B7 Flashcards
What are non-communicable diseases?
They are diseases that cannot be passed from one individual to another.
What are risk factors for disease?
They could include the genes that you have inherited from your parents, the other aspects of your lifestyle that include smoking, lack of exercise and overeating. It could also be influenced by substances that are present in the environment or in your body such as ionising radiation, UV light from the sun or second hand tobacco smoke.
What is a casual mechanism?
It explains how one factor influences another through a biological process. If it can be demonstrated, there is a link between the two.
What are the impacts of non-communicable diseases?
It will often have a financial cost, either on the medication or the lack of work. It can also impact the economy because of less people able to work especially if it affects younger workers as well.
What is a tumor?
It forms when control of the cell cycle is lost and the cells start to grow in an abnormal, uncontrolled way.
What is a benign tumor?
A growth of abnormal cells contained in one place, usually within a membrane. It doesn’t attack different parts of the body but it can grow extremely rapidly. However if it grows too close to a vital organ it can be dangerous e.g. in the brain as there is no extra space.
What are malignant tumour cells?
They spread around the body, invading neighbouring healthy tissues, it is known as cancer. They can split up easily and enter the bloodstream, where they are transported around the body. Then they perform uncontrolled division. They also live longer than normal cells.
Why is cancer hard to treat?
Because the cells move around the bloodstream so it can be hard to pinpoint one area.
Give 4 causes of cancer.
1.Genetics
2.Mutations-changes in the genetic material due to carcinogens
3.Ionising radiation such as UV light or X-rays that can interrupt the normal cell cycle, causing tumours to form
4.Viral infections
Give 2 ways of treating cancer.
1.Radiotherapy
2.Chemotherapy
What is radiotherapy?
Where the cancer cells are destroyed by target doses of radiation so it stops mitosis in the cancer cells, but can damage normal cells.
What is chemotherapy?
Where chemicals are used to either stop the cancer cells dividing.
Why are cigarettes harmful?
It has nicotine which is an addictive substance, however it has carbon monoxide in the smoke.
Why is smoking while pregnant a bad idea?
It takes away the oxygen from the woman so therefore the baby has less oxygen needed for it to grow.
How can smoking cause chest infections?
It can have the cilia in the lungs that move mucus and dirt away from the lungs anaesthetised by some of the chemicals in the smoke so they can stop working, allowing pathogens down the lungs, increasing the build-up of mucus and also infection
