Chapter 7 - Summary Questions Flashcards
What are the main treatments for cancer?
Radiotherapy, chemotherapy.
Give two examples of ionising radiation.
Two from: UV light, radon gas, X-rays, radioactive materials (from nuclear power stations).
Why is carbon monoxide harmful?
It attaches to red blood cells so they cannot carry oxygen to the body cells.
What is the main cause of type 2 diabetes?
Obesity.
Name two main organs that are damaged by long-term alcohol consumption?
Liver, Brain.
a) Which type of cell division leads to two identical cells?
b) What changes take place in cell division when a tumour is formed?
a) mitosis
b) the cells mutate and divide uncontrollably to form an abnormal mass.
How does cancer spread from one part of the body to another?
Cancer cells (from a tumour) enter the bloodstream and are carried to another part of the body where they settle and start to divide again.
Why do smokers find it difficult to give up smoking?
Tobacco contains nicotine, which is highly addictive.
Explain why babies who are born to mothers who smoke have lower than average birth weights.
Carbon monoxide in the smoke attaches to fetal red blood cells, which then cannot carry oxygen; less oxygen passes to the fetus, so there is less oxygen for growth.
Describe and explain the effects experienced by a person who drinks several units of alcohol in a 2-hour period.
The alcohol enters the bloodstream; the liver cannot break it down quickly enough so it circulates throughout the body, including the nervous system and brain; here it causes slower reflexes / reaction times / thought processes; it can lead to unconsciousness / coma / death.
Describe how COPD leads to death.
Chemicals in the smoke, such as tar, build up in the lungs, damaging the alveoli; the alveoli break down, which reduces the surface area so there is less gas exchange, leading to severe breathlessness and then death.
What is evidence for a causal link between smoking cigarettes and cardiovascular disease?
(Doctors have observed that) among smokers, the blood vessels in the skin narrow; nicotine increases the heart rate; there is damage to the lining of blood vessels, increasing the risk of clots; there is an increase in blood pressure.
