Chapter 17 Flashcards
Ageism
Prejudice and discrimination toward people on the basis of their age
Young-old
Older adults ages 65-79
Old-old
Older adults ages 80 and older
Life Expectancy
Average number of years a person is expected to live
Population Aging
Aging of the population in a society such that an increasing proportion of people in the population are elderly
Maximum Lifespan
Max number of years people could live if they avoided all accidents and diseases
Centarian
A person who lives to be at least 100 years old
Supercentarian
A person who lives to be 110 or older
Programmed Theories of Aging
Theory that we have a build-in clock of some kind that causes us to age and eventually die
Evolutionary Theories of Aging
Theory that natural selection favors genes that confer fitness and increase survival through the age of reproductive maturity , but not beyond the age of reproductive maturity
-without this advantage, older adults are less able to withstand random damage to genes and other essential cells
Random Damage Theories of Aging
Theory that damage accumulates as people grow older
-when the accumulated damage exceeds the body’s capacities for maintenance and self-repair, age-related declines become evident, contributing to disease, disability, and eventually death
Free Radicals
Unstable oxygen molecules produced during metabolism that can penetrate or collide with other molecules, causing damage to cells
Caloric Restriction
Experiment determining if reducing calorie intake extends longevity
Hayflick Limit
Number of times a cell will divide and replicate before it stops due to telomere shortening
Telomeres
Protective tips at the ends of our chromosomes
Reserve Capacity
Excess physiological capacity that allows organs and bodily systems to continue functioning even though age-related declines have begun to occur
Compensation
Using alternative strategies to pursue an important goal when one’s physical capacities or resources decline
Plasticity
Idea that development is malleable; the ability of the brain to reorganize its structure and function
Frailty
State of increased vulnerability to stressors that results from diminished reserve capacity and impaired functioning of multiple bodily systems
Cataracts
Cloudy areas that form gradually in the lens of the eye, causing blurry distorted vision, and increasing sensitivity to glare
Macular Degeneration
Condition when the center of the retina (macula) deteriorates, causing loss of vision
Arteriosclerosis
Process that causes artery walls to become less elastic, requiring the heart to pump harder and increasing the risk for high blood pressure
Hypertension
High blood pressure
-treat to health if chronic
Urinary Incontinence
An inability to control urination
Bodily Control Systems
Bodily systems that monitor and regulate the functioning of all organs and systems in the body
Reaction Time
Length of time needed to respond to a stimulus
Immune System
Bodily control system that detects, isolates, and destroys foreign substances that might invade the body and cause illness
Autoimmune Disease
Diseases that develop when the immune system mistakenly attacks the body’s own cells, damaging and destroying healthy tissues
Inflammation
How the immune system tries to destroy foreign objects by rushing blood and immune cells to affected tissues
Activities of Daily Living
Basic self care activities such as eating, bathing, going to the bathroom, getting dressed, getting out of a chair
Instrumental Activities of Daily Living
Activities that allow people to live independently such as shopping, cooking meals, managing finances
Compression of Morbidity
Shortening of the duration of morbidity (illness and disability) that results from postponing the onset of chronic illness to a time in life that approaches the average age of death
Sensory Memory
Memory that lasts about 1-2 seconds, after that the memory fades unless it is intended to pass to working memory
Recall
Retrieving info without cues
Working Memory
Short-term memory system that holds info for long enough (15-20 sec) for it to be used
Long-term Memory
Memory with vast capacity that can store info for a very long time
Recognition
Process of identifying previously learned info
Episodic Memory
Memory for new info (words/numbers) or details from one’s life (where they parked the car or details from a recent vacation)
Semantic Memory
Memory for facts and general knowledge that one has learned (vocab, historical facts, cultural customs)
Procedural Memory
Memory for skills and procedures someone has learned (how to ride a bike)
Dementia
Chronic brain disorder characterized by irreversible cognitive decline severe enough to impair self-care and daily activities
Delirium
Acute brain disorder characterized by cognitive impairment that can be reversed if treated
Alzheimer’s Disease
Most common form of dementia in later life, characterized by cognitive, behavioral, and motor deficits that get worse over time
Apolipoprotein (APOE)
A gene present in 50-60% of people with Alzheimer’s disease (20-25% in healthy adults)
Amyloid Plaques
Abnormal deposits of protein that form in the brains of people with Alzheimer’s disease, causing inflammation and destroying neurons and synapses
Vascular Dementia
Type of dementia caused by a series of strokes that disrupt blood flow to the brain, depriving the brain of oxygen and causing brain tissue to die
Wisdom
Form of expert knowledge or judgement about life problems
