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Atom:
The essence of all matter, atoms are made up of positively charged protons, negatively charged electrons, and neutrons with no charge.
CANDU®:
CANDU is Canada's own nuclear power reactor design. It stands for CANada Deuterium (heavy water) Uranium. AECL has CANDU reactors in Canada and many countries around the world.
Bacteria:
Bacteria are tiny forms of life that have only one cell. They can often cause sickness or decay in other living things.
Cells:
Cells are the tiny units that are the building blocks of all life. Plants, animals and humans are all made up of cells. Your skin, hair, bones and blood are made up of millions upon millions of cells.Even a tiny fingernail clipping has thousands of cells in it. Cells aren't always good though – harmful growths such as cancers also have cells.
Deuterium:
A stable, naturally-occurring hydrogen isotope. It is used as a moderator in the form of deuterium oxide or heavy water.
Electron:
A basic particle carrying one unit of negative charge, which surrounds the atom's nucleus keeping the charge balance in the atom.
Element:
A chemical substance that cannot be divided into simple substances by chemical means.
Fission:
When free neutrons split the nuclei of uranium atoms into at least two lighter nuclei, generating heat and more free neutrons, which then initiate a chain reaction.
Heavy Water:
Heavy water or deuterium oxide (D20) is a natural form of water used to lower the speed of neutrons in a reactor to allow the splitting of uranium atoms. It is heavier than normal water by about 10 per cent, and occurs in minute quantities (about one part heavy water per 7,000 parts water). CANDU reactors use heavy water as both moderator and coolant. Heavy water is one of the most efficient moderators, and enables the CANDU design to use natural uranium fuel.
Hydrogen:
The lightest naturally occurring element.
Industry:
Industry is a word to describe different businesses that all make similar products. For instances if you were talking about all the different companies that make cars, you would say "the automobile industry".
Irradiated:
Means that something has been exposed to radiation.
Isotope:
Different variations of the same atom. Isotopes always have the same number of protons, but different numbers of neutrons, and can either be stable or unstable.
Matter:
Matter is anything that takes up space, has a mass and is composed of atoms.
Microorganism:
An organism is a living thing. A microorganism is simply a very small living thing, so small in fact that you need a microscope to see it. For example, bacteria are microorganisms.
Moderator:
Moderators are used to lower ("moderate") the speed of the neutrons emitted during thesplitting of uranium atoms, to increase their probability of hitting another uranium atom and cause further splitting. Graphite and light water are frequently used as moderators. CANDU reactors use heavy water as the moderator.
Molecule:
A group of atoms held together by chemical forces. A molecule is the smallest unit of a compound that can exist by itself and retain all of its chemical properties.
Neutron:
A basic particle in the nucleus of an atom, which has no electrical charge.
Nucleus:
The core of the atom, where most of its mass and all of its positive charge is concentrated. Except for hydrogen, it consists of protons and neutrons.
Nutrients:
Nutrients are the proteins, minerals and vitamins that living things need to grow and to be healthy.
Parasites:
Parasites are organisms that feed or grow on other organisms without giving anything in return.
Proton:
A basic particle in the nucleus of an atom, which is positively charged.
Radioactivity:
The spontaneous emission of radioactive energy from the nucleus of an unstable atom.
Stable Isotope:
An isotope that does not produce radioactive decay.
Technology:
Technology is the application of scientific knowledge in a particular area.
Turbine:
Uses the power of the steam to spin the generator.
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Carbon Dioxide:
AECL:
Chain Reaction: