6. Ageing and Disease Flashcards
What is Ageing?
Time-related deterioration of the physiological functions necessary for fertility and survival.
What is Longevity?
How long an organism lives.
What is Senescence?
Time related deterioration.
What is Semelparity?
Life history of death after first reproduction
What is a Telomere?
Repetitive DNA sequences at end of chromosomes
Protect chromosome ends and important for chromosome replication
How is Cellular Senescence a defence mechanism?
Senescent cells permanently stop replicating, major role in preventing cancer.
What is the Hayflick limit?
Cells can only divide a finite number of times before death, this finite number is the Hayflick limit.
Which cells are not subject to the Hayflick limit and why?
Embryonic Stem Cells ( Capable of unlimited expansion
Germline cells (Age clock is re-set with reproduction)
Cancer (Immortal cells)
What is Cellular Senescence?
Irreversible cell cycle arrest, driven by a variety of mechanisms.
What mechanisms drive Cellular Senescence?
Telomere Shortening
Genotoxic stress
Mitogens
Inflammatory cytokines
What is Cancer?
Cells dividing in an uncontrolled way.
What is a Carcinogen?
Type of mutagen known to contribute to cancer.
What are Proto-oncogenes?
Genes that encode proteins that stimulate cell proliferation.
What are Tumour Suppressor Genes?
Genes that encode proteins that prevent cell proliferation
How can Proto-Oncogenes be converted into Oncogenes?
Point Mutations
Gene Amplification
Chromosomal Rearrangement
What is p53?
Transcription factor that regulates the cell cycle.
Where and how does Breast Cancer occur?
Occurs in the cells that line the lobules that manufacture milk. Caused by BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations.
What are the Hallmarks of cancer?
Eight acquired, functional capabilities that allow cancer cells to survive, proliferate and disseminate.
Name the 8 Hallmarks of Cancer.
Sustaining proliferative signalling Evading growth suppressors Activating invasion and metastasis Enabling replicative immortality Resisting cell death Induced angiogenesis Enabling characteristics Emerging Hallmarks
What are the theories concerning ageing?
Wear-and-tear theory
Cellular theory
Genetic mutation theory
Autoimmune theory
What causes Oedema in heart failure patients?
Fluid transport imbalance
What kind of regulatory functions in the endocrine system involved in?
Cellular metabolism Reproduction and sexual development Glucose & mineral homeostasis Heart rate & BP control Production of immune cells
What are hormones?
A type of chemical messenger- it enables an event in one part of the body to have an effect elsewhere in the body
What is the Pituitary gland?
Part of the endocrine system. Its main function is to secrete hormones into your bloodstream
What is the Hypothalamus?
Region of the fore-brain which coordinates the autonomic nervous system and the activity of the pituitary, controlling temperature, thirst, hunger and other homeostatic systems
Name some Anterior Pituitary Hormones
Prolactin
Growth hormone
Lutenising hormone
Name two characteristics of Alzheimer’s disease.
Amyloid plaques Neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs)
