Module 4 BIOLOGY OF DISEASES Flashcards
defined as any abnormality or failure of the body to function properly and this may require medical treatment
Disease
CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES OF DISEASES
Every disease has a number of characteristic features.
These features allow diseases to be categorized and allow a better understanding of the disease, its diagnosis and management.
A correct diagnosis should mean that appropriate treatment is given.
refers to the cause of a disease.
ETIOLOGY
Etiological agents can be :
Endogenous
Exogenous
originating from within the body.
Ex. genetic defects and endocrine disorders.
Endogenous
coming from outside the body.
Ex. Microorganisms that causes infections, physical trauma and radiation.
Exogenous
Some diseases have more than one etiological agent and may, indeed, be caused by a range of factors. Such diseases are said to be _______.
ex. Diabetes mellitus type 2,
multifactorial in origin
Diabetes mellitus type 2, a disorder of carbohydrate, fat and protein metabolism, is believed to have a ______ involving several genetic, dietary and environmental factors
multifactorial origin
Many diseases are of unknown cause and are said to be
Idiopathic
Some conditions are caused by the effects of treatment and are called
Iatrogenic diseases
Every disease has a _____ that describes the
development of the disease or, more specifically, how the etiological agent(s) acts to produce the clinical and pathological changes characteristic of that disease.
PATHOGENESIS
Some examples of how diseases
undergo pathogenesis include:
Inflammatory
Carcinogenesis
reactions in response to harmful agents
Inflammatory
where the formation of tumors occurs as a result of exposure to carcinogens (cancer inducing substances).
Carcinogenesis
Diseases have ‘_____’ that describe the
typical patterns of how each disease usually
progresses., its effects and its duration
natural histories
The effects of the disease on the patient are referred to as
Proportion of ilness in a population.
Morbidity
While the possibility of a disease-causing death,
usually expressed as a percentage it is called
Incidence of deaths in a population.
Mortality
Some diseases have a rapid, often severe onset that is described as____. This condition symptoms appear and change or worsen rapidly, as in heart attacck.
acute
However, other diseases have a ____ onset and
develop gradually over a relatively longer time. A ____ condition develops and worsens over an extended period of time, as in astherosclerosis.
chronic
Diseases rarely occur immediately following exposure to an _______.
etiological agent
In most cases, a period of time, the _____,
must elapse before the disease becomes apparent.
incubation period
In carcinogenesis, this period may last several
decades and is referred to as the _____.
latent period
The etiology of a disease and its pathogenesis produce clinical manifestations that include signs and
symptoms of the disease.
MANIFESTATIONS OF DISEASES
is an indication that a disease is present and something of which the patient complains, for example, nausea, malaise or pain
symptom