| Term | Definition | | Causation / Causality | Causality is the principle that one process, state, or event (the cause) contributes to the production of another (the effect). It describes the relationship where an outcome is directly dependent on a preceding action. |
| Cell | A cell is the smallest unit of life. Each cell contains everything that it needs to function. Some organisms such as bacteria are made up of only one cell. Multicellular organisms such as plants and humans may have millions of cells. |
| Cell-Mediated Immunity | Cell-mediated immunity (CMI) is an immune response that eliminates intracellular pathogens (viruses, bacteria), cancer cells, and foreign tissue without using antibodies. |
| Chain-of-thought reasoning | Chain-of-thought reasoning makes language models generate step-by-step explanations before arriving at the answer. |
| Cherry-Picking | The tactic of selectively choosing data that supports a desired conclusion while ignoring contradictory evidence. |
| Chlorofluorocarbons | Gases covered under the 1987 Montreal Protocol and used for refrigeration, air conditioning, packaging, insulation, solvents, or aerosol propellants. Since they are not destroyed in the lower atmosphere, CFCs drift into the upper atmosphere where, given suitable conditions, they break down ozone. |
| Climate | Climate is the long-term average of weather patterns (temperature, precipitation, wind, humidity) in a specific region, typically calculated over 30 years. It differs from short-term "weather" by representing predictable, seasonal norms rather than daily atmospheric conditions. |
| Climate Change | Climate change refers to long-term shifts in temperatures and weather patterns. Such shifts can be natural, due to changes in the sun's activity or large volcanic eruptions. But since the 1800s, human activities have been the main driver of climate change, primarily due to the burning of fossil fuels like coal, oil and gas.
Burning fossil fuels generates greenhouse gas emissions that act like a blanket wrapped around the Earth, trapping the sun's heat and raising temperatures. |
| Climate Model | A quantitative way of representing the interactions of the atmosphere, oceans, land surface, and ice. Models can range from relatively simple to quite comprehensive. |
| Communicable | That which can be transmitted from one person or animal to another, infectious. |
