Intro To Study Of Illness Flashcards
What is aetiology?
Aetiology is the cause of a disease or illness.
What is pathology?
Pathology is the study of the nature of diseases.
What is pathogenesis?
Pathogenesis is the development of a disease process.
What is pathophysiology?
Pathophysiology is the study of changes to normal physiology resulting from disease.
What is prognosis?
Prognosis refers to the likely outcome of a disease.
How is pathophysiology different from pathogenesis?
Pathophysiology describes the functional changes caused by disease, while pathogenesis describes the chain of events leading to disease.
What does acute mean in relation to illness?
An acute illness has a sudden onset.
What does chronic mean in relation to illness?
A chronic illness is long-standing and often incurable.
What is the difference between a symptom and a sign?
A symptom is an abnormality described by a patient, while a sign is an abnormality observed by others (e.g., a doctor).
What is a syndrome?
A syndrome is a collection of co-occurring signs and symptoms.
What is the difference between congenital and acquired diseases?
Congenital diseases are present at birth, while acquired diseases develop after birth.
What are the six main causes of disease?
• Genetic (inherited/acquired mutations).
• Infection (bacteria, viruses, parasites).
• Chemical exposure (toxins, smoking).
• Ionising radiation (X-rays, atmospheric exposure).
• Physical trauma (injury, stress response).
• Degeneration (ageing, wear and tear).
Give an example of a disease caused by a genetic mutation.
Cystic fibrosis (inherited genetic disorder).
How does ionising radiation contribute to disease?
It can cause DNA damage, leading to cancer and other health issues.
How does ageing contribute to disease?
It leads to degeneration, increasing the risk of conditions like osteoarthritis.
What is inflammation, and why does it occur?
Inflammation is a tissue response to damage or infection, helping the body fight infection and repair injury.
What are tumours?
Tumours are masses of abnormally proliferating cells, which may be benign (non-cancerous) or malignant (cancerous).
What is an abnormal immune response?
It is when the immune system attacks the body’s own cells (autoimmune disease) or overreacts to harmless substances (allergies/hypersensitivity).
What is thrombosis, and why is it dangerous?
Thrombosis is the formation of a blood clot inside a vessel, which can lead to stroke, heart attack, or embolism.
What is infarction?
Infarction is tissue death caused by a lack of blood supply, often due to a clot (e.g., heart attack, stroke).
What is metabolic disease?
It is a disease where the body cannot properly process nutrients, such as diabetes mellitus.
How do genetic mutations contribute to disease?
Mutations cause proteins to malfunction, leading to diseases such as cystic fibrosis or sickle cell anaemia.
What condition occurs when blood supply to the brain is blocked by a clot?
Stroke (ischemic infarction).
