N-Squad Episode Two: Vocabulary Terms
All of the words below are ones that students will encounter while playing N-Squad
Episode Two. Their definitions are contained in the hot-linked words in the game.
Alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) – An enzyme found in the liver and stomach that
metabolizes (breakdowns) alcohol into acetaldehyde. Other enzymes change
acetaldehyde into water and carbon dioxide.
Depressant – A type of drug that slows down activity in the brain. Examples include
alcohol, sleeping pills, and anti-anxiety drugs.
Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) – The percent of alcohol in a person’s blood. A
BAC of 0.10% means the person has 1 part alcohol for every 1000 parts blood.
Calibrate – To test and adjust the accuracy of an instrument.
Capillary – A microscopic blood vessel that connects an artery to a vein. Nutrients,
oxygen, wastes, and other substances move between the blood and the tissues by
passing through the walls of capillaries.
Chromatogram – A graph depicting the results of chromatography. The different
peaks on a chromatogram correspond to different chemicals.
Enzyme – A protein that speeds up (catalyzes) a chemical reaction in a living organism. Enzymes are usually named by adding the ending “-ase” to the name of the
substance that they can act upon or to the type of reaction they catalyze. For example, a lipase breaks down lipids (fats); a dehydrogenase removes hydrogen from one
substance and transfers it to another.
Excretion – The process by which the waste products of metabolism and other nonuseful substances are removed from the body. The lungs, skin, and kidneys are the
primary excretory organs.
Headspace Gas Chromatography – Chromatography used to separate ethanol and
other chemicals that easily vaporize from a mixture.
Legal BAC Limit – The maximum amount of alcohol that a driver can have in his or her
bloodstream without being subject to legal penalties. For adult drivers of non-commercial vehicles, the legal limit is 0.08%.
Metabolic Wastes – Also known as cellular wastes, they are the unwanted products of
metabolism that must be eliminated by the body. During metabolism, wastes such as
carbon dioxide, urea, water, and heat are produced.
Metabolism – All of the body’s chemical reactions. Metabolism is possible because of
the work of enzymes. Some of these proteins break chemicals apart while others put
them together.
Molecule – Two or more atoms chemically bonded together. A drop of ethanol,
the type of alcohol found in alcoholic beverages, consist of millions of ethanol molecules. Each one is composed of two carbon, six hydrogen, and one oxygen atom
(C2H6O).
Serving – Also known as a standard drink, it is 12 ounces of beer, 5 ounces of wine, or
1.5 ounces of liquor.
Standard – A chemical of known composition and concentration used to ensure the
accuracy of a chemical test.