Contagion - A general term for any disease-causing infectious agent spread by direct or indirect contact.⏎
El Niño-Southern Oscillation Cycle (ENSO) - A combination of two events, El Niño and La Niña, which are periodic disruptions in the ocean’s temperatures. As a result, the temperatures are warmer or cooler than usual, which has an impact on weather patterns worldwide. ⏎
Gene - The physical and functional unit of heredity made up of DNA. Every individual has two copies of each gene, one inherited from the mother and the other from the father.⏎
Climate Change - The process of shifting from one prevailing state in regional or global climate to another. Climate change is typically the preferred term over “global warming” because it helps to convey that the characteristics of climate change are not limited to rising temperatures.⏎
Epidemic - An often sudden increase in the level of disease in a specific population over a given period of time.⏎