Term
What kinds of living things can infect humans? What are the characteristics of each? |
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Definition
Prion Virus Fungi Protozoa Parasitic worms |
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Term
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Definition
| It is not a living thing. It carries no genetic information in the form of DNA or RNA. It is an abnormally folded protein (a molecule) that appears to be able to “recruit” other normal proteins to fold aberrantly leading to destruction of tissues and tissue functions. Mechanism of transmission appears to be through ingestion of contaminated food derived from organisms carrying it. There is no known cure. |
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Term
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Definition
| They are DNA or RNA molecules surrounded by a protein coat. They are not cells. They reproduce by “hijacking” a host cell and using the synthetic apparatus of the host cell to replicate their genetic information and synthesize their coat proteins. They can not reproduce unless they have infected a host cell. The host cell can burst and sheds new viruses that can then infect other cells. The degree of damage depends on the immune response. Some have long incubation periods. Examples: common cold, flu, hepatitis, mononucleosis, mumps, measles, chicken pox, and rabies. Can become dormant and reoccur later in life. Drug treatment is limited. |
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Term
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Definition
| These are single celled organisms that contain DNA and that can reproduce outside of a host cell. Their DNA is not surrounded by a nuclear membrane as is the DNA in the host cell. Sometimes damage is not due to this but from the toxins that it can produce. Can be treated with antibiotics, but drug-resistant strains are sometimes found. Examples: staphylococcal infections like toxic shock syndrome; streptococcal infections like “strep throat”, scarlet fever, and impetigo; tuberculosis; and Legionnaire’s disease |
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Term
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Definition
| unicellular and multicellular organisms having a cell nucleus, but which digest their food outside and absorb the food materials from the environment. Some are used as food while others can cause infections in human tissues. Can cure some. Examples: Candidiasis (a vaginal yeast infection), athlete’s foot, and jock itch. |
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Term
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Definition
| microscopic single-celled organisms that have a nuclear membrane surrounding their DNA. Examples: African sleeping sickness and malaria which are prevalent in non-industrialized countries. The STD trichomoniasis. Giardia is one that occurs in natural waters in many regions of the country. When one boils or purifies water while on camping trips, the goal is to kill the giardia. |
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Term
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Definition
| these are multicellular organisms that can become pests but do not commonly cause disease in our culture. Examples are pinworm and tapeworm. Infections can be prevented by thoroughly cooking food to destroy the worms and their eggs. |
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Term
| What causes Mad Cow Disease? |
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Definition
| caused by an infectious protein called a prion. BSE is a prion-caused disease that occurs in cattle (bovine). an abnormally folded protein appears to be the causative agent. Its presence leads to the destruction of neural tissues (brain, spinal cord, ganglia) resulting in large spaces of vacuoles in nervous tissue. In prion caused diseases, as the nervous system of the animal harboring the prion is destroyed, it loses the ability to control its movements and acts “demented”. The condition progresses to paralysis and death. |
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Term
| Name four ways that infectious diseases spread in populations. How is each mode controlled? |
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Definition
Contact - direct or indirect (infected blood or body fluid). Avoid contact with infected or diseased or contaminated objects.
Food-borne or water-borne – eating or coming into contact with contaminated food and water. Avoid infection by keeping food well-preserved and water purified.
Airborne – inhalation; droplets spread by coughing, sneezing, and talking. Avoid spreading droplets by using covering over mouth when ill, avoid droplets spread by other people by ???
Vector-borne - transmitted by the biting or egg-laying of another organism . Wear protective clothing. Avoid being in environments where the vector is prevalent. Remove standing water from outdoor environments. |
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Term
| What is the difference between epidemic and pandemic? |
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Definition
Epidemic--a period during which there is a sudden increase in the number of cases of an illness above the expected number of cases.
Pandemic--an increase above expected levels in very large populations over a very wide geographical area. |
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Term
| What is the difference between a point source epidemic and a propagated epidemic? |
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Definition
Common source epidemic-- When the infection is from a point source (food or water). Number of cases increases abruptly as many people are simultaneously infected. Total number of cases becomes to very high level and returns to normal within a relatively short time.
Propagated epidemic--infection is spread from person to person by inhaling respiratory droplets or by vectors. There is a slow and gradual increase in the number of cases that results from the introduction of a single infected individual into a susceptible population. The curve of shows gradual rise and gradual decline. |
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Term
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Definition
| The incidence of new infection decreases as the number of susceptible individuals in the population decreases. This is what causes the gradual decline in number of cases in population and decreases the likelihood that other individuals will be infected. |
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Term
| How does a human being naturally develop an immunity and how have we used that understanding of that process in the development of vaccines? |
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Definition
| The discovery that presenting the human host with attenuated virus will cause an acquired active immunity has led to the routine vaccination of people. Vaccination is the artificial presentation of antigen belonging to an infectious agent to the host to elicit a primary immune response and the development of memory cells against that antigen. When the agent is encountered again, the host can mount a swift and powerful response and avoid disease symptoms. Immunity conferred by vaccination is also an active immunity that is acquired by the deliberate exposure to antigen. |
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Term
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Definition
| arises in bone marrow and when fully active, can secrete antibody against foreign antigens. It is said that B-lymphocytes are responsible for humoral immunity. It secretes antibody into tissue fluids. |
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Definition
| arises in the thymus and, when fully active, will attach to and destroy foreign cells. It is said that T-lymphocytes are responsible for cell-mediated immunity. |
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Term
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Definition
| Immunological memory results when some of the cells of the original clone selected do not secrete antibody but remain in lymph nodes as memory cells. If a second challenge arises, these memory cells (“reservists” of the original clone) can begin dividing very quickly and create a new antibody-secreting clone that is larger than the first clone. The response to the second challenge is much faster and stronger than the response to the first challenge. Generally, the invader can be neutralized before the infected host develops symptoms of disease. Immunological memory explains why people develop resistance to infectious disease. |
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Term
| What happens when an infectious agent enters a population which has no prior history with that agent? |
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Definition
| Much of the world’s population has no immunity to smallpox and a single case could cause a pandemic with tragic outcomes. There is some concern that this could be a tool of bioterrorism. |
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Term
| Why do we need new influenza (flu) vaccines each year? |
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Definition
| A virus that causes disease in humans. Three strains, A, B, and C that differ from one another based on the antigens in their protein coats. As these viruses go through their reproductive cycle, there are frequent changes in the antigens. If the change is relatively small there is said to be “antigenic drift”. If it is large, it is called “antigenic shift”. Variation of some magnitude occurs nearly every year with the flu A virus.There is a recombination of human and avian strains of the virus in the pig, causing drift or shifts, and making new vaccines necessary each year. |
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Term
| What is antibiotic resistance and why does it develop? |
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Definition
| A contributing factor in AR is overuse and misuse of antibiotics. Some patients demand that they be given an antibiotic and doctors will give in to have a satisfied patient. Also, some doctors will prescribe at the time of taking a culture “just in case” it turns out that there is a bacterial infection. In addition, if the patient does have a bacterial infection and begins taking antibiotics, she often begins to feel better quite quickly and does not complete the full course of medication. If the antibiotic is present only until relief of symptoms, it is highly likely that some bacteria remain and can then resurge. Because of the resistance issue, not every antibiotic is effective against every organism, so it is very important not to take medications that were prescribed for a previous illness or for another patient. |
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Term
| What is an emerging disease? Why do diseases emerge? Why are emerging diseases of a great health concern globally? |
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Definition
| Before regular travel by ships and planes, infectious diseases existed in small geographic regions. Individuals now travel across borders making the transmission of diseases a world-wide problem. As diseases emerge in the human population, they are likely to spread very quickly world-wide. each year we see new disease emerging in human populations. We also see diseases that were previously confined to certain parts of the world traveling to new geographic regions. Furthermore, it is believed that man’s encroachment into new environments and the deforestation that accompanies that activity has put strain on the natural host/disease balance causing organism that usually infect other animals to jump to the human as a host. |
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Term
| What is incidence? What is prevalence? |
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Definition
Incidence = estimated new annual cases (1996)
Prevalence - total cases reported in the population |
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Term
| Do bacterial or viral diseases have the greater prevalence? Why? |
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Definition
| Viral diseases have the greater prevalence because bacterial diseases can be cured. Viral diseases the only way the prevalence goes down is if someone dies because once you have a viral infection you always have it. |
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Term
| Viral sexually transmitted diseases have a greater medical cost that bacterial STDs. Why? |
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Definition
| Because they are not curable and they are lifelong. Direct medical costs are the money spent in the health care system to diagnose and treat the disease and its complications directly. It would include such things as doctor’s visits, lab tests, and drugs. It does not include such costs as lost wages and productivity or the costs incurred for a life-time of care if an infant is infected. |
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Term
| How much cardiovascular activity is necessary each week to maintain a good fitness level? |
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Definition
American College of Sports Medicine guidelines for CR fitness program:
Exercise 3 to 5 days each week
Warm up for 5 to 10 minutes before each aerobic activity
Maintain your exercise intensity for 30 to 45 minutes
Gradually decrease the intensity of your workout, then stretch and cool down during the last 5 to 10 minutes. |
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Term
| When doing strength and endurance training, how does one know that the level of exercise is contributing to increased strength and endurance? |
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Definition
| Muscular strength and endurance -- strength – the amount of force that a muscle or group of muscles is capable of exerting. endurance – the ability of a muscle or group of muscles to exert forces repeatedly without fatiguing. Both strength and endurance are increased through the use of resistance training which uses the principles of tension (working against resistance) and overload (doing more than the muscle is used to doing). Muscles become larger as a result of resistance training. |
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Term
| What are the negative side effects of anabolic steroid use? |
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Definition
| Long term use of steroids for this purpose can cause damage to liver; cardiovascular, immune, and endocrine systems; and muscle-tendon junctions. In women, the use of steroids can cause the development of male secondary sex characteristics. People who use steroids can also suffer personality changes that lead to mood swings and “roid rage” in which the user becomes excessively aggressive. |
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Term
| What are the possible health consequences of excessive consumption of amino acid supplementation? |
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Definition
| If the number of additional calories added in protein supplementation is not counterbalanced by the same number of additional calories burned, most of the additional protein will be converted to fat. Protein will be added gradually and simply doubling the daily intake of protein will be adequate for most body-building. If lots of amino acids are consumed and burned as energy or are consumed and stored as fat, they must be de-aminated. The nitrogen-containing amine groups are cleaved off the amino acids and packaged as urea by the liver. Excess amino acid supplementation can lead to liver disease. |
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Term
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Definition
| also called Coronary Artery Disease (CAD). High levels of fat in the blood (hyperlipidemia) leads to the formation of plaque on the walls of blood vessels, restricting blood flow. |
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Term
| What is coronary heart disease? |
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Definition
| heart attacks = myocardial infarction. Coronary thromboses (blood clots in the coronary arteries) restricts the flow of blood to heart tissue, causing tissues to function poorly or to die. An embolus is a blood clot that move from the site where it forms and becomes lodged in a smaller vessel. Sometimes when thromboses or emboli are present, the heart will develop new blood vessels around the blockage (collateral circulation). |
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Term
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Definition
| because of atherosclerosis, thrombus or embolus, oxygen supply to heart muscle is reduced, causing pain in the chest. Can be treated with drugs (nitroglycerin, calcium channel blockers, or beta blockers) that cause the vessels to dilate and permit greater flow of blood to tissues. |
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Term
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Definition
| A disease related to thrombi or emboli that block blood vessels in the brain. Some strokes are mild and cause only temporary dizziness. When a stroke is mild it is referred to as a transient ischemic attack (TIA). Other strokes are more severe and can lead to speech memory and motor impairments. Strokes usually affect only one side of the body. If the damage is done on the left side of the body, muscles on the right side will not be well-controlled. If there is severe damage to large amounts of brain tissue, death can ensue. New use of “clot-busting” drugs had led to a better prognosis for mild stroke. |
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Term
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Definition
| LDL, HDL, & triglycerides. |
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Term
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Definition
| low density lipoprotein- facilitates the transport of cholesterol to body cells. This is the kind that can build up on artery walls causing atherosclerosis. |
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Term
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Definition
| high density lipoprotein- facilitates the transport of cholesterol in the blood to the liver for metabolism and elimination. It appears to remove cholesterol from artery walls. |
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Term
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Definition
| form in which fat is stored in fat cells. Is also present in blood. |
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Term
| What is more healthful? High LDL and low HDL? Or high HDL and low LDL? |
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Definition
Blood lipids are measured after a 12 hour fast. The lower the LDL level and the higher the HDL level, the more healthful the condition. Conversely, the greatest cardiovascular risk exists if LDL is high and HDL is low.
LDL = total cholesterol - HDL - (triglycerides/5) |
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Term
| What is homocysteine and how does it contribute to cardiovascular disease? How can homocystine build up be prevented? |
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Definition
| homocysteine causes damage to blood vessels. injured arterial walls, an increased growth to the smooth muscle of the artery wall, and initiates clotting mechanisms and it modifies the internal lining of the vessel (the endothelium), making it "sticky". Elevated levels may be due to deficiencies of the B vitamins, B6, B12 and folate. Folate, or folic acid, holds promise as a homocysteine lowering remedy and is naturally present in seeds and nuts, peas and beans, green leafy vegetables and orange juice. If these things are not in the diet in balanced amounts, levels could be affected. Studies of the effect of folate on levels was so promising that in 1999, all flours, breads, cereals, and pastas have been fortified with folate in the US. Elevated (due to B vitamin deficiencies) as a cause of CVD could become a historical oddity just as goiter. |
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Term
| Do men or women have higher mortality due to heart disease? |
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Definition
| Gender - Men are at much greater risk of CVD until old age. At menopause, women’s risk increases and approaches that of men as the levels of estrogen begin to be reduced. |
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Term
| Does hormone replacement therapy in postmenopausal women prevent heart disease? |
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Definition
| HRT in women was thought to protect against heart disease and atherosclerosis and to not present other risks. Many pre-menopausal and post-menopausal women began using HRT. Then:
reports that women on HRT had higher incidence of breast and uterine cancer
1998- did not have higher rates of heart attack, but did have higher rates of coronary death.
2000 –experiencing a “small but unacceptable” increase in heart attacks, pulmonary emboli and deep vein thromboses. They stopped the study that was supposed to go to 2005.
If 10,000 women took HRT for one year, it is predicted that the number of breast cancer, heart attack, stroke, pulmonary embolism, and deep vein thromboses would increase by about 8 to 10 cases each. The number of colorectal cancer and hip fracture cases would decrease by 5 or 6 each. |
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Term
| What conditions that lead to heart disease can be controlled? What factors that contribute to cardiovascular disease can not be controlled? |
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Definition
Can control--
avoid smoking
cut back on saturated fat and cholesterol in the diet
maintain a healthy weight
eat soluble fiber daily
exercise regularly
control diabetes and high blood pressure
manage stress
cannot control --
Heredity
Age
Gender
Race |
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Term
| Why is a vaccine the tool of choice in fighting a viral disease? Why not just give penicillin? |
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Definition
| Penicillin is used to treat bacterial diseases only. A virus cannot be killed by antibiotics. The only hope in fighting a viral disease is to not contract it at all by building up a resistance with a vaccine. |
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Term
| What is pelvic inflammatory disease? |
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Definition
| complications can cause Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID) in women when untreated infections travel into the uterus and oviduct causing irreversible damage. The damage can lead to chronic pelvic pain, infertility and ectopic pregnancy (which can be life-threatening). Also, women with Chlamydia have an increased risk of acquiring an HIV infection if exposed to that virus. Complications in men are rare. |
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Term
| Which STD has the greatest medical cost and why? |
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Definition
| AIDS, it’s a viral disease. It makes people really sick, but could take a long time to kill the person. It’s incurable. |
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Term
| Which STDs can lead to cancer? |
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Definition
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Term
| For which STDs are there vaccines? |
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Definition
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Term
| What is the most common bacterial STD on the Tech campus? |
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Definition
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Term
| Name an STD that is caused by a protozoan |
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Definition
| Trichomoniasis affects both men & women & is caused by a unicellular parasite, Trichomonas vaginalis.
This is the most common curable sexually transmitted disease among young women. ~5 million new cases each year among men & women.
The vagina is the most common site of infection in women & the urethra in men.
Most men do not have symptoms of infection, but some may have irritation, discharge from the penis or burning on urination or ejaculation.
Many women with the disease have symptoms that include a foul-smelling, yellow-green vaginal discharge and they will have discomfort on intercourse or urination.
Treatment and cure for trichomoniais in both men and women is a single oral dose of the antibiotic, metronidazole. Symptoms in infected men may disappear in a few weeks with out treatment, but the man will still infect his partner |
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Term
| How would a war using anthrax and a war using small pox differ? |
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Definition
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Term
| What happened at Fort Dietrick? Who shut Fort Dietrick down? |
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Definition
| In August 2003, the National Institutes of Health reported that collaborative efforts between the Vaccine Research Center and the US Army Medical Research Unit of Infectious Disease at Fort Dietrick, Maryland, had developed a vaccine that successfully protected monkeys from the disease. In November 2003, it was announced that this vaccine was entering human trials. Twenty-seven volunteers between the ages of 18 and 44 will participate in the study. The vaccine is manufactured by Vical, Inc., as San Diego biotechnology company. It is synthesized using modified, inactivated genes from Ebola virus. |
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Term
| What is the best prevention of sexually transmitted diseases? |
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Definition
abstinence
mutually monogamous sexual activity with uninfected partner (one who has been tested and is known to be free of the disease)
condoms can provide protections, BUT
must be used consistently and correctly. Also, provides protection only on the parts that are covered by the condom.
if sore or wart or blister is on a part of the skin what is not covered by the condom, it will spread on contact. |
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Term
| What are the four components of personal fitness? |
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Definition
Cardiorespiratory Fitness -- the ability of the heart, lungs and blood vessels to supply oxygen to skeletal muscle during sustained physical activity
Muscular strength and endurance -- strength – the amount of force that a muscle or group of muscles is capable of exerting. endurance – the ability of a muscle or group of muscles to exert forces repeatedly without fatiguing.
Flexibility -- degree of range of motion or amount of movement that is possible around a joint.
Body composition -- Total body mass = fat-free mass + fat mass. |
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Term
| What are cumulative trauma disorders (overuse injuries)? How are they prevented and treated? |
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Definition
| Overuse injuries: cumulative effect of stresses placed on muscle, bones and joints day after day.
plantar fasciitis- inflammation of the connective tissue that covers the muscle on the bottom of the foot. Can be prevented by stretching the fascia prior to exercise.
“shin splints” - applied to any pain that occurs below the knee and above the ankle. Can be injury to tendons, muscles or even stress fractures of bone. Prevention is to use shoes with good arch supports and shock absorption. Treatment is to resort to non-weight bearing exercise until the injury is healed.
runner’s knee– irritation of the tendons, muscles and ligaments around the knee joint. Treatment is to stop running for a few weeks and to use other exercise modalities while it heals. |
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Term
| What is the female athlete triad? |
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Definition
| The Female Athlete Triad: a group of symptoms related to consequences of over-exercise when exercise becomes an obsession. The triad is disordered eating (anorexia or bulimia), amenorrhea (lack of menstrual periods) and osteoporosis (loss of calcium from bones leading to brittle bones). Most common in highly competitive sports where perfection and self-discipline are valued – ballet, gymnastics, ice skating, swimming, cross-country running. |
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