Chapter 1 - Introduction to Pathophysiology Flashcards
acute onset
in the context of pathophysiology, a disease that appears suddenly and obviously
anaplasia
the loss of structural differentiation within a cell or group of cells; often seen in malignant tumors
apoptosis
the death of cells which occurs as a normal and controlled part of an organism’s growth or development
biopsy
a sample of tissue taken from the body in order to examine it more closely
caseous necrosis
a form of coagulation necrosis in which a thick, yellowish, “cheesy” substance forms (such a thing is often seen in tuberculosis)
cause-and-effect pathophysiology
a reference to the fact that many disorders affecting a particular system or organ display a set of common signs and symptoms directly related to that organ’s normal structure and function. (e.g. when the liver is damaged, many clotting factors cannot be produced; therefore excessive bleeding results. Jaundice, a yellow color in the skin, is another sign of liver disease, resulting from the liver’s inability to excrete bilirubin)
clinical disease
a disease that has signs and symptoms that can be recognized by clinical tests
coagulative necrosis
the process that occurs when the cell proteins are altered or denatured (similar to the coagulation that occurs when cooking eggs), and the cells retain some type of form for a time after death. This process typically occurs in a myocardial infarction (heart attack) when a lack of oxygen causes cell death
communicable diseases
infections that can be spread from one person to another
complications
new secondary or additional problems that arise after the original disease begins (e.g. following a heart attack, a person may develop congestive heart failure, a complication)
convalescence
the gradual recovery of health and strength after illness; also called rehabilitation
diagnosis
the identification of a specific disease through evaluation of signs and symptoms, laboratory tests, or other tools. More than one factor is usually required to verify a diagnosis.
diagnostic tests
laboratory tests that assist in the diagnosis of a specific disease
disease
a deviation from the normal structure or function of any part, organ, system (or combination of these), or from a state of wellness
dry gangrene
gangrene caused by coagulative necrosis in which the tissue dries, shrinks, and blackens
dysplasia
a term for what occurs when cells in a tissue are of different shapes and sizes; can be a sign of chronic infection or a precancerous stage
endogenous
growing or originating from within an organism
epidemic
a higher than expected number of cases of an infectious disease within a given area
epidemiology
the science of tracking the pattern or occurrence of disease
etiology
the cause of a disease or abnormal condition; also used to mean the study of the causes of disease
evidence-based research findings
findings that result from a completed “research process in the health sciences”; from this point, the medical community will review it to see if it becomes a standard practice
exacerbation
a worsening in the severity of the disease or in its signs/symptoms
exogenous
growing or originating from outside an organism
fat necrosis
the process that occurs when fatty tissue is broken down into fatty acids in the presence of infection or certain enzymes; these compounds may increase inflammation
gangrene
an area of necrotic tissue, usually associated with a lack or loss of blood supply that is followed by invasion of bacteria
gas gangrene
gangrene caused by the buildup of gases within tissue
hyperplasia
an increased number of cells, resulting in an enlarged tissue mass; often an initial stage in the development of cancer
hypertrophy
an increase in the size of individual cells, resulting in an enlarged tissue mass; seen often in muscle mass that increases due to exercise
hypoxia
deficiency in the amount of oxygen reaching a tissue
iatrogenic
an adjective that is used when a disease is caused by a medical action (the cause could be negligence or a complication)
idiopathic
an adjective that is used when the cause of a disease is unknown or when the disease arises spontaneously
incidence
in epidemiology, the number of new cases of disease or injury in a population over a specified period of time
incubation period
the time between exposure to a harmful microorganism and the onset of signs or symptoms
infarction
death of tissue resulting from a failure of blood supply
insidious disease
any disease that comes on slowly and does not have obvious symptoms at first
ischemia
an inadequate blood supply to an organ or part of the body
latent
an adjective which means “existing in hidden or dormant form”; often used for the stage of a disease when it is not obviously present
lesion
an abnormal area of tissue inside or outside the body that may get bigger or change appearance, and may or may not be cancerous
liquefaction necrosis
the process by which dead cells liquefy under the influence of certain cell enzymes. This process occurs when brain tissue dies or in certain bacterial infections in which a cavity or ulcer may develop in the infected area
local manifestation
a manifestation located at a particular site
lysis
the disintegration of a cell by rupture of the cell wall or membrane
malignant neoplasm
another word for cancer or a malignant tumor
manifestation
a symptom or sign of a disease
metaplasia
a term for what occurs when one cell type replaces another cell type; often seen in cigarette smokers when the lung tissue changes to defend against cigarette smoke, but that change also leaves the lungs more vulnerable to cancer
morbidity
the disease rates within a group; this term is sometimes used to indicate the functional impairment that certain conditions (such as stroke) cause within a population
morphology
the branch of biology that deals with the form of living organisms, and with relationships between their structures
mortality
the relative number of deaths resulting from a particular disease
necrosis
the death of one or more cells or a portion of tissue or organ as a result of irreversible damage
neoplasia
the new, uncontrolled growth of cells
neoplasm
a new and abnormal growth of tissue in some part of the body, especially as a characteristic of cancer; also used as a term for tumor
occurrence
in epidemiology, a measure of the incidence and prevalence of a disease
onset
the beginning of something, especially something unpleasant (such as a disease, in this case)
pandemic
an epidemic of an infectious disease that has spread across a large region, for instance multiple continents or worldwide
pathogenesis
the process by which a disease or disorder develops
pathology
the laboratory study of cell and tissue changes associated with disease
pathophysiology
the study of how disease changes the function of the human body while its alive
perpetuating factors
something that maintains the problem or disease once it has become established
phagocytes
cells that protect the body by ingesting harmful foreign particles, bacteria, and dead or dying cells
phagocytosis
process by which certain living cells called phagocytes ingest or engulf other cells or particles
postmortem examination
an examination of a dead person’s body in order to determine the cause of death; also called an autopsy or necropsy
precipitating factor
something that causes or triggers the onset of a disorder, illness, accident, or behavioral response
predisposing factors
factors or conditions that render an individual vulnerable to a disease or disorder
predisposing factors
things that promote the development of disease in an individual; they can be things such as age, gender, or lifestyle
prevalence
in epidemiology, the total number of individuals in a population who have a disease or health condition at a specific period of time
primary prevention
preventative steps that seek to prevent the disease from ever occurring (such as never drinking alcohol in order to avoid liver disease)
prodromal period
the period after the incubation period; during this stage, people start to have symptoms but have trouble recognizing the cause; tests are often still negative for the disease at this point
prognosis
the probability or likelihood for recovery or other outcomes
prophylaxis
measures designed to preserve health (as of an individual or of society) and prevent the spread of disease
pyroptosis
a form of cell death that leads to inflammation, often in response to a harmful microorganism
remission
a period or condition in which the manifestations of the disease subside, either permanently or temporarily
reportable disease
a disease that a physician must report to the authorities; also called a notifiable disease
research process in the health sciences
a three-step process to discovering new therapies, made up of the following steps: (Stage 1) identify a technology that will limit or prevent the disease process. This stage is carried out in the laboratory and often requires the use of animals or cell cultures; (Stage 2) bring in a small number of human subjects to determine if therapy is safe; (Stage 3) bring in a large number of human subjects in clinical trials; most research never makes it this far
rheumatoid arthritis
a chronic systemic disorder with remissions and exacerbations, resulting in permanent joint damage; the disease is caused by the immune system attacking the joints through inflammation
secondary prevention
steps taken after a disease is diagnosed to prevent the disease from doing further damage
signs
objective indicators of disease that are obvious to someone other than the affected individual; just like manifestations, they can be local or systemic
subclinical disease
a disease that is not detectable or that produces effects that are not detectable by the usual clinical tests
syndrome
a collection of signs and symptoms, often affecting more than one organ, that usually occur together in response to a certain condition
systemic manifestation
a manifestation with a widespread location, such as a fever in the whole body
tertiary prevention
steps taken to help people manage complicated, long-term health problems (such as diabetes, heart disease, and cancer)
wet gangrene
gangrene that is a result of liquefaction causing the tissue to become cold, swollen, and black
