Unit 2 Flashcards
Epidermus
Outermost layer of the skin that protects the underlying tissue
Dermis
Middle layer of the skin containing protein molecules of elastin and collagen, among which various nerve cells, glands, and the hair follicles reside
Experiences the most significant changes
Subcutaneous
Bottommost layer of skin, giving the skin its opacity and smoothing the curves of the arms, legs, and face
Androgenic Alopecia
Male and female pattern hair loss
Fat-free mass (FFM)
Lean tissue
Decreases w age due to loss of muscle mass
Sarcopenia
Progressive age-related loss of muscle mass with a consequent loss of strength.
Declines at a faster rate of 12 to 15% per decade, especially for men, after 40s-50s.
Comes from disrupted signals that the nervous system sends to the muscles telling them to contract
Aging bones
As people experience decreases in sex hormones, they also lose bone mineral content
Aging joints
Stress and repeated use can cause the joints to wear out more rapidly.
Cardiovascular System
The heart, arteries, and veins.
The heart muscle itself and the arteries experience the most change. Plaque buildup over time in the heart decreases blood flow.
Aging Respiratory System
The respiratory muscles lose the ability to expand and contract the chest wall, and the lung tissue itself is less able to expand and contract during inspiration
Aging Urinary System
The urinary system is made up of the kidneys, bladder, ureters, and urethra.
-Elastic tissue of the bladder weakens, incapable of efficiently retaining or expelling urine
-Issues with being able to tell when they need to urinate
-Kidneys cannot filter as well as they used to
Urge Incontinence
Sudden need to urinate and may even leak urine
Stress Incontinence
Unable to retain urine while engaging in some form of physical exertion
Overactive Bladder
Incontinence and the need to urinate more frequently than normal
Aging Digestive System
-Decreases in saliva production
-Fewer gastric juices are secreted
-Stomach empties more slowly in older adults
-Decrease in liver volume and blood flow through the liver
Endocrine System
Glands that regulate the actions of the body’s other organ systems. Produces hormones.
-Highly sensitive to levels of stress and physical illness
Growth hormone (GH- Somatotropin)
Stimulates the growth of bones and muscles and regulates the growth of most internal organs
-Affects the metabolism of proteins, lipids, and carbohydrates
Cortisol
Hormone produced by the adrenal gland
Stress hormone
-Glucocorticoid cascade hypothesis- Increased cortisol levels accelerate neuronal loss in the hippocampus and that repeated (cascading) increases in cortisol over the lifetime lead to further degeneration.
Thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH)
Controls the rate of metabolism
Melatonin
Manufactured by the pineal gland (brainstem)
-Affects the circadian rhythm- The daily variations in various bodily functions
Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA)
A weak male steroid (androgen) produced by the adrenal glands
-Production decreases with age in males
-Low levels linked to cardiovascular disease, some forms of cancer, immune system dysfunction, and obesity
Menopause
The point in a woman’s life when menstruation stops permanently
-Decreases in estrogen levels, endocrine system releases higher amounts of other hormones that affect the temperature control centers in the brain
-The tissues in the vagina and surrounding nerves and glands become thinner, drier, and less able to produce secretions to lubricate before and during intercourse
Climacteric
The gradual winding down of reproductive ability in men and women
Andropause
Age-related declines in the male sex hormone testosterone
Erectile Dysfuntion
unable to achieve an erection sustainable for intercourse
Immune senescence
The belief that there are widespread age-related declines in immune system functioning
Neuronal Fallout Model
Loss of brain tissue over their life span because neurons do not have the ability to replace themselves when they die
Plasticity Model
Although some neurons die, the remaining ones continue to develop
-older adults can show neural plasticity by compensating for declines in certain brain regions by activating other areas that remain intact
Sleep Apnea
The individual becomes temporarily unable to breathe while asleep
Presbyopia
Loss of the ability to focus vision on near objects
Cataract
A clouding or opacity in the lens
Age-related macular degeneration (ARMD)
Damage to the photoreceptors located in the central region of the retina known as the macula.
Glaucoma
Group of conditions causing blindness related to changes in pressure within the eyeball.
Presbycusis
Age-related hearing loss due to degenerative changes in the cochlea or auditory nerve leading from the cochlea to the brain
-Continuous across increasingly higher ages
-Health problems such as diabetes, heart disease, and high blood pressure can also put a person at higher risk
Tinnitus
Sounds in the head or ear (such as a ringing noise) when there is no external source
Dysthermia
Excessive raising of body temperature (hyperthermia) or lowering of body temperature (hypothermia).
-Sweat output is reduced, causing their core temperatures to rise
Aging and balance
Those who become injured in a fall have a higher risk of requiring institutionalization and a higher rate of mortality. Falls are the most common cause of traumatic brain injury.
Fear of falling (FOF)- a vicious cycle in which older individuals increasingly restrict their movement
HAROLD Model
Brains of older adults become activated in the opposite hemisphere when the original area suffers deficits.
-Plasticity
Health
A state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being; not merely the absence of disease or infirmity
ADLs (Activities of Daily Living)
Ability to complete the tasks of bathing, dressing, transferring, using the toilet, and eating
IADLs (Instrumental ADLs)
Ability to use the telephone, go shopping, prepare meals, complete housekeeping tasks, do laundry, use private or public transportation, take medications, and handle finances
Cardiovascular disease
A set of abnormal conditions that develop in the heart and arteries.
Arteriosclerosis
Thickening and hardening of arteries
-accumulation of plaque forces the blood to be pushed through narrower arteries. Pressure on the blood as it is being pumped out of the heart becomes greater, causing risk for hypertension
Coronary (ischemic) heart disease
Arteriosclerosis causing a blockage of blood supply to the heart
Hypertension
Chronically abnormally elevated blood pressure
-artery walls become weakened and inflamed from pressure that the blood exerts in its passage through the arteries
Congestive Heart Failure
the heart is unable to pump enough blood to meet the needs of the body’s other organs