PATHOLOGY TERMS III Flashcards
Predisposing conditions
Predisposing conditions are those conditions or factors that make the body more susceptible to the development of the disease.
LIST 10 Predisposing conditions
Age Race Nutritional Status Sex Occupation Emotion/Stress Environmental Economic Status Excitatory/immediate cause Trauma/mechanical injury
List 3 Physical Agents that may cause damage to the body
- Heat / high temperature – may produce local or general damage. Local damage may take the form of burns, while generalized damage may lead to heat stroke.
- Low temperature – may cause frostbite.
- Electricity/ x rays
List 3 types of chemical agents that may cause damage to the body
Chemical agents – are those compounds that produce some type of cellular swelling:
- Strong acids or bases Drugs
- Poisons
- Gases (carbon monoxide)
Infectious agents
Infectious agents are various microorganisms, such as bacteria, viruses and parasites which are responsible for hundred of infectious disease affecting the body
Deficiency of essential substances
Deficiency of essential substances are diseases that are the results of the body’s lack of some essential dietary item, such as a vitamin or mineral necessary for normal body function.
A good example would be rickets, which results from a lack of Vitamin D
Allergens
Allergens are foreign particles such as dust or pollen which are responsible for reactions occurring within the body of a person who is sensitive to these allergens.
Heredity factors
Heredity factors come into play when fertilization of the ovum (egg) occurs, a certain amount of genetic material is passed from both the father and mother of the new child. If one or more of the genes this child inherits is defective, the characteristic controlled by that gene is likely to be flawed. Although heredity is often immediate factor in disease, one’s genetic make-up may also be a predisposing factor in certain diseases.
Degeneration
Degeneration is a regressive tissue change characterized by swelling of the cells and chemical changes within the cell’s cytoplasm.
List 5 forms of Degeneration
- Cloudy Swelling
- Fatty Degeneration or Steatosis
- Amyloid Disease - Waxy/starch like
- Infiltration
- Pigmentation
What is the most common and least damaging type of degeneration?
Cloudy Swelling: seen in most infections, burns, malnutrition and shock.
Cloudy Swelling form of degeneration is caused by
Cloudy swelling is caused by an increase in the water content in the affected cell.
What is the organ most often affected by cloudy swelling form of degeneration?
Organs most often involved with cloudy swelling are the liver and kidneys, less often the heart.
What is the abnormal accumulation of fat or lipid within the cell, form of degeneration?
Fatty Degeneration or Steatosis
With Fatty Degeneration or Steatosis, what is the most common organ affected?
With Fatty Degeneration or Steatosis, the most common organ affected is the liver.- Grossly the fatty liver is yellow, soft and greasy.
What is the most common etiology associated with Fatty Degeneration or Steatosis?
- Alcoholism is the most common etiology, but others include
- starvation,
- heavy metal poisoning,
- chronic passive congestion,
- prolonged fevers and
- anoxia (lack of sufficient oxygen for normal function).
How does cells affected by Fatty Degeneration or Steatosis look under a microscope?
The microscope shows individual cells with the normally pink cytoplasm all but cleared out by fat, giving the cells an “empty” appearance.
Is the change in cells from Fatty Degeneration or Steatosis reversible?
The change in cells from Fatty Degeneration or Steatosis is potentially reversible, but may progress to scarring and cirrhosis if the source of damage is not addressed.
What does Amyloid mean?
Amyloid = waxy, starch-like
What is Amyloid Disease?
Amyloid Disease is a disease in which a waxy, starch-like glycoprotein accumulates in tissues and organs impairing their function.
Where is Amyloid disease formed?
Amyloid is formed in the body and deposited in various organs and it can be wide-spread, depending on the specific disease process and involve the kidney, liver, spleen, adrenal glands and other organs.
What is the primary disease caused by the accumulation of amyloid?
The accumulation of amyloid may represent a primary disease called amyloidosis.
What is Infiltration?
Infiltration is the process of a substance passing into a cell and being deposited within the substance of a cell, tissue or organ. It is an accumulation of a substance(s) that are not normally present or is present in an excess amount. It is an intracellular change
What is Pigmentation?
Pigmentation is an increase in the amount or irregular distribution or pigments (color). There are two types…
