Midterm Flashcards
Adaptation
trait with a current functional role in the life history of an organism that is maintained and evolved by means of natural selection; refers to both the current state of being adapted and to the dynamic evolutionary process that leads to the adaptation. Adaptations contribute to the fitness and survival of individuals.
Allostasis
process of achieving stability, or homeostasis, through physiological or behavioral change; usually in a short amount of time
Epidemiology
the study of patterns of disease among human populations for the purpose of establishing programs to prevent and control their spread
Etiology
study of assignment of causes or reasons for a phenomena
Homeostasis
a dynamic, steady state representing the net effect of all the turnover reactions
Iatrogenic
resulting from activity of a medical intervention
Idiopathic
without known cause
Primary Prevention
prevention of disease by altering susceptibility or reducing exposure for susceptible individuals
Secondary Prevention
early detection, screening and management of the disease
Tertiary prevention
rehabilitative and supportive care and attempts to alleviate disability and restore effective functioning
Pathogenesis
development or evolution of disease; everything that happens in the body from the initial stimulus to the ultimate expression of manifestations of the disease
Pathophysiology
study of the etiology(cause), pathogenesis (evolution), and clinical manifestations of the disease
Pharmacodynamics
study of how the body responds to drugs
Pharmacokinetics
study of how drugs are handled by the body
Pharmacology
study of medicines; how drugs improve or maintain health
Risk Factor
characteristics related to the probability of a certain outcome; may be shown to cause an outcome or correlated to cause an outcome
Stressors
agent or condition capable of producing stress; physical or psychological forces that an individual may experience
Aerobic
Relating to, involving or requiring free oxygen
Anaerobic
Relating to, involving or requiring an absence of free oxygen
Apoptosis
The death of cells that occurs as a normal and controlled part of an organism’s growth or development; a type of cell death in which the cell uses specialized cellular machinery to kill itself; a cell suicide mechanism that enables metazoans to control cell number and eliminate cells that threaten the animal’s survival
ATP
adenosine triphosphate; organic molecule that stores and releases chemical energy in body cells
Atrophy
reduction in size or wasting away of an organ or cell resulting from disease or lack of use
Cachexia
weakness and wasting of the body due to severe chronic illness
Cancer
a malignant, invasive cellular neoplasm that has the capability of spreading throughout the body or body parts
carcinogenesis
the initiation of cancer formation
dysplasia
abnormality of development