Mod 8: Non-infectious Disease and Disorders - Biology

Epidemiology

The study of the distribution and determinants of health-related states or events and the application of this study to the control of disease and other health problems

Non-infectious disease

Diseases not caused by pathogens

Correlation

The extent to which the change in two variables is related

Descriptive studies

Describes disease patterns in a population

Analytical studies

Statistical analysis of data collected in descriptive studies and additional data collected to test hypotheses regarding the likely causes of the disease

Case control studies

A type of analytical study; ompare diseased people with healthy people to see if a factor is more common in the group with the disease than those without

Cohort study

To compare similar groups of healthy people with only one group exposed to a risk factor and the others not exposed to see if the exposed group has a higher incidence and/or mortality from the disease

Invention studies

Help to evaluate the effectiveness of a treatment or a campaign

Cross-sectional

Viewing or analyzing something at a single, specific point in time rather than over a period

Random errors

Unpredictable variations in data, usually due to individual differences

Systematic errors

Errors that result from bias

Selection bias

Where the subjects in a study are not representative of the whole population

Information bias

Errors in taking measurements or recording information, or subjects can’t correctly recall information

Disease

Any process or condition that adversely affects the normal functioning of a living thing or parts of a living thing

Genetic diseases

A non-infectious disease that is passed down to offspring

Nutritional disease

A type of non-infectious disease that are nutrition-related

Cancer

A type of non-infectious disease in which abnormal cells grow and multiply uncontrollably

Homeostasis

The maintenance of a relatively constant internal environment in an organism despite changes in the external environment

Stimulus

A change in the internal or external environment

Tolerance limits

The upper and lower boundaries of environmental conditions that an organism can endure to survive

Negative feedback

The process of a change in the internal environment being detected and counteracted so as to bring the internal environment back to homeostasis

Positive feedback

The process of a stimulus being detected and amplified to increase the impact of the initial stimulus

Nervous system

Consists the central nervous system and the peripheral nervous system

Central nervous system (CNS)

The brain and spinal cord

Peripheral nervous system (PNS)

Sensory and motor nerves throughout the body

Receptors

Detect stimuli and convert the stimulus into a nerve impulse which the CNS can interpret and respond to

Sensory neurons

Relay nerve impulse to the central nervous system

Interneurons/relay neurons/connector neurons

Transmit nerve impulses within the CNS

Motor neurons

Receive nerve impulses from the CNS and relays the signal to an effector

Effector

Muscles or glands that produce a response to the stimulus

Synapses

Junctions between two nerve cells

Dendrites

Tree-like structures that conduct the nerve impulse towards the cell body

Cell body of neuron

Contains the nuclear processes that support the dendrites and axons

Axon

Conducts the nerve impulse away from the cell body

Myelin sheath

Surrounds and insulates the axon; producecd by Schwann cells

Nodes of Ranvier

Gaps in the myelin sheath

Neurotransmitters

Release of chemicals after a temporary change in the electrical potential of the neuron cell membrane

Endocrine system

Consists of glands that can secrete hormones

Endotherms

Generate their own body heat through internal metabolic processes, keeping a stable core temperature regardless of the outside environment

Ectotherms

Rely on external environmental sources (like the sun) to regulate their body temperature, meaning their internal temperature fluctuates with the surrounding weather

Vasodilation

The widening of blood vessels

Adaptation

A characteristic that an organism possesses that will increase the survival and reproductive chances of that organism in its environment

Behavioural adaptation

an adaptation relating to the way an organism acts

Physiological adaptation

an adaptation relating to the way the organism's body functions

Structural adaptation

an adaptation relating to the physical characteristics of the organism

Ambient temperature

Temperature of the environment

Cuticle

Waterproof layer covering leaves

Stomata

Microscopic pores primarily found on the epidermis of plant leaves

Guard cells

Specialized, paired plant cells found in the epidermis of leaves and stems; They regulate gas exchange

Xylem

A specialized vascular tissue in plants that transports water and dissolved minerals upward from the roots to the stems and leaves

Transpiration

The biological process by which plants absorb water through their roots and release it as water vapor into the atmosphere

Excretory system

Removes waste from the body

Kidney

The major organ of the excretory system; filters water, salts and nitrogenous waste from blood

Osmoregulation

Maintaining the homeostatic balance of water and salts necessary for proper cellular functioning

Osmosis

The natural movement of water molecules through a thin, semi-permeable membrane from an area of low solute concentration to an area of high solute concentration, until both sides are equal

Isotonic

The cell has the same water/salt concentration than surrounding fluids

Hypertonic

More solute/less water

Hypotonic

Less solute/more water

Turgor pressure

the outward hydrostatic force that water inside a cell exerts against the plasma membrane and rigid cell wall

Nephrons

Microscopic structures in the kidney; basic functioning unit

Antidiuretic hormone (ADH)

Hormone that maintains concentration of water in blood

Aldosterone

Hormone that maintains the concentration of salt in blood, secreted by the adrenal glands

Renal dialysis

A life-supporting medical treatment that filters waste products, extra salt, and fluid from the blood when the kidneys fail

Haemodialysis

A medical procedure that uses a special machine and an artificial filter (dialyser) to clean waste, extra water, and chemicals from your blood when your kidneys stop working properly

Dialysate

The specialized medical fluid used in dialysis to remove waste products in patients with kidney failure. It acts through a semipermeable membrane against the patient’s blood, allowing toxins to pass out while retaining or adding vital substances

Peritoneal dialysis

A treatment for kidney failure. It cleans your blood inside your body by using the lining of your belly (the peritoneum) as a natural filter. A soft tube called a catheter goes into your belly to let cleansing fluid flow in and out

Peritoneum

Lining of the abdominal cavity

Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT)

Uses a genetically engineered hormone replacement called fludrocortisone which acts similarly to aldosterone

Extracellular fluid

All body fluid found outside of cells

Urine

A fluid created by the kidneys, flowing from the kidneys to the bladder.

Ureter

A thin, muscular tube that carries urine from a kidney to the urinary bladder

Urinary bladder

A collapsible sac that temporarily stores urine until it is eliminated fro mthe body

Urethra

A fibromuscular tube that carries urine from the urinary bladder out of the body

Osmolarity

A measure of the solute concentration in a solution