Pathophysiology: Infection, Inflammation, Immunity, Cancer, and Genetics Flashcards
What are the 2 ways that the body fights against pathogens?
- Inflammation
- Immunity
How does inflammation fight against infection?
Inflammation attempts to wall off the infection and allows WBCs to get to the area of cell injury.
What is the name of the mechanism by which WBCs (specifically lymphocytes) attack microorganisms to defend the body?
Immunity
Infection refers to the host’s _____ to a pathogen.
response
What are the four different agents that can cause infection?
- Viruses
- Bacteria
- Fungi (yeasts and molds)
- Parasites
Describe how infection occurs after a pathogen enters the body.
After entering the body, the pathogen attaches to a cell and destroys the cell’s protective membrane, spreads through blood and lymph nodes, multiplies, and causes infection in target organ or tissue.
Which type of microorganism need a host cell to replicate?
Viruses
Pathogenic bacteria contain cell-damaging proteins that cause infection– exotoxins and endotoxins. What is the difference btwn these two?
- Exotoxins are released during cell growth
- Endotoxins are released when the bacterial cell wall decomposes. These toxins cause fever and are not affected by antibiotics
Parasitic infections are more common in industrialized areas than rural/developing areas. TRUE or FALSE.
FALSE
Keeping in mind that fungi are part of the human body’s normal flora, what happens when the normal flora is compromised? Such as in the case of vaginal yeast infections that can occur w/ antibiotic treatment.
Fungi can overproduce
Name some factors that can create a climate for infection.
- Poor nutrition
- Poor sanitation
- Low immunity (immunosuppression)
- Stress
- Humidity
- Crowded living conditions
- Pollutions
- Dust
- Medications
- Hospitalization (healthcare-associated infection)
Opportunistic infections arise in what type of pt population? (Hint: immune system)
Immunosuppressed pts (those w/ weakened immune systems)
The four most common forms of cancer are lungs, _____, colon, and _____ cancer
breast; prostate
What does the American Cancer Society’s mnemonic CAUTION stand for?
- Change in bowel or bladder habits
- A sore that doesn’t heal
- Unusual bleeding or discharge
- Thickening or lump
- Indigestion or difficulty swallowing
- Obvious changes in a wart or mole
- Nagging cough or hoarseness
Most cancers originate from epithelial tissues and these are called _____
carcinomas
Cancers originating from glandular tissue (adenocarcinomas); connective, muscle, and bone tissues (_____); tissue of the brain and spinal cord (gliomas); pigment skin cells (melanomas); plasma cells (_____); lymphatic tissue (lymphomas); and leukocytes (_____)
sarcomas; myelomas; leukemia
Cancer cells may invade nearby tissues or metastasize (spread) to other organs. They may move to other tissues by any or all of the what 3 routes?
- Seeding: Cancer penetrate organ wall, move into a body cavity, and spread throughout that area
- Venous system: Cancer cells may travel through veins commonly to the liver and the lungs
- Lymphatic system: Caner cells may move to lymph nodes and eventually via circulatory system to distant sites in the body
Cancer cells metastasize through the following three mechanism: 1. By directing spreading by invasion of other body tissues and organs 2.) By _____ through the blood and lymphatic system 3.) By direct transportation of cells from one site to another (i.e. during surgery or another procedure)
circulation
A cell’s transformation from normal to cancer is called _____.
carcinogenesis
Carcinogenesis has no single cause, but may result from complex interactions btwn: viruses; physical and chemical carcinogens; and genetic, dietary, immunologic, metabolic, and hormonal factors. TRUE or FALSE.
TRUE
Colorectal cancer is associated with low-_____ and high-_____ fat diets; diets high in red or _____ meat; heavy alcohol consumption, and long-term smoking.
fiber; fat; processed
Name some of the shared characteristics of genetically linked cancers.
- Early onset
- ↑ incidence of bilateral cancer in paired organs (breasts, adrenal glands, and kidneys)
- ↑ incidence of multiple primary cancers in nonpaired organs
- Abnormal chromosomes in tumor cells
- Unique tumor site combinations
- 2 or more family members in the same generation w/ the same cancer
Ova and sperm each contain how many chromosomes?
23
A fertilized cell is also named as a _____, has how many chromosomes?
zygote; 46
Each chromosome contains genes which are segments of DNA. TRUE or FALSE.
TRUE
The more influential gene is _____ whereas the less influential gene is _____.
dominant; recessive
What are the three main types of genetically linked disorders?
- Single gene: Inherited in clearly identifiable patterns (autosomal dominant, autosomal recessive, sex-linked)
- Chromosomal: Deviations in either the structure or the # of chromosomes involving the loss, addition, rearrangement, or exchange of genes
- Multifactorial: Caused by genetic and environmental factors
Of the 23 chromosome pairs in each human cell, 22 pairs are not involved in controlling a person’s biological sex; are collectively called?
Autosomes
The autosomal dominant inheritance patterns has the following characteristics:
- Male and female offspring are affected _____
- One of the biological parents is usually affected
- If one biological parent is affect, their biological children have a _____% chance of being affected
- If both biological parents are affected, _____ of their biological children will be affected
equally; 50%; all
The autosomal recessive inheritance patterns has the following characteristics:
- Male and female offspring are affected _____
- If both biological parents are unaffected but heterozygous for the traits (carriers), each of their biological offspring has a _____ in 4 chance of being affected
- If both biological parents are affected, _____ of their biological offspring will be affected
- If one biological parent parent is affected, and the other is not a carrier, all of their biological offspring will be unaffected but will carry the altered gene
- If one biological parent is affected and the other is a carrier, each of their biological offspring will have _____ in 2 chance of being affected and a _____ in 2 chance of being a carrier
equally; 1; all; 1; 1
Certain autosomal recessive conditions are more common in specific ethnic groups. For example, cystic fibrosis is more common in _____ individuals, and sickle cell anemia is more common in _____ _____ individuals.
White; African American
Why is it that males are more commonly affected by X-linked recessive diseases than females?
Because males have only one X chromosome (XY), a single X-linked recessive gene can cause disease in a male whereas a female needs 2 copies of the diseased gene (XX).
Characteristics of X-linked dominant inheritance include the following:
- A person w/ the abnormal trait typically will have one affected biological parent
- If a biological father has an X-linked dominant disorder, _____ of the female offspring and _____ of the male offspring will be affected.
-If a biological mother has an X-linked dominant disorder, there’s a ____% chance that each child will be affected
- Evidence of the inherited trait most commonly appears in the family history
- X-linked dominant disorders are commonly lethal in male offspring (prenatal or neonatal deaths). The family history may show miscarriages and the predominance of female offspring.
all; none; 50%
Characteristics of X-linked recessive inheritance include the following:
- In most cases, affected people are males w/ unaffected biological parents. In rare cases, the biological father is affected, and the biological mother is a carrier.
- All of the female offspring of an affected biological father will be _____.
- Male offspring of an affected biological father are _____. They can’t transmit the disorder.
- The unaffected male offspring of a biological mother carrier don’t transmit the disorder.
carriers; unaffected
When chromosomes are gained or lost, the name of the affected cell contains the suffix “-_____.”
-somy
A cell that’s missing a chromosome is called a _____ whereas a cell that contains one extra chromosome is called a _____.
monosomy; trisomy
