Chapter 7: Non-Communicable Diseases Flashcards
Name 2 risk factors for disease
- aspects of your lifestyle
- substances that are present in your environment
What is the main difference between a communicable and non-communicable disease?
non-communicable are diseases that are not infectious and affect people as a result of their lifestyle and environmental factors.
What is a correlation?
A similarity that links two things together (causation doesn’t necessarily mean causation)
What is a casual mechanism?
A casual mechanism explains how one factor influences another through a biological process
What is the economic impact of non-communicable diseases?
- if a family wage earner becomes ill, then it affects the whole household
- local economies bear the cost of helping people who are ill (e.g. through taxes)
- global economy suffers if a lot of working age people fall ill
What is a tumour?
A mass of abnormally growing cells that forms when the cells do not respond to the normal mechanisms that control growth and when control of the cell cycle is lost
What are Benign tumours?
Growths of abnormal cells that are contained in one area, usually within a membrane, and do not invade other tissues.
What are Malignant tumour cells?
Invade neighbouring tissues and spread to different parts of the body in the blood where they form secondary tumours.
Name 3 causes of cancer
- mutations: changes in genetic material
- ionizing radiation: interrupts the normal cell cycle
- virus infections and genetic risk factors
Name two ways of treating cancer
- Radiotherapy
- Chemotherapy
What is radiotherapy?
When cancer cells are destroyed by targeting doses of radiation. This stops mitosis in cancer cells, but can also damage healthy cells.
What is Chemotherapy?
Chemicals are used to either stop the cancer cells dividing or to make them ‘self destruct’.
What is the difference between a benign tumour and a malignant tumour?
Malignant tumour cells invade other tissues whereas benign tumours are contained in one space.
What are carcinogens?
cancer causing agents like asbestos and tobacco
Give 2 examples of ionizing radiation
- UV lights
- X-Rays
Give an example of how ionizing radiation causes tumours
Melanomas appear when there is uncontrolled growth of pigment-forming cells in the skin as a result of exposure to UV light from the sun
What is nicotine responsible for in a cigarette?
Nicotine is:
- addictive; but harmless
- produces a sensation of calm
What is carbon monoxide responsible for in a cigarette?
Carbon monoxide takes us some of the oxygen-carrying capacity of your blood; which leads to a shortage of oxygen
What are the problems of smoking during pregnancy?
-oxygen shortage: if the fetus does not get enough oxygen, then it may not grow properly.
What are the consequences of a baby not growing properly?
- premature births
- low birthweight babies
- still births
What is tar?
Tar is a sticky, black chemical that accumulates in the lungs (turning them from pink to grey)
Why is tar harmful?
- makes smokers much more likely to develop bronchitis
- build up of tar in the lung tissue can lead to a breakdown in the structure of the alveoli; which reduces surface area to volume ratio in the lungs, leading to severe breathlessness or even death.
What are some health problems that obesity can lead to?
- type 2 diabetes
- high blood pressure
- heart disease
What are some casual mechanisms that explain why exercise keeps you healthy?
- more muscle tissue: increases your metabolic rate
- lowers blood cholesterol levels: reduces the risk of fatty deposits building up in coronary arteries
Name 2 causes of type 2 diabetes
- body doesn’t make enough insulin
- cells stop responding to insulin
What are the problems with type 2 diabetes?
- circulation
- kidney function
- eyesight
What happens after you drink something alcoholic?
- ethanol is absorbed into the blood from the gut and passes into the body tissues, including the brain
- it affects the nervous system, making thought processes and reflexes slower than normal.
What long term damage can be faced from drinking alcohol?
- they may develop cirrhosis of the liver: a disease that destroys liver tissue
- alcohol is a carcinogen which can increases the risk of developing liver cancer
- long term alcohol use can destroy the brain structure so it can no longer function properly
What happens when a pregnant woman drinks alcohol?
- When a pregnant woman drinks alcohol, it it passes across the placenta into the developing baby.
- the baby’s liver cannot cope with alcohol, and so their brain and body will be affected.
What consequences will a baby have if the mother drinks alcohol during pregnancy?
- facial deformities
- kidney, liver, or heart problems
Name 4 well known sources of ionizing radiation
- Ultraviolet light from the sun
- Radioactive materials
- Medical and Dental X-rays
- Accidents in nuclear power generation (e.g. Chernobyl)
How does ionizing radiation cause cancer?
-Radiation penetrates the the cells and damages the chromosomes, causing mutations in the DNA
What does COPD stand for?
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
How is COPD caused?
The build up of tar in the lung tissue can lead to a breakdown in the structure of the alveoli, which reduces the surface area to volume ratio of the lungs; leading to severe breathlessness and eventually death.
