L1: Causes of Disease

Question 1

What is an idiopathic disease?

Answer 1

Conditions with no known cause

Question 2

What are examples of intrinsic causes?

Answer 2

→Nuclear or mitochondrial
→Inherited mutations and other genetic variations
→de novo mutations
→Epigenetic modifications

Question 3

What are the levels genetic variations can manifest at?

Answer 3

→Cell autonomously

→Cell non-autonomously

Question 4

What is the difference between cell autonomously and non-autonomously?

Answer 4

Cell autonomously= Cell X no longer expresses structural protein Y, so cell X is the wrong shape

Cell non-autonomously= Cell X no longer secretes protein hormone Y, so cell Z no longer functions

Question 5

Give examples of extrinsic causes

Answer 5

→Injury
→Infection
→Nutrition and diet
→Lifestyle, e.g. smoking, exposure to workplace toxins
→Chemical poisoning (acute and chronic)
→Exposure to radiation

Question 6

How can age be an intrinsic cause?

Answer 6

→when it describes the biological process of ageing

eg osteoporosis, chronic inflammation