biological factors

Question 1

what is a biological factor?

Answer 1

Relating to the body and how adequately the body systems function and the impact on health and wellbeing.

Question 2

what are the six biological factors?

Answer 2

• blood pressure
• blood cholesterol levels
• body weight
• glucose regulation
• birth weight
• genetics including sex hormones

Question 3

define blood pressure and what conditions it can lead to

Answer 3

Blood pressure is the force exerted on the blood vessel walls.

A person with high blood pressure has hypertension

The blood of a person with hypertension does not flow through the blood vessels as easily as that of someone with normal blood pressure.

Heart and kidneys have to work harder to regulate pressure and filter blood therefore blood flow being restricted.

Hypertension is a contributing factor to many conditions, including cardiovascular diseases such as heart attack and stroke, and kidney failure.

Question 4

define blood cholesterol and what conditions it can lead to

Answer 4

Cholesterol is a type of fat

Too much LDL cholesterol is a key risk factor for cardiovascular disease, particularly heart attack and stroke. The incidence of high blood cholesterol increases with age

Question 5

define body weight and what conditions it can lead to

Answer 5

high body mass can impact on health and wellbeing and influence other biological factors. It therefore contributes significantly to variations in health status between individuals and population groups. For example, obesity increases the chances of developing high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol and impaired glucose regulation

Question 6

define glucose regulation and what conditions it can lead to

Answer 6

Glucose is the preferred fuel for energy within the cells.

when blood glucose levels rise, insulin is released from the pancreas to allow the glucose to travel from the bloodstream into the cells to be used for energy.

cells can become resistant to insulin therefore glucose cannot be absorbed by the cells

people that have impaired glucose regulation experience higher rates of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. These conditions can contribute to significant differences in health status, such as higher rates of heart attack, stroke, kidney disease and premature death.

Question 7

what is birth weight and what conditions can it lead to

Answer 7

low birth weight (less than 2.5 kilograms) are more likely to have an underdeveloped immune system, making them more susceptible to infections. They are also more likely to suffer from premature death and significant disabilities such as speech and learning disabilities.

Question 8

genetics and what it can lead to

Answer 8

The genetic material contained in body cells controls many aspects of life

SEX EG:
Women can’t get prostate or testicular cancer.
Men can’t get ovarian cancer.

HORMONES:
Hormones regulate many processes in the body and control many aspects of health and wellbeing.Males have a different combination of hormones to females, which could contribute to some of the differences in health concerns experienced by the two sexes. EG Oestrogen helps to maintain bone density in women by keeping the bones strong, a role played by testosterone in males.