the entire year. antibiotic An antibiotic is a medical drug used to kill bacteria and treat infections. The doctor gave me a shot of an antibiotic when I got the flu. circuit A circuit is a piece of an electronic device that allows electricity to flow. Be very careful not to shock yourself when fixing an electrical circuit. complement To complement something or someone is to make them better. The wool scarf complemented her lovely eyes. compress To compress something means to press or squeeze it so that it takes up less space. I compressed my clothes to fit into a single suitcase. database A database is a collection of data that is stored in a computer. The company has a database of all the names and accounts of their customers. equivalent An equivalent is an amount or value that is the same as another amount or value. I worked the equivalent of sixty hours this week. immune When someone is immune to a disease, they cannot be affected by it. Children usually get shots to make them immune to certain diseases. input Input is information that is put into a computer. Type the input into the computer program. intimate When a relationship is intimate, the two things are very closely connected. I only tell my secrets to my most intimate friends.

magnet A magnet is a piece of iron or other material which attracts iron toward it. I used a magnet to pick up the nails that were scattered on the floor. metabolism A person's metabolism is the way chemical processes in their body use energy. If you exercise every day, your metabolism speeds up. microchip A microchip is a small device in a computer that holds information. I can put more data on my computer if I buy a more powerful microchip. phase A phase is a stage in a process or the gradual development of something. The first phase in the recycling project involves finding volunteers to help out. pinch To pinch means to take a piece of skin between one's fingers and squeeze. I pinched my nose so I couldn't smell the odor from the garbage. prevalent When something is prevalent, it is common. Growing a beard is more prevalent in some countries than in others. quantum When something is quantum, it relates to the behavior of atomic particles. The physics student studied quantum mechanics. ratio A ratio is a relationship between two things expressed in numbers or amounts. The boy-to-girl ratio is one to three. spiral A spiral is a shape which winds round and round as if around a cylinder. A strand of DNA looks like two interlocking spirals. viral When something is viral, it is a disease or infection that is caused by a virus. The girl was in bed for a week when she had a viral infection.

Microchips The bond between humans and computers is becoming more intimate than ever before. Scientists are now even putting microchips inside people's bodies. They are made up of compressed electrical circuits that can detect and record data about the body. They are tiny, but they hold the equivalent amount of data as some computers. A microchip is put to use inside a person with a simple procedure. First, a doctor must put data about the patient onto a chip. Input about the persons age, race, gender, and medical history is stored on the chip. The second phase of the process involves putting it under the person's skin. The doctor pinches a piece of skin and cuts a tiny hole with a tool shaped like a spiral. The chip is inserted, and the skin is allowed to heal. Lastly, it begins sending data to the database. Microchips scan the patient's body to record what is happening on the quantum level. They can find problems with the person's metabolism and organs. They can also detect viral infections. They can find the aggregate number of immune and infected cells and present the results in a ratio. They can even tell doctors what type of antibiotic to give to the patient! To recover the chips data, the doctor uses a special magnet that copies it. This way, the doctor can put the information from the chip onto a computer. Then, they can find out exactly what is wrong with the person. The idea of putting chips in people is still very new. However, it is now becoming more prevalent. Scientists and doctors are hopeful about the future uses of microchips. Someday, all new babies might get a microchip soon after they are born. Doctors will be able to know about any problems from the very beginning. It is obvious that medicine and computers complement each other well.