Chapter 15: Exam 6 Flashcards
Middle Adulthood
The adulthood stage between early and late adulthood begins at age 40 to 45 and ends at 60 to 65.
[60 to 65 as a transition period into late adulthood]
Interindividual Variability
The fact that people do not age in the same way or at the same rate
*Physiologically, aging is defined as changes in the body’s integumentary system [skin, hair, and nails] senses, reaction time, and lung capacity.
*Changes in metabolism, muscle mass, strength, bone density, aerobic capacity, blood-sugar tolerance, and ability to regulate body temperature may be moderated or reversed with exercise and diet
Skin and Hair
- Graying in middle adulthood due to a decrease of melanin (the pigment responsible for hair color) decreases.
- Hair loss accelerates with aging, especially in men
- Wrinkling associated with aging caused by exposure to UV rays
- Skin loses it elasticity because the body produces fewer proteins
- Skin becomes more dry and brittle because the body produces fewer keratinocytes (cells in outer layer of the skin that are regularly shed and renewed)
Sensory Functioning
- Changes in vision begin in the mid-30s and become significant problems in middle adulthood.
Presbyopia
Loss of elasticity in the eye lens that make it harder to focus on nearby objects [Latin for “old vision’]
Reaction Time
Beginning at age 25, we begin to lose neurons responsible for sensing signals such as sights and sounds and coordinating muscular responses to them.
Lung Capacity
Lung tissue stiffens with age diminishing its capacity to expand [decline by half between early and late adulthood]
Regular exercise can offset this loss and expand breathing capacity
Lean-Body Mass and Body Fat
- Beginning at age 20, we lose 7 lbs of lean body mass with each decade.
- Rate accelerates after age 45
Fat replaces lean body mass including muscle which causes a person’s BMI to rise
Strength Muscle
- Loss of muscle lessens the strength
- Change is gradual and exercise can readily compensate by increasing the size of remaining muscle cells
Metabolism
Rate at which the body processes or “burns” foods to produce energy
*Resting metabolic rate (aka Basal metabolic rate BMR) declines as we age
Bone Density
Lose density and strength at around age of 40
[Bones in spine, hip, thigh [femur,] and forearm lose the most density as we age]
Aerobic Capacity
- Cardiovascular system becomes less efficient as we age [Heart and lung muscles shrink]
- Capacity declines as less oxygen is taken into the lungs and the heart pumps less blood. However, regular exercise expands aerobic capacity at any age.
Blood Sugar Tolerance
aka Glucose, is the basic fuel and energy source for cells (supports cell activities and maintains body temperature)
- enters and circulates in the bloodstream with the help of insulin (a hormone secreted by the pancreas)
a. As we age, tissue in the body becomes less capable of taking up glucose from the bloodstream
b.) body tissue loses sensitivity to insulin, and the pancreas then has to produce more to achieve the same effect causing the blood sugar levels to rise [increasing the risk of adult-onset diabetes]
Health Recommendations
- Get regular checkups
- Pay attention to our diets
- Get some exercise
- Avoid smoking
- Drink in moderation
- Regulate stress
- Have supportive relationships
Truth or Fiction
People in the US profit from having the best healthcare in the world
Fiction
The fact is that many, perhaps most, Americans do not have access to “the best.”
Even those who are insured may not be able to chose doctors who are “outside” their plans.
Leading Cause of Death
- Cancer
- Heart Disease (#1 for adults 65 and older)
- Accidents
*African Americans have a greater risk for prostate cancer and start screening at 40 or 45
*Men should start screening for prostate cancer at about the age of 50
- Women begin screening for breast cancer at age 40
*Incidence of cervical cancer in Latina American women is higher than that of other demographic groups
*EKG (baseline) used to measure heart health at age 50 and should be repeated every 2 to 3 years
Cancer
Causes nearly 1 in 4 deaths in the US
Metastases
Movement of malignant or cancerous cells into parts of the body other than where they originated
*Begins when cells’ DNA changes genetic material and divides indefinitely (creating mutations caused by internal or external factors.)
Cell Mutations Internal Factors
a.) Heredity
b.) problems with the immune system
c.) hormonal factors
Cell Mutation External Factors
aka “Carcinogens”
a.) some viruses
b.) chemical compounds in tobacco and elsewhere
c.) UV solar radiation
