Chapter 7 part 2: Effects of tobacco smoke on health

Question 1

What are the effects of major toxic components in tobacco smoke on human health?

Answer 1

1. Nicotine
   - Increases the heartbeat rate and blood pressure
   - Increases the risk of blood clots in the arteries and thus increases the risk of coronary heart disease.
   - Increases the risk of the arteries narrowing.
2. Carbon monoxide
   - Reduces the ability of blood to carry oxygen as it binds permanently with haemoglobin.
   - it increases the risk of coronary heart disease.
3. Tar
   - Increases the risk of lung cancer as tar can cause uncontrolled cell division.
   - Decreases the ability of ciliated cells to remove dust particles that are trapped in the mucus lining of the air passages.
   - Increases the risk of chronic bronchitis and emphysema.

Question 2

What are the diseases that can result from the frequent exposure to tobacco smoke?

Answer 2

• The diseases that may result from frequent exposure to tobacco smoke include bronchitis, emphysema, and lung cancer.

Question 3

What happens during chronic bronchitis?

Answer 3

• In chronic bronchitis, the epithelium of the airways becomes inflamed.
• The epithelium secretes excessive mucus.
• The cilia lining in the epithelium becomes paralysed and cannot remove the mucus and dust particles.
• Thus, this increases the risk of lung infections.

Question 4

What happens when a person coughs persistently?

Answer 4

• Persistently coughing may result in emphysema in which the partition walls between the alveoli break down.
• This is a decreased surface area for gas exchange.
• The lungs lose their elasticity and become inflated with air.
• Thus, this leads to breathing difficulties that cause breathlessness and wheezing.

Question 5

What is chronic obstructive lung disease and when does a person get diagnosed with it?

Answer 5

• When a person suffers from chronic bronchitis and emphysema, he is said to have chronic obstructive lung disease.

Question 6

What is cancer?

Answer 6

• Cancer is a disease where there is uncontrolled cell division/growth, which leads to the development of tumours.
• Smoking increases the risk of lung, mouth, kidney, and even pancreas cancers.