Cacao: The tropical tree and the seeds from which chocolate is made.
Chemicals: Substances formed from two or more atoms that bond together in specific proportions and structures. For example, water is a chemical compound composed of two hydrogen atoms bonded to one oxygen atom, with a chemical formula of H2O. Chemicals are also used to describe the properties of materials resulting from various reactions between different compounds.
Chemical reactions: Processes involving the rearrangement of molecules or the structure of matter, as opposed to changes in physical form (such as from solid to gas).
Cocoa: Powder derived from the non-fat part of beans grown in Theobroma cacao, also known as the cocoa tree. Cocoa is also the name of a hot drink made from cocoa powder and other ingredients mixed with water and milk.
Compounds: Substances formed when two or more chemical elements are bonded together in a fixed ratio. For instance, water is a compound made of two hydrogen atoms bonded to one oxygen atom, with a chemical symbol of H2O.
Crops: Types of plants intentionally grown by farmers in agriculture, such as corn, coffee, and tomatoes. It can also refer to the plants harvested and sold by farmers.
DNA: Deoxyribonucleic acid, a long double-stranded helical molecule found in most living cells, containing genetic information. It is made up of phosphorus, oxygen, and carbon atoms and provides instructions to cells on which molecules to produce.
Family: A taxon consisting of at least one genus of organisms.
Fruit: Reproductive organs of a plant containing seeds.
Gene: Segments of DNA that encode instructions for producing cellular proteins. Genes are inherited from parents and influence how an organism looks and behaves.
Maya: Native American culture developed by people living between 2500 and 1500 BC, primarily in southern Mexico and Central America. At its peak, some Mayan cities had population densities comparable to medieval Europe.
Millennium: A period of thousands of years.
Molecule: An electrically neutral group of atoms that represents the smallest amount of a compound. Molecules can be composed of one type of atom or multiple types, such as oxygen gas (O2) or water (H2O).
Nut: Edible seeds of plants, typically enclosed in a hard protective shell.
Oxidation: A process involving the loss of electrons from a molecule. When a molecule is oxidized, it loses electrons to another molecule. Oxidation reactions with living cells can be destructive and may result in cell death. Oxygen atoms are often involved in oxidation reactions, but not always.
Source: www.snexplores.org
