Health, Disease, and Pathophysiology Vocabulary Review

A set of 70 vocabulary flashcards covering health, disease, cellular adaptations, injury, inflammation, infectious diseases, immunodeficiencies, hypersensitivity, neoplasms, and respiratory disorders based on lecture material.

Etiology

Direct causes that initiate disease, including bacteria, viruses, trauma, burns, radiation, poisons, alcohol, and genetic inheritance.

Pathogenesis

A sequence of cellular and tissue events that take place from the time of initial contact with an agent until the ultimate expression of the disease.

Sign

A clinical manifestation noted by an observer during assessment.

Symptom

A subjective complaint expressed by the patient.

Primary Prevention

Disease prevention strategies aimed at removing risk factors before disease onset.

Secondary Prevention

Disease prevention strategies focused on early detection and treatment of asymptomatic disease.

Tertiary Prevention

Interventions aimed at reducing clinical complications and restoring function after disease diagnosis.

Diagnosis

The designation as to the nature or cause of a health problem, incorporating a patient history, physical examination, and diagnostic tests.

Prognosis

The probable outcome and prospect of recovery from a specific disease.

Autosomal Dominant Disorders

Single-gene disorders with a 50% chance of transmission to each offspring regardless of sex, such as adult polycystic kidney disease, Huntington's disease, familial hypercholesterolemia, and von Willebrand disease.

Autosomal Recessive Disorders

Single-gene disorders occurring when both parents are carriers, resulting in a 25% chance of an affected child, 50% chance of a carrier child, and 25% chance of an unaffected noncarrier child.

X-linked Recessive Disorders

Sex-linked disorders associated with the X chromosome where carrier females lead to a 50% chance of affected male offspring and a 50% chance of carrier female offspring.

Teratogenic Agents

Environmental factors, such as smoking, alcohol, drugs, mercury, radiation, and infectious agents, that disrupt fetal development, with maximal sensitivity occurring during the first 8 weeks of pregnancy.

Exacerbations

Periods in chronic conditions marked by the aggravation of symptoms and increased severity of the disease.

Remissions

Periods in chronic conditions during which there is a decrease in disease severity and symptoms.

Atrophy

A cellular adaptation where cells revert to a smaller size and lower level of functioning due to factors like disuse, denervation, loss of endocrine stimulation, inadequate nutrition, or ischemia.

Hypertrophy

An increase in cell size and tissue mass in response to increased workload, occurring in non-dividing tissues like cardiac and skeletal muscle.

Hyperplasia

An increase in the number of cells in an organ or tissue capable of mitotic division, activated by a stimulus and resolving when the stimulus is removed.

Metaplasia

A reversible cellular adaptation where one adult cell type is replaced by another cell type that is better able to survive chronic irritation and inflammation.

Dysplasia

Deranged cell growth within a tissue resulting in cells that vary in size, shape, and organization, serving as a precursor to cancer without directly causing it.

Ionizing Radiation

Radiation that releases free radicals to destroy cells, commonly used in cancer treatment, which disproportionately affects rapidly dividing cells in the bone marrow and intestine.

Nonionizing Radiation

Radiation that causes the vibration and rotation of atoms and molecules, converting radiant energy into thermal energy.

Oxidative Stress

A state that occurs when the generation of reactive oxygen species exceeds the body's ability to neutralize and eliminate them, linked to ALS, cancer, and cardiovascular disease.

Ischemia

Impaired local tissue blood flow that deprives cells of oxygen, leading to anaerobic metabolism and lactic acid accumulation.

Apoptosis

Programmed cell death that removes aged and injured cells while preserving plasma membrane integrity without triggering an inflammatory response.

Necrosis

Unregulated cell death resulting from severe injury, leading to loss of cell membrane integrity, interference with tissue regeneration, and initiation of inflammation.

Dry Gangrene

Form of necrosis characterized by tissue shrinkage, wrinkled brown or black skin, and a clear line of demarcation, typically caused by impaired arterial blood supply.

Wet Gangrene

Form of necrosis characterized by cold, swollen, pulseless, moist, black tissue under tension with surface blebs, foul odor, and active bacterial invasion.

Acute Inflammation

An immediate early response lasting minutes to days where neutrophils and leukocytes move into tissue to engage in phagocytosis.

Labile Cells

Cells that continue to divide and regenerate throughout life, such as skin, oral cavity, and bone marrow cells.

Stable Cells

Cells that stop dividing when growth ceases but retain the capacity to regenerate if stimulated after injury, such as liver and kidney cells.

Permanent Cells

Terminally differentiated cells that cannot undergo mitotic division or regenerate, including nerve, cardiac, and muscle cells.

Sympathetic-Adreno-Medullar System

The acute stress pathway releasing epinephrine and norepinephrine, inducing vasoconstriction, increased BP, HR, cardiac output, glucose, and decreased GI motility.

Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal System

The stress axis releasing cortisol to increase blood glucose, enhance catecholamines, and suppress immune system function.

PTSD Intrusion

A diagnostic criterion for post-traumatic stress disorder characterized by re-experiencing the traumatic event, emotional distress, or physical reactivity.

Prions

Proteinaceous infectious particles lacking genome materials that cause fatal neurodegenerative disorders.

Rickettsiaceae

Vector-borne obligate intracellular organisms transmitted to humans through bites of arthropods such as mites, fleas, ticks, and lice.

Fomites

Inanimate objects or substances capable of carrying infectious organisms and transmitting them between hosts.

Prodromal/Acute Phase

The disease course stage where symptoms progressively escalate toward a peak or critical threshold.

Subclinical Disease

An infection that progresses from exposure to response without expressing clinical symptoms above the minimum critical threshold.

Virulence Toxins

Substances produced by infectious pathogens that alter or destroy normal functions of host cells.

Evasive Factors

Virulence features produced by pathogens that allow them to evade or bypass components of the host's immune defense.

Bacterial Vaginosis

A vaginal microflora overgrowth characterized by thin gray/white discharge, foul fishy odor, increased PID risk, and presence of clue cells.

Syphilis Stage 1

The primary clinical stage of syphilis characterized by the development of a single, painless chancre.

Trichomoniasis

A protozoan STI causing vaginitis, copious frothy malodorous green or yellow discharge, swelling, and strawberry spots on the cervix.

Humoral Immunity

Adaptive immune protection mediated by B lymphocytes and antibody secretion.

Cell-Mediated Immunity

Adaptive immune protection mediated by T lymphocytes and cytokine production.

Type 1 Hypersensitivity

IgE-mediated immediate allergic reactions that develop rapidly upon antigen exposure, causing local atopic reactions or systemic anaphylaxis.

Type 2 Hypersensitivity

Antibody-mediated hypersensitivity where IgG or IgM targets self-antigens, causing cell death, tissue inflammation, or cellular dysfunction.

Type 3 Hypersensitivity

Immune complex-mediated disorders caused by deposition of circulating antigen-antibody complexes in vascular epithelium, seen in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus.

Type 4 Hypersensitivity

Cell-mediated immune responses driven by T cells manifesting 48-72 hours post-exposure, such as allergic contact dermatitis.

Hapten

A low-molecular-weight substance that combines with self-proteins to act as an antigen, initiating a cell-mediated hypersensitivity response.

HIV Retrovirus

A retrovirus targeting CD4+ T cells that uses reverse transcriptase to copy viral RNA into DNA for integration into host genome.

HIV Window Period

The time delay between initial viral infection and seroconversion when measurable HIV antibodies develop in the blood.

Hyperacute Graft Rejection

A Type 2 hypersensitivity transplant rejection occurring within minutes of graft placement that requires immediate removal of the donor tissue.

Graft vs. Host Disease

A Type 4 hypersensitivity reaction occurring when transplanted immunocompetent donor tissue recognizes the recipient's cells as foreign, causing skin rash and GI symptoms.

Carcinoma in situ

A preinvasive localized malignant tumor that has not yet broken through the basement membrane into surrounding tissues.

Carcinogenesis Initiation

The first step of cancer development involving the exposure of cells to a carcinogenic agent that induces irreversible DNA damage.

Carcinogenesis Promotion

The second stage of cancer development characterized by accelerated growth of initiated cells, which remains reversible if promoter chemicals are removed.

Carcinogenesis Progression

The final stage of cancer development where tumor cells acquire malignant phenotypes, invasive ability, and autonomous growth traits.

Indirect-Reacting Chemical Carcinogens

Chemical agents that require enzymatic metabolic conversion inside the human body before becoming active carcinogens.

Cachexia

A profound systemic clinical manifestation of cancer characterized by progressive severe muscle and fat tissue wasting.

Anaplasia

A cellular feature of high-grade malignancy marked by the loss of specialized cell differentiation and reversion to a primitive state.

ARDS Injury Phase

The initial exudative stage of ARDS where impaired gas exchange across capillary-alveolar membranes produces refractory hypoxemia.

Neonatal Respiratory Distress Syndrome

A newborn respiratory illness caused by surfactant deficiency and immature lung structures, leading to atelectasis, alveolar edema, and hyaline membrane formation.

Small Cell Lung Cancer

A highly malignant lung malignancy of small round/oval cells growing in clusters, strongly tied to smoking and early metastasis.

Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Lung

A non-small cell lung cancer subtype predominantly originating within the central bronchi.

Red Hepatization

Stage 2 of pneumococcal pneumonia where the lung tissue assumes a liver-like appearance due to extravasated red blood cells and neutrophils in alveoli.

Gray Hepatization

Stage 3 of pneumococcal pneumonia characterized by persistent fibrin exudate and macrophages clearing cellular debris.

Caseating Necrosis

A distinct form of cell death found within tuberculosis granulomas presenting with a soft, cheese-like macroscopic appearance.