Biomedical Science Vocabulary

Flashcards generated from lecture notes, focusing on vocabulary terms and definitions.

DNA

A double helix structure responsible for inherited traits, made from billions of base pairs bonded together to a sugar-phosphate backbone.

Nucleotide

Composed of a sugar, a phosphate group, and a nitrogenous base.

Purines

Adenine (A) and Guanine (G) are nitrogenous bases with a double-ring structure.

Pyrimidines

Cytosine (C) and Thymine (T) are nitrogenous bases with a single-ring structure.

Restriction Enzymes

Enzymes that come from bacteria and make cuts in DNA at specific sequences.

Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphisms (RFLPs)

DNA fragments of different lengths resulting from the cutting of DNA by restriction enzymes.

Gel Electrophoresis

A technique used to separate DNA fragments based on size by applying an electric field.

Autopsy

A post-mortem examination to determine the cause and manner of death.

Confidentiality

A set of rules that govern the limits of access to information, or place restrictions on certain types of information, except under specific circumstances.

HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act)

US legislation that protects the privacy of patient health information.

Polygraph

A test that measures physiological responses to questions to determine truthfulness.

Independent Variable

The variable that is manipulated by the researcher in an experiment.

Dependent Variable

The variable that is measured in an experiment to see if it is affected by the independent variable.

Control

A standard of comparison in an experiment.

Antigens

Substances that can trigger an immune response.

Gene

A unit of heredity that is transferred from a parent to offspring and is held to determine some characteristic of the offspring.

Chromosome

A thread-like structure of nucleic acids and protein found in the nucleus of most living cells, carrying genetic information in the form of genes.

Eukaryotic Cells

Cells with a nucleus and other membrane-bound organelles.

Prokaryotic Cells

Cells without a nucleus or other membrane-bound organelles.

Cause of Death

The specific injury, disease, or condition that directly caused a person's death.

Manner of Death

The circumstances surrounding a death, such as natural, accidental, suicide, homicide, or undetermined.

Mechanism of Death

he physiological derangement that results in death.

Livor Mortis

The pooling of blood in the body after death, causing a purplish discoloration of the skin.

Rigor Mortis

The stiffening of muscles after death.

Algor Mortis

The cooling of the body after death.

Clinical Empathy

Understanding and sharing the feelings of a patient.

Systolic Blood Pressure

The pressure in the arteries when the heart beats (contracts).

Diastolic Blood Pressure

The pressure in the arteries when the heart is at rest between beats.

BMI (Body Mass Index)

A measure of body fat based on height and weight.

Metabolic Syndrome

A cluster of conditions that increase the risk of heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes.

Familial Hypercholesterolemia (FH)

A genetic disorder characterized by high cholesterol levels.

Genotype

The genetic makeup of an organism.

Phenotype

The observable characteristics of an organism resulting from the interaction of its genotype with the environment.

Agents of Disease

Biological, chemical, or physical entities capable of causing illness or disease.

Chain of Infection

The sequence of events required for an infection to spread from a reservoir to a susceptible host.

Reservoir

A place where an infectious agent normally lives and multiplies.

Innate Immunity

Non-specific defense mechanisms that come into play immediately or within hours of an antigen's appearance in the body.

Acquired Immunity

Antigen-specific immune response.

Aseptic Technique

A procedure performed under sterile conditions to minimize contamination.

Isolation Streak

A technique used to separate bacteria on a petri dish to obtain pure cultures.

Bacteria Morphology

The shape and structure of bacterial cells (e.g., cocci, bacilli, spirilla).

Gram Stain

A differential staining technique used to classify bacteria based on their cell wall structure.

Primary Assessment ABCs

Airway, Breathing, and Circulation - the initial steps in assessing a patient's condition.

Diffusion

The movement of molecules from an area of high concentration to an area of low concentration.

Osmosis

The movement of water across a semipermeable membrane from an area of high water concentration to an area of low water concentration.

Hypertonic Solution

A solution with a higher solute concentration compared to another solution.

Hypotonic Solution

A solution with a lower solute concentration compared to another solution.

Isotonic Solution

A solution with the same solute concentration as another solution.

Blood Clotting

The process by which blood changes from a liquid to a solid state to stop bleeding.

Triage

The process of prioritizing patients based on the severity of their condition.

Design Process

A systematic approach to problem-solving, involving steps like defining the problem, generating solutions, and testing.

Atherosclerosis

The buildup of plaque inside arteries, leading to narrowing and reduced blood flow.

Stent

A small, expandable mesh tube used to open up blocked arteries.

Xenotransplantation

The transplantation of living cells, tissues, or organs from one species to another.

Stem Cells

Cells that have the ability to differentiate into various cell types.

Ghost Organs

Donated organs that have had their cells removed, leaving a scaffold for stem cells to grow on.

Bioprinting

Creating a scaffold from scratch using bioinks and stem cells.

Primary Prevention

Actions taken to prevent a disease or condition from occurring.

Secondary Prevention

Actions taken to detect a disease or condition early so it can be treated.

Tertiary Prevention

Actions taken to reduce the impact of a disease or condition that has already occurred.

Biomimicry

Copying designs from nature to create new products.

GIS (Geographic Information System)

A tool that helps people communicate and analyze information into a visual presentation (map).

Bioprospecting

The search for plant and animal species and other organisms that may yield medicinal drugs and other commercially valuable compounds.

Blood Spatter Analysis

The examination of bloodstains to determine the events that occurred at a crime scene.

Karyotype

A display of chromosome pairs of a cell arranged by size and shape.

Deletion (mutation)

A mutation in which a section of DNA is lost or deleted.

Insertion (mutation)

A mutation in which extra nucleotide base pairs are inserted into a new place in the DNA.

Inversion (mutation)

A mutation in which a section of DNA is reversed.

Duplication (mutation)

A mutation in which a section of DNA appears twice (duplicated).

Translocation (mutation)

A mutation in which a section of DNA moves from one chromosome to another.

TBI

Traumatic Brain Injury - damage to the brain caused by an external force.

CTE

Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy - a progressive degenerative disease of the brain found in individuals with a history of repetitive brain trauma.

Pathogen

Any disease-producing agent (especially a virus or bacterium or other microorganism).

Antibiotic

A medicine used to save lives because it destroys harmful bacteria and cures infections.

Virus

A submicroscopic infectious agent that replicates only inside the living cells of an organism.

Prion

Infectious proteins causing neurodegenerative diseases.

Cell Membrane

The semipermeable membrane surrounding the cytoplasm of a cell.

Transcription

The process of making RNA from DNA.

Translation

The process of making proteins from RNA.

Hydrophilic

Having an affinity for water.

Hydrophobic

Having aversion for water.

Receptor

A protein that binds to a specific molecule, triggering a response in the cell.

Endocrine system

System that produces hormones.

Digestive system

System that breaks down food and absorbs nutrients.

Eukaryotic

Cells with a nucleus.

Arteries

Vessels that carry blood away from the heart.

Nervous system

System that controls and coordinates the body's functions through electrical and chemical signals, fast response with short term effects..

Veins

Vessels that carry blood back to the heart.

SpO2

Oxygen Saturation - The measure of oxygen in the blood.

Medical History

A record of a patient's past medical conditions and treatments.

Chief Complaint

The primary reason for a patient's visit.

Neurological Assessment

An evaluation of the nervous system and its functions.

Genetic Mutation

A change in the DNA sequence.

Recessive Gene

A gene whose expression is masked by the presence of a dominant gene.

Dominant Gene

A gene whose expression overshadows the expression of a recessive gene.

Carrier

An individual who carries a recessive gene but does not express it.

Infection

The invasion and multiplication of microorganisms in body tissues.

Drug Delivery

The method of delivering a drug into the body.

Antigen

A toxin or other foreign substance that induces an immune response in the body, especially the production of antibodies.

Antibody

A blood protein produced in response to and counteracting a specific antigen.