Part 1- Mechanisms of Disease

health

condition in which the human body preforms its vital functions normally

homeostasis

maintenance of relatively stable internal conditions under fluctuating environmental conditions

disease

deviation from normal structure or function that interrupts or modifies the performance of vital functions

pathology

study of disease, especially the structural and the functional changes produced by them

pathologist

physician who interprets and diagnoses the changes caused by disease

signs

objective evidence of disease observed an physical examination, such as abnormal pulse or fever

symptoms

indication of disease perceived by the patient, such as pain, dizziness, and itching

syndrome

a groups of signs and symptoms that occur together and characterize a particular disease

disorder

functional abnormality of the body or mind

diagnosis

process of identifying a disease or disorder from its signs and symptoms

prognosis

predicted course and outcome of a disease

acute

describing a disease that has sudden onset and a short duration

terminal

resulting in death, as in a terminal disease

chronic

description of a disease that is long-lasting or frequently recurring

remission

the period of a chronic disease when signs and symptoms subside

exacerbation

period of a chronic disease when signs and symptoms recur in all their severity

relapse

return of a disease weeks or months after its apparent cessation

complications

conditions that develop in a patient already suffering from a disease

sequela

aftermath of a particular disease, such as permanent damage to the heart after rheumatic fever

mortality

number of deaths attributed to a disease in a given time or place

morbidity

incidence of disease

incidence

rate of occurrence of new cases of a particular disease in a population being studied

prevalence

percentage of a population that is affected with a particular disease at a given time

epidemiology

study of the occurrence, transmission, and control of diseases

etiology

cause of a disease

pathogenesis

source or cause of an illness or abnormal condition and its development

idiopathic

describes a disease for which the cause is not known

immunity

ability of the body to resist disease

antigen

any foreign substance that when introduced into the body is recognized as nonself and activates the immune system

nonspecific immunity

immunity that is present at birth and provides immediate, short-term protection against any antigen

specific immunity

immunity that responds to the presence of specific antigen and develops in response to contact with those antigens

pathogens

microorganism that causes disease

phagocytes

leukocyte that engulfs and destroys foreign material

humoral immunity

immune response provided by development of antibodies that counteract foreign antigens

cell-mediated immunity

immune response in which cells such as phagocytes and T-cells provide defense against abnormal cells, transplanted tissues and organs, and intracellular pathogens; immunity provided by special cells in contrast to humoral immunity that is provided by antibodies

B cell

lymphocyte that provides humoral immunity

T cells

lymphocyte that provides cell-mediated immunity

helper T cell

cells that stimulate antibody production by plasma cells, increase phagocytosis, and stimulate cytotoxic T cells and natural killer cells

Cytotoxic T cells

cells that recognize and eliminate infected and abnormal cells

autoimmunity

development of antibodies, called autoantibodies, to one’s own tissues or self antigens

autoantibodies

antibodies produced by the immune system against the individual’s own tissue, cells, or cell components

lupus

chronic autoimmune disease that can affect various parts of the body, including the skin, joints, heart, lungs, blood, kidneys, and brain

scleroderma

chronic autoimmune disease of the connective tissue

Sjögren’s syndrome

chronic, slowly progressive autoimmune disease that affects the exocrine glands of the body

allergy

extreme immune response to an antigen

hypersensitivity

extreme immune response to an antigen

Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS)

deadly disease caused by HIV that destroys an individual’s immune system, making the victim remarkably susceptible to infection

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)

Causative agent of AIDS; a retrovirus-that is. It carries its genetic information as RNA rather than DNA

infectious diseases

diseases caused by pathogenic microorganisms

contagious

infectious disease transmitted from human to human

communicable

in reference to infectious disease, the ability to be transmitted from human to human

endemic

disease that is always present at low levels in a population

epidemic

occurrence of a disease in unusually large numbers over a specific area

pandemic

epidemic that has spread to include several large areas worldwide

outbreak

sudden occurrence of a disease, in unexpected numbers in a limited area, which then subsides.

notifiable diseases

diseases under surveillance that must be reported by physicians to the CDC

reservoir

sources of a pathogen and potential sources of disease

horizontal transmission

route by which an infectious disease is transmitted directly from an infected human to a susceptible human

fomites

inanimate objector substance that can carry and transmit pathogens

vertical transmission

route by which an infectious disease is transmitted from one generation to the next

parenteral

delivered through a route other than mouth or rectum (which are enteral routes). Delivery of nutrients or medication by infusion into a vein is an example of parenteral discovery

normal flora

microorganisms normally associated with the human body

microbiota

normal population of microorganisms associated with the human body

isolation

keeping an infected person in the hospital or at home and not in contact with other persons as a way of controlling the transmission of infectious diseases

quarantine

separation of persons who may or may not be infected from healthy people until the period of infectious risk is passed

disinfection

reducing the risk of infection or contamination

capsid

protein shell around a virus particle

latent infection

condition caused when viruses insert themselves and do not reproduce

cell walls

rigid layer of organic material surrounding delicate cell membranes

cocci

spherical bacterial cells

bacilli

rod-shaped bacterial cells

spirilla

spiral-shaped bacterial cells

spirochetes

corkscrew-shaped bacterial cells

vibrios

comma-shaped bacterial cells

gram stain

staining technique that permits the identification of bacteria

endotoxin

potent toxin from certain bacteria that causes life-threatening shock

amoeboid

type of protozoa that moves with pseudopodia

flagellates

type of protozoa that move using whip-like flagella

ciliates

protozoa that move using hairlike cilia

sporozoans

form of protozoa; single celled, immobile, eukaryotic microorganisms

pseudopodia

cell membrane extensions used for locomotion of phagocytosis

chitin

polysaccharide in the walls of some fungal cells

mycelia

filaments in fungi specialized for absorption of nutrients

spores

microscopic fungal reproductive structures that can induce allergies

mycoses

infectious diseases caused by fungi

infestations

infections involving wormlike animals called helminths

ascaris

large roundworm intestinal parasite

hookworms

intestinal parasitic roundworm

prion

infectious protein particle: cause of Creuzfeldt-Jakob disease

antibiotics

drugs used to treat bacterial infections

antibiotic resistance

drug resistance among bacteria; bacteria adapt to antibotics and the adaptation becomes common in the bacterial population, rendering the antibiotics ineffective

nucleic acid analogues

antiviral medications

emerging infectious diseases

new infection or an uncommon infection that is increasing in incidence

reemerging infectious diseases

disease increasing n prevalence after being uncommon

tumor

abnormal growth of cells that is a result of uncontrolled cell growth

neoplasm

abnormal growth of tissue that is a result of uncontrolled cell growth

benign

noncancerous neoplasm or tumor

malignant

tending to grow or spread, as a tumor that invades surrounding tissue and may metastasize, or spread to other parts of the body

polyp

benign epithelial tumor

sarcoma

type of cancer affecting the supporting tissue such as muscle, bone, and cartilage