Non-communicable Disease Flashcards
What is plasma?
A liquid that takes nutrients, hormones and proteins to parts of the body
What are platelets?
Fragments of cells which trigger blood clotting
What are the functions of white blood cells?
~ they protect the body against infection
~ they change shape to take in unwanted microorganisms
~ do have a nucleus
Function of red blood cells?
> contains haemoglobin which transports oxygen for respiration
~ don’t have a nucleus (more room for haemoglobin)
~small so can fit through capillaries
~ have a large surface area for oxygen to diffuse across
What does the aorta do?
Carries OXYGENATED blood AWAY from heart and around the body
What does the pulmonary artery do?
Carries DEOXYGENATED blood away from heart to the lungs
What does the pulmonary vein do?
Carries OXYGENATED blood from the lungs to the heart
What does the vena cava do?
Two large veins that carry DEOXYGENATED blood from the body to the heart
Definition of a tumour?
An abnormal mass of tissue that forms when cells grow and divide more than they should or do not die when they should
What is a benign tumour?
One that stays in one place and is not cancerous. They are not normally dangerous
What is a malignant tumour?
One that grows and spreads to neighbouring healthy tissues
The cells can travel in the bloodstream
Cancerous
Dangerous
What is a non-communicable disease?
One that cannot spread between people
How is smoking a risk factor?
It damages the walls of arteries and cells in the lining of lungs
Risk factor for lung disease, lung cancer
How is obesity a risk factor?
It makes the body less sensitive to insulin meaning glucose levels cannot be controlled, fatty material can also build up in arteries
What are statins?
Drugs that can reduce the amount of ‘bad’ cholesterol in bloodstream
Can also increase amount of beneficial cholesterol in blood
Reduces chances of strokes, heart attacks, coronary heart disease
Too much bad cholesterol can cause fatty deposits to form inside arteries
What are stents?
Tubes inserted inside arteries when fatty layers have built up causing the arteries to narrow
They ensure blood can pass through to the heart
Lowers the risk of heart attack in people with coronary heart disease
Effective for a long time but risks of complications during procedure
Faulty valves:
Valves in ❤️ can be damaged or weakened by heart attacks, infection or old age
Valves may stiffen (won’t open properly) or may become leaky (allowing blood to flow in both directions)
Replacement valves can be taken from humans or mammals or can be man-made
How does an artificial heart work?
It mechanical device that pumps blood for a person whose heart has failed. It is usually only a temporary fix whilst waiting for a donor heart.
PRO of an artificial heart
Less likely to be rejected than donor heart because it’s made from metals so body doesn’t recognise them as foreign
CONS of artificial heart
Parts of the heart could wear out and blood doesn’t flow through as smoothly causing blood clots
What is artificial blood?
A blood substitute used to replace lost volume of blood so the body can still pump around the red blood cells if the volume of blood can be replaced e.g. saline can be used
