This group looks at the role of medical breakthroughs that come from plants found only in the Amazon. Traditional healers in societies that live in the Amazon have precious knowledge of how different naturally growing plants affect human illnesses. Medical researchers hope that cures for diseases like cancer or AIDS may be found in the Amazon, but if we remove the piece of land where that one species of plant grows, it will be lost forever. Medical research is also a big business, as drug companies who make new medicines are some of the most profitable companies in the world. This group will read articles to learn more about medicinal plants, the knowledge held by traditional healers, and drug research companies.
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