E0 Biomedical literacy Flashcards
what are italics used for and not used for?
- used for bacterial taxa and genes
- not used for serovar and strain designations
what are bacteria often named after?
- the scientist that discovered them and/or some descriptive information relating to their morphology, structure or ‘habitat’
what are serovar?
- surface molecules on bacteria (eg. Salmonella)
- cause animals to raise antibodies which can then be used in identification
- linked with the likelihood and severity of the disease
how are strains of bacteria and viruses typically represented?
a capitalised letter and number relating to a structural molecule on its surface
what does the integumentary system involve and what is its function?
- skin and derived structure including hair and glands in the skin
- protection, temperature regulation, senses
what does the skeletal system involve and what is its function?
- bones and joints, ligaments and tendons
- support, protection, movement, stores minerals and growth factors/cytokines
- contains stem cells that control the haematopoietic system
what does the muscular system involve and what is its function?
- skeletal muscle, linked with bones
- controls body movement and posture and contributes to heat generation/body warmth
what does the nervous system involve and what is its function?
- central (brain, spinal cord) and peripheral (nerves outside CNS)
- detect and respond to changes/demands in the body
what does the endocrine system involve and what is its function?
- glands that produce hormones
- regulate body functions such as growth, menstrual cycle, sugar levels etc.
what are the glands in the head and neck?
- pituitary gland
- pineal gland
- hypothalamus
what are the glands in the torso/trunk?
- thyroid
- pancreas
- adrenal
what does the cardiovascular system involve and what is its function?
- heart, blood vessels, blood
- circulation of blood (water, cells, nutrients, growth factors and hormones)
- respiration, excretion, immune regulation
what does the lymphatic system involve and what is its function?
- lymphatic vessels and fluid, lymph nodes, spleen, thymus and tonsils
- regulates return of fluids to the blood, immune regulation
what does the respiratory system involve and what is its function?
- lungs, trachea, pharynx, larynx
- transfer of oxygen and carbon dioxide, immune regulation and vocalisation
what does the digestive system involve and what is its function?
- gastrointestinal tract: mouth, pharynx, oesophagus, stomach, intestines, anus, salivary glands, gall bladder, liver, pancreas
- processes ingested food and drink, absorbs nutrients and excretes solid waste
what does the urinary system involve and what is its function?
- kidneys, ureters, bladder and urethra
- produces, stores and eliminates liquid waste (urine) and contributes to balance and composition of body fluids
what does the reproductive system involve and what is its function?
- gonads: testes, ovaries, uterus, vagina, penis, ducts
- production, storage and uniting of gametes, development and birth of the embryo/foetus
what are the 2 cell division processes in humans?
- somatic cell division (mitosis)
- reproductive cell division (meiosis)
what is histology?
the microscopic study of tissues
what is a biopsy?
removal of tissues for diagnostic purposes
what is an autopsy?
examination of organs of a dead body to determine cause of death
what are the 3 distinct ‘germ layers’ that form in early embryo development that give rise to all tissues in the body?
- endoderm: inner layer, forms lining of digestive tract, respiratory tract etc.
- mesoderm: middle layer, forms tissues such as muscle, bone, blood vessels etc.
- ectoderm: outer layer, forms skin and nervous tissue
what is resolution (in terms of a microscope)?
the smallest separation of points within an object that can still be individually recognised as an image
describe atrophy
- decrease in the size of a tissue or cell
- decrease workload of a cell or tissue (organelles shrink in size)
- disuse of a tissue eg. long-term immobilisation, weightlessness
- cessation of hormone or neural stimulation eg. spinal injuries
describe hypertrophy
- increase in the size of a tissue or cell
- increase workload of a cell or tissue (organelles increase in size)
- exercise can increase muscle bulk
- in response to disease eg. heart tissue size increases due to hypertension
describe hyperplasia
- increase in cell number in a tissue as a result of increased mitosis rate
- increased workload, hormonal and local signals
- notably affects tissues like kidney, liver and connective tissues and also seen during menstruation (endometrial hyperplasia)
- compensatory hyperplasia can occur in the liver after acute injury
describe metaplasia
- change of a cell from one type to another related cell type
- in response to irritation or injury
- eg. smoking causes ciliated columnar epithelial cells to change to stratified squamous epithelial cells
- results in loss of normal function and possible precursor to more sinister, cancerous changes
describe dysplasia
- alteration in size, shape and organisation of cells due to chronic irritation or inflammation
- can be indicative of more sinister cancerous changes
- screened for in cervical smears
- dysplastic changes are graded on a scale from minor to severe
describe neoplasia
- a collection of cells in a tissue dividing uncontrollably
- distinct morphology compared to surrounding normal tissue
- typically form a tumour (benign or malignant)
what is angiogenesis?
- the growth of small, new blood vessels by tumours from existing blood vessels which allows them to grow and spread
- a normal physiological process which cancer cells exploit
what does the suffix -oma usually apply to?
- usually applies to a benign tumour
what does the suffix -carcinoma apply to?
- usually applies to a malignant tumour of epithelial cells
what does the suffix -sarcoma apply to?
- usually applies to malignant tumours of connective tissues
