Session 1: Human Disease Definitions Flashcards
Health
The condition in which the human body performs its vital functions normally. Health depends on the body maintaining homeostasis.
Homeostasis
The tendency of the body to seek and maintain a condition of balance or equilibrium within its internal environment, even when faced with external changes. In homeostasis, the body’s organ systems normally main temperature, pH, blood composition, and fluid levels within a precise range and correct any fluctuations before they threaten the body’s health.
Disease
A deviation from normal structure or function in the body that interrupts or modifies the performance of vital functions. A significant disturbance in the homeostasis of the body leads to disease.
Pathology
The study of disease, especially the structural and functional changes associated with disease. Pathologists examine cells, tissues, and organs to find clues about the nature of disease.
Disorder
A functional abnormality not necessarily linked to a specific cause or physical abnormality.
Acute disease
A disease that has a sudden onset and short duration.
Autoimmune disease
A disease that occurs when the body’s immune system attacks and destroys healthy body tissue by mistake.
Chronic disease
A disease that develops slowly and has a long duration of months or years.
Congenital disease
A disease that is present at birth
Diagnosis
The process of identifying a disease or disorder. This involves performing a thorough physical examination and evaluating the results of laboratory tests, imaging tests, and other tests.
Endemic
This word refers to a disease that always occurs at low levels in a population.
Epidemic
This word refers to a disease that occurs in unusually large numbers over a specific area. Influenza often occurs as epidemics.
Epidemiology
The study of the occurrence, transmission, distribution, and control of disease in a population. Epidemiologists use prevalence and incidence data and information about the geographic distribution of disease to develop methods to prevent and control diseases.
Etiology
The cause of a disease
Hereditary disease
A disease caused by an abnormality in a person’s genes or chromosomes.
Iatrogenesis
Any adverse condition that occurs as a result of medical care.
Idiopathic
A disease with an unknown cause
Incidence
The number of newly diagnosed cases of a disease
Infectious disease
A disease caused by microorganisms (bacteria, viruses, fungi, parasites).
Leading causes of death
According to the CDC, the leading causes of death in the United States are:
- Heart disease
- Cancer
- Chronic lower respiratory diseases
- Stroke
Microorganism
An organisms that is too small to be seen by the unaided human eye.
Morbidity
Another term for illness. A person can have several illnesses (co-morbidities) simultaneously.
Mortality
Death
Noninfectious disease
A disease that is caused by an environmental factor or by something other than a microorganism.
Nosocomial infection
An infection acquired in a health care setting.
Opportunistic infection
An infection by a microorganism that normally does not cause disease but becomes pathogenic when the body’s immune system is impaired and is unable to fight off infection.
Organism
An individual animal, plant, or single-celled life form.
Pandemic
This word refers to an epidemic that has spread to include several areas worldwide.
Pathogen
A disease-causing microorganixm
Bacteria
Microscopic, single-celled organisms without a nucleus.
Viruses
Infectious agents with a core of genetic material wrapped in a protein coat. Viruses are much smaller than a bacterium or fungus. They cannot reproduce on their own. They must invade a living cell and use that cell’s machinery to reproduce.
Fungi
Single-celled or multi-celled organisms. Fungi live outdoors in soil and on plants as well as on many indoor surfaces and on human skin. Fungi can be true pathogens that cause infections in health persons or they can be opportunistic pathogens that cause infections with a weakened immune system.
Helminths
Parasitic worms. Parasites are organisms that survive by living inside another, usually much larger organism (host).
Protozoa
Single-celled microorganisms that have a nucleus. Protozoa are a type of parasite.
Prions
An infectious agent composed only of protein.
Prevalence
The total number of cases of disease existing in a population.
Prognosis
To predict the course of a disease and estimate the chance for recovery.
Risk factor
A characteristic, condition, or behavior that increases a person’s chance of developing a disease.
Sign
Evidence of disease observed on physical examination. Signs are apparent to observers, as opposed to symptoms, which may be obvious only to the patient. The objective evidence of disease.
Syptom
Indications of disease as reported by the patient. The subjective experience of the disease.
Syndrome
An abnormal structure or function characterized by a group of signs and symptoms that usually occur together.
Virulence
The ability of a microorganism to produce disease; the disease evoking power of a microorganism.
