What do the terms fuel rods, control rods, and absorber rods pertain to?

The terms fuel rods, control rods, and absorber rods are specifically related to the reactor core of a nuclear power plant.

Fuel rods contain the nuclear fuel, typically uranium or plutonium, which undergoes fission to produce heat. This heat is then used to generate steam, which drives turbines to create electricity. Control rods are made of materials that absorb neutrons, such as boron or cadmium. Their primary function is to regulate the rate of the nuclear reaction by controlling the number of free neutrons in the reactor core. This helps maintain the balance between sustaining a controlled reaction and preventing overheating or a runaway reaction. Absorber rods serve a similar purpose to control rods, but their role may involve additional functions such as ensuring the reactivity of the reactor is maintained at safe levels.

This context makes it clear that the terms are integral to the functioning of a nuclear reactor, ruling out associations with other choices like nuclear fusion, which refers to a different nuclear process, combustion engines focused on chemical reactions of fuel rather than nuclear reactions, and solar panels, which harness solar energy rather than nuclear energy.