Brain health and pollution

High school (ages 12+)
Environment & Earth

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/brain-health-and-pollution

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What happens when pollution gets into our brains?Pollutants can travel through the bloodstream and reach the brain, where they disturb nerve signals, cause stress and inflammation, and damage brain cells.
2. Why are kids more affected by pollution?During childhood and adolescence the brain is still growing, so exposure to pollution can lower learning and memory and increase the risk of brain disorders.

Central Nervous System (CNS): The brain and spinal cord, controlling all bodily functions and thought processes.
Oxidative Stress: An imbalance between free radicals and antioxidants, damaging cells and contributing to disease.
Neurodegenerative Diseases: Conditions characterized by the progressive loss of structure or function of neurons, such as Alzheimer's or Parkinson's.