Environmental Disorders Flashcards
What is environmental pathology?
It refers to conditions caused by exposure to chemical or physical agents in various environments such as outdoor, indoor, occupational, and personal (e.g., tobacco, alcohol).
What is toxicology?
Toxicology is the science of poisons, where a substance’s toxicity depends on its dosage.
What are xenobiotics?
Xenobiotics are exogenous chemicals that can be toxic, depending on how they are metabolized in the body.
What are the common pollutants that affect human health?
Pollutants include air (ozone, nitrogen dioxide), water, soil contaminants, and metals like lead, mercury, arsenic, and cadmium.
How does lead act as a heavy metal pollutant?
Lead competes with calcium and zinc in cellular systems, inhibits hemoglobin synthesis, and increases red blood cell fragility, causing anemia and mental deterioration.
What are the main effects of cigarette smoking?
Smoking causes cardiovascular disease, cancers, chronic respiratory issues, and is the main cause of lung cancer. It also affects the heart by increasing oxygen demand and platelet aggregation.
How does alcohol affect the liver?
Alcohol is metabolized by alcohol dehydrogenase, which depletes NAD leading to fat accumulation and metabolic acidosis. Chronic use can result in alcoholic hepatitis, cirrhosis, and liver cancer.
What is protein-energy malnutrition (PEM)?
PEM is a type of malnutrition where a person’s weight falls to less than 80% of the normal standard for their height and age. It is common in children and causes growth failure and muscle wasting.
What is Kwashiorkor?
Kwashiorkor occurs due to severe protein deficiency, often seen in children. It leads to edema, hypoalbuminemia, and liver enlargement, with characteristic skin and hair changes.
What is marasmus?
Marasmus is a form of PEM where severe calorie deficiency leads to muscle wasting and loss of fat without edema. It is characterized by a thin, emaciated appearance.
How is obesity measured?
Obesity is measured using BMI (Body Mass Index). A BMI greater than 25 kg/m² indicates overweight, and a BMI over 30 kg/m² indicates obesity.
What are some health risks of central obesity?
Central obesity increases the risk of diabetes, hypertension, coronary artery disease, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, and certain cancers.
What is anorexia nervosa?
Anorexia nervosa is a psychological eating disorder characterized by self-induced starvation, leading to severe weight loss and hormonal imbalances, including amenorrhea.
What is bulimia?
Bulimia is an eating disorder where patients binge on food and then induce vomiting. It leads to electrolyte imbalances, risk of cardiac arrhythmias, and esophageal rupture.
What are the fat-soluble vitamins?
The fat-soluble vitamins are A, D, E, and K. Deficiency can lead to conditions like night blindness (A), rickets (D), and clotting disorders (K).
What are the water-soluble vitamins?
Water-soluble vitamins include B-complex vitamins and vitamin C. Deficiencies may cause conditions like scurvy (vitamin C) and beriberi (vitamin B1).
What are the main effects of selenium deficiency?
Selenium deficiency can lead to myopathy, cardiomyopathy, and Keshan disease.
How does zinc deficiency manifest?
Zinc deficiency can cause growth retardation, impaired wound healing, and immune dysfunction, along with a rash called acrodermatitis enteropathica.
What is the role of iron in the body?
Iron is essential for hemoglobin production and oxygen transport. Its deficiency causes microcytic hypochromic anemia.
What is hyperthermia?
Hyperthermia refers to an excessive increase in body temperature, often due to environmental heat exposure, which can cause heat stroke or heat exhaustion.
What is hypothermia?
Hypothermia occurs when body temperature drops below normal due to cold exposure, leading to metabolic dysfunction and potential death.
What are the different types of burn injuries?
Burns are classified into full-thickness (third and fourth-degree burns) and partial-thickness burns (first and second-degree burns), with varying degrees of skin and tissue damage.
How does radiation cause injury?
Ionizing radiation causes direct DNA damage or creates free radicals, leading to cellular injury. It affects tissues with high cell turnover, like bone marrow and the GI tract.
What are the complications of long-term smoking?
Complications include lung cancer, chronic bronchitis, emphysema, cardiovascular diseases like atherosclerosis, and increased mortality from respiratory diseases.
What is fetal alcohol syndrome?
Fetal alcohol syndrome results from alcohol exposure during pregnancy, leading to microcephaly, growth retardation, and intellectual disabilities in the child.
What is environmental pathology?
It refers to conditions caused by exposure to chemical or physical agents in various environments such as outdoor, indoor, occupational, and personal (e.g., tobacco, alcohol).
What is toxicology?
Toxicology is the science of poisons, where a substance’s toxicity depends on its dosage.
What are xenobiotics?
Xenobiotics are exogenous chemicals that can be toxic, depending on how they are metabolized in the body.
What are the common pollutants that affect human health?
Pollutants include air (ozone, nitrogen dioxide), water, soil contaminants, and metals like lead, mercury, arsenic, and cadmium.
How does lead act as a heavy metal pollutant?
Lead competes with calcium and zinc in cellular systems, inhibits hemoglobin synthesis, and increases red blood cell fragility, causing anemia and mental deterioration.
