Causes of Disease - Overview Flashcards

You may prefer our related Brainscape-certified flashcards:
1
Q

What are some causes of disease?

A
  1. Natural causes of disease ,first studied scientifically by Hippocrates
  2. Introduced concept of aetiology(the study of causation or origination)
  3. Diseases can have a single cause, or be the product of multiple factors
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

What do you call a condition with no known cause?

A

Idiopathics

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

What are the 2 categories in which causes of disease are put into?

A

Extrinsic(from outside) and Intrinsic(rom within)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

What are some of the intrinsic causes of disease?

A

Changes in an individual’s genome:

Nuclear or mitochondrial
Inherited mutations and other genetic variations
de novo mutations
Epigenetic modifications

Typically alter the function of a gene (or group of genes)
E.g. more/less protein or same amount but more/less activity

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

What levels can effects of genetic variations manifest in?

A

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

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

What are some examples of some extrinsic causes of disease?

A
Injury
Infection
Nutrition and diet
Lifestyle, e.g. smoking, exposure to workplace toxins
Chemical poisoning (acute and chronic)
Exposure to radiation
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

What is the cause of Downs Syndrome and is it intrinsic/extrinsic?

A

Trisomy of chromosome 21, inherited at conception

Intrinsic

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

What is the cause of Covid 19 and is it intrinsic or extrinsic?

A

Infection with SARS-CoV-2

Extrinsic

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

What are mitogens?

A

A mitogen is any substance that triggers the process of mitosis, or cell division. Frequently, mitogens are proteins — compounds consisting of amino acid molecules that facilitate biochemical reactions in organisms

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

Does age cause disease?

A
  • Age is a contributing factor to many diseases, but is it a cause?
  • Age really just means ‘time’, in the context of causes that accumulate, e.g.
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly