吸收金属原料的植物有助于抗癌药品的研制

99 吸收金属原料的植物有助于抗癌药品的研制

AGRICULTURE REPORT September 25, 2001: Plants that Absorb MetalsBy George Grow

（Start at 1'00"） This is Bill White with the VOA Special English AGRICULTURE REPORT.
Too much metal in the (1)soil is considered (2)pollution. Yet too little metal in a person's diet can cause health problems. An American scientist says the answer to both problems may be plants that take up large amounts of metal in their (3)tissues¹.
David Salt is an expert on plants at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana. He is working with plants that store large amounts of metals.
In recent years, scientists have shown interest in using such plants to clean up harmful waste materials. Professor Salt says such plants also could be used to (4)improve people's diets or even to create foods that fight (5)cancer.
Humans need a number of metals in their diets, including (6)iron and (7)zinc. These metals are needed in very small amounts, however. That is why they are called (8)micronutrients. The lack of micronutrients is blamed for health problems in many developing² countries. Children and (9)pregnant women are mostly affected³.
Recently, Mister⁴ Salt announced that he has identified and copied the genes⁶ from a kind of plant that stores metals in its tissues. The Proceedings⁷ of the National Academy⁸ of Sciences published his findings⁹.
Mister Salt says his study suggests it may be possible to develop plants that contain minerals needed for good health.
For example, the metal (10)selenium is a strong anti-cancer agent. Some wild plants store selenium naturally. Mister Salt says foods to fight cancer might be created if genes from these plants could be moved into crop plants.
A plant called (11)locoweed stores selenium. Locoweed is common in the western United¹⁰ States. Mister Salt says it may be possible to create cancer-fighting foods from locoweed. He and scientists from a company called NuCycle Therapies¹¹ have copied the gene⁵ that causes locoweed to take up selenium from the soil.
Many people take pills to add important (12)minerals or vitamins¹² to their diet. However, Mister Salt notes that most selenium products sold in health food stores are of little use. That is because the human body can only take in and use selenium if it is in the right chemical form.
The scientist says his team would like to develop a vegetable crop high in selenium. He wants to create an anti-cancer product in the foods we already eat.
This VOA Special English AGRICULTURE REPORT was written by George Grow.

 

(1) soil[ sCil ]n.土壤, 土地, 国土, 国家, 温床, 粪便, 务农vt.弄脏, 污辱vi.变脏
(2) pollution[ pE5lu:FEn, -5lju:- ]n.污染, 玷污
(3) tissue[ 5tisju: ]n.薄的纱织品, 薄纸, 棉纸, [生]组织, 连篇
(4) improve[ im5pru:v ]v.改善, 改进
(5) cancer[ 5kAnsE ]n.癌, 毒瘤
(6) ron[ 5aiEn ]n.铁, 熨斗, 坚强, 烙铁, 镣铐vt.烫平, 熨, 用铁装备vi.烫衣服
(7) zinc[ ziNk ]n.锌vt.涂锌于
(8) micronutrient[9maIkrEJ`njU:trIEnt]n.[生]微量营养素
(9) pregnant[ 5pre^nEnt ]adj.怀孕的, 重要的, 富有意义的, 孕育的
(10) selenium[ si5li:niEm, -njEm ]n.[化]硒(非金属元素,符号 Se,原子序34)
(11) locoweed[`lEJkEJwi:d]n.<美>[植] 疯草（牲畜食后引起疯草病）
(12) mineral[ 5minErEl ]n.矿物, 矿石

1 tissues   

n.组织( tissue的名词复数 )；薄纸；棉纸；一套

参考例句：

• The teacher showed the students the pictures of brain tissues. 老师给学生们看脑组织的图片。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Give some face tissues to me. 给我些面巾纸。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 developing   

adj.发展中的

参考例句：

• Transport has always been the key to developing trade.运输一直是发展贸易的关键。
• They are developing marketing network.他们正在发展销售网络。

3 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

4 mister   

n.(略作Mr.全称很少用于书面)先生

参考例句：

• Mister Smith is my good friend.史密斯先生是我的好朋友。
• He styled himself " Mister Clean ".他自称是“清廉先生”。

5 gene   

n.遗传因子，基因

参考例句：

• A single gene may have many effects.单一基因可能具有很多种效应。
• The targeting of gene therapy has been paid close attention.其中基因治疗的靶向性是值得密切关注的问题之一。

6 genes   

n.基因( gene的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• You have good genes from your parents, so you should live a long time. 你从父母那儿获得优良的基因，所以能够活得很长。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Differences will help to reveal the functions of the genes. 它们间的差异将会帮助我们揭开基因多种功能。 来自英汉非文学 - 生命科学 - 生物技术的世纪

7 proceedings   

n.进程，过程，议程；诉讼(程序)；公报

参考例句：

• He was released on bail pending committal proceedings. 他交保获释正在候审。
• to initiate legal proceedings against sb 对某人提起诉讼

8 academy   

n.(高等)专科院校；学术社团，协会，研究院

参考例句：

• This is an academy of music.这是一所音乐专科学院。
• I visited Chinese Academy of Sciences yesterday.我昨天去访问了中国科学院。

9 findings   

n.发现物( finding的名词复数 )；调查（或研究）的结果；（陪审团的）裁决

参考例句：

• It behoves us to study these findings carefully. 我们理应认真研究这些发现。
• Their findings have been widely disseminated . 他们的研究成果已经广为传播。

10 united   

adj.和谐的；团结的；联合的，统一的

参考例句：

• The whole nation is closely united.全国人民紧密团结。
• The two men were united by community of interests.共同的利益使两个人结合在一起。

11 therapies   

n.疗法( therapy的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Many of the new therapies also happen to be incredibly potent. 还有许多新的治疗方法具有令人难以置信的潜力。 来自英汉非文学 - 生命科学 - 癌症与艾滋病
• Therapies like acupuncture do work and many people have been healed by them. 针灸等疗法确实有效，已经治愈了很多人。 来自辞典例句

12 vitamins   

n.维生素（ vitamin的名词复数 ）

参考例句：

• essential proteins and vitamins 必不可少的蛋白质和维生素
• the vitamins that are vital for health 保持健康必不可少的维生素