Pathophysiology: Infection, Inflammation, Immunity, Cancer, and Genetics

Question 1

What are the 2 ways that the body fights against pathogens?

Answer 1

• Inflammation
• Immunity

Question 2

How does inflammation fight against infection?

Answer 2

Inflammation attempts to wall off the infection and allows WBCs to get to the area of cell injury.

Question 3

What is the name of the mechanism by which WBCs (specifically lymphocytes) attack microorganisms to defend the body?

Answer 3

Immunity

Question 4

Infection refers to the host’s _____ to a pathogen.

Answer 4

response

Question 5

What are the four different agents that can cause infection?

Answer 5

• Viruses
• Bacteria
• Fungi (yeasts and molds)
• Parasites

Question 6

Describe how infection occurs after a pathogen enters the body.

Answer 6

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.

Question 7

Which type of microorganism need a host cell to replicate?

Answer 7

Viruses

Question 8

Pathogenic bacteria contain cell-damaging proteins that cause infection– exotoxins and endotoxins. What is the difference btwn these two?

Answer 8

• 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

Question 9

Parasitic infections are more common in industrialized areas than rural/developing areas. TRUE or FALSE.

Answer 9

FALSE

Question 10

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.

Answer 10

Fungi can overproduce

Question 11

Name some factors that can create a climate for infection.

Answer 11

• Poor nutrition
• Poor sanitation
• Low immunity (immunosuppression)
• Stress
• Humidity
• Crowded living conditions
• Pollutions
• Dust
• Medications
• Hospitalization (healthcare-associated infection)

Question 12

Opportunistic infections arise in what type of pt population? (Hint: immune system)

Answer 12

Immunosuppressed pts (those w/ weakened immune systems)

Question 13

The four most common forms of cancer are lungs, _____, colon, and _____ cancer

Answer 13

breast; prostate

Question 14

What does the American Cancer Society’s mnemonic CAUTION stand for?

Answer 14

• 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

Question 15

Most cancers originate from epithelial tissues and these are called _____

Answer 15

carcinomas

Question 16

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 (_____)

Answer 16

sarcomas; myelomas; leukemia

Question 17

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?

Answer 17

• 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

Question 18

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)

Answer 18

circulation

Question 19

A cell’s transformation from normal to cancer is called _____.

Answer 19

carcinogenesis

Question 20

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.

Answer 20

TRUE

Question 21

Colorectal cancer is associated with low-_____ and high-_____ fat diets; diets high in red or _____ meat; heavy alcohol consumption, and long-term smoking.

Answer 21

fiber; fat; processed

Question 22

Name some of the shared characteristics of genetically linked cancers.

Answer 22

• 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

Question 23

Ova and sperm each contain how many chromosomes?

Answer 23

23

Question 24

A fertilized cell is also named as a _____, has how many chromosomes?

Answer 24

zygote; 46

Question 25

Each chromosome contains genes which are segments of DNA. TRUE or FALSE.

Answer 25

TRUE

Question 26

The more influential gene is _____ whereas the less influential gene is _____.

Answer 26

dominant; recessive

Question 27

What are the three main types of genetically linked disorders?

Answer 27

• 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

Question 28

Of the 23 chromosome pairs in each human cell, 22 pairs are not involved in controlling a person’s biological sex; are collectively called?

Answer 28

Autosomes

Question 29

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

Answer 29

equally; 50%; all

Question 30

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

Answer 30

equally; 1; all; 1; 1

Question 31

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.

Answer 31

White; African American

Question 32

Why is it that males are more commonly affected by X-linked recessive diseases than females?

Answer 32

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).

Question 33

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.

Answer 33

all; none; 50%

Question 34

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.

Answer 34

carriers; unaffected

Question 35

When chromosomes are gained or lost, the name of the affected cell contains the suffix “-_____.”

Answer 35

-somy

Question 36

A cell that’s missing a chromosome is called a _____ whereas a cell that contains one extra chromosome is called a _____.

Answer 36

monosomy; trisomy