Causes of disease

Question 1

Define Aetiology, Pathology and Idiopathic

Answer 1

Aetiology = cause of disease
Pathology = process of the cause of disease
Idiopathic = Conditions with no known cause

Question 2

What is an intrinsic cause of disease?

Include examples

Answer 2

Changes in an individuals genome that alter the function of a gene
(nuclear, mitochondrial, inherited/de novo mutations , epigenetic modifications)

Question 3

What is an extrinsic cause of disease?

Answer 3

Injury, infection, nutrition and diet, lifestyle, chemical poisoning, exposure to radiation

Question 4

Effects of genetic variations can manifest at varying levels

Answer 4

Cell autonomously:
- Cell X no longer expresses structural protein Y, so cell X is the wrong shape

Cell non-autonomously
- Cell X no longer secretes protein hormone Y, so cell Z no longer functions

Question 5

What are grey areas to classifying diseases?

Answer 5

• Causes of disease are often chains of events
  Are allergies caused by a sensitive immune system (intrinsic) or the preceding allergen (extrinsic)?
• Viewpoints?
  Extrinsic to what: cell, tissue, organ, body? What is the context?