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Introduction To Health Sciences Vocab

Subject : health-sciences
Instructions:
  • Answer 50 questions in 15 minutes.
  • If you are not ready to take this test, you can study here.
  • Match each statement with the correct term.
  • Don't refresh. All questions and answers are randomly picked and ordered every time you load a test.

This is a study tool. The 3 wrong answers for each question are randomly chosen from answers to other questions. So, you might find at times the answers obvious, but you will see it re-enforces your understanding as you take the test each time.
1. A condition that may develop following exposure to an extremely stressful situation - typically where a person witnesses the violent death of someone else - or believes their own life is in danger. Symptoms include disordered sleeping - a dread of si






2. A protein produced in the liver that circulates around the body and blocks the destructive effects of certain proteinase enzymes such as elastase.






3. This refers to a random effect of ionising radiation. There is no radiation threshold at which the effect inevitably occurs - but the probability of an effect occurring increases with the amount of radiation received.






4. The number of new cases in a given period - usually a year - expressed as a rate per 1000 (or per 10 000 - or per 100 000 or per million) population






5. A painful eye condition caused by repeated infections with the bacterium Chlamydia trachomatis .






6. Any fracture where the skin has not been broken.






7. A test that evaluates how well the lungs work; also known as a pulmonary function test.






8. The volume of air inhaled and exhaled at each breath when resting (abbreviated to TV).






9. Certain kinds of activity with which the brain is engaged - i.e. the processing of information that is summarised by the term 'mind'. It is exemplified by thinking - memory - reasoning and interpreting.






10. A synapse at which the release of neurotransmitter from a presynaptic neuron has an excitatory effect on a postsynaptic cell - e.g. it excites further action potentials in a second cell.






11. Microbes living in and around us - most of which are harmless or beneficial but some of which can cause disease.






12. A drug that acts to reduce the signs of inflammation - e.g. swelling - redness - heat and pain.






13. A chemical that has the effect of mimicking the action of a natural substance such as a neurotransmitter. (






14. The outer waterproof protective layer of the skin.






15. Death.






16. Most common type of age-related macular degeneration - in which the blood supply to the retina is reduced - resulting in gradual loss of vision.






17. That part of the nervous system that exerts control over the skeletal muscles and thereby over behaviour.






18. The most common type of glaucoma - caused by a partial blockage of trabeculae - which reduces the rate at which the aqueous fluid can drain away from the eye and thus leads to a build up of intraocular pressure.






19. A screening programme (sometimes called 'individual screening' or 'targeted screening') that identifies individuals who are likely to be at substantially greater risk of developing a certain condition than others in their population group. These indi






20. A subunit of the litre - the standard scientific (SI) unit for measuring volume; there are 100 of these in a litre.






21. Anything that is statistically associated with an increased chance of developing a particular disease - disorder or disability in a population; when the incidence of the disease is examined in different populations it is found to occur more frequentl






22. Stimuli that are associated with actual or potential damage to body tissues.






23. A device that produces light of a single wavelength Which is transmitted in a narrow and powerful beam.






24. A tissue that covers a surface or lines a space inside the body - forming a barrier or interface across which substances are absorbed or secreted - e.g. the skin - gut lining - and various glands.






25. The electrical forces holding two atoms together.






26. The layer of the eye - between retina and sclera - which absorbs any light that has not interacted with the rods and cones in the retina.






27. The environmental factors impacting on survival and reproduction in a population of organisms in which there is variation between individuals in their ability to withstand adverse conditions or benefit from advantageous circumstances. The result of t






28. A substance that cannot be broken down into simpler substances by chemical reactions. It consists only of the atoms characteristic - e.g. hydrogen (H) - oxygen (O) - nitrogen (N) - sodium (Na) - chlorine (Cl) - mercury (Hg). There are 92 naturally oc






29. The proportion of young - middle-aged and older people in a population. In developing countries - tends to be 'younger' than that of developed countries.






30. The part of a neuron that consists of a long wire-like projection - ending in a terminal which participates in a synapse with another cell. Action potentials are transmitted along these.






31. A small unit of energy frequently used by physicists and denoted by the symbol eV.






32. Vital to many chemical reactions in the body. Crystals containing these form an important part of the structure of bones.






33. A muscular structure at the junction of the stomach and small intestine that constricts and closes when food is present in the stomach - preventing it from passing into the small intestine.






34. Haemoglobin bound to oxygen molecules. Transports oxygen from blood vessels in the lungs to the cells in the rest of the body.






35. A very long macromolecule found in the cell nucleus - abbreviated to DNA. It is the main component of chromosomes and is the material that transfers genetic characteristics through the generations in all organisms. The genetic information is carried






36. A condition characterised by inflammation of the walls of the airways and excess production of mucus. It results in a persistent (chronic) cough with production of sputum - obstruction of airflow and increased vulnerability to respiratory infections.






37. Severe psychological shock.






38. Drinking to get drunk rather than just for pleasure.






39. A state in which addicts come to depend upon a drug for their 'normal' mental functioning.






40. Tells you which type of atoms are bonded together to make up a compound or molecule - using symbols for its constituent elements. It also shows How many of each type of atom there are (e.g. the formula for carbon dioxide - CO2 - shows it has one carb






41. This condition occurs when the arteries supplying oxygen and nutrients to the heart muscle become blocked by fatty deposits known as plaques - and areas of muscle die as a result.






42. Each element has been assigned one of these - often the first letter - or two of the first letters of the name; for example - H stands for hydrogen - C for carbon - N for nitrogen - Ca for calcium and O for oxygen.






43. Pain that arises from psychological triggers such as social loss; e.g. bereavement - marital breakdown.






44. A type of cell that is responsible for contraction in skeletal muscle tissue. They are long and thin and have many nuclei. (Also known as muscle fibre)






45. A chronic - irreversible disease of the lungs characterised by loss of elastic recoil and enlarged air spaces in the lungs due to destruction of the walls of the alveoli and small airways.






46. A property of the body in which a number of its important parameters are held near to constant and any deviation from their normal value triggers action that tends to restore normality. It is exemplified by the maintenance of body temperature - or of






47. An event that follows a particular behaviour and which strengthens the tendency to repeat that behaviour. For example - if relaxation follows drinking alcohol it would be said to reinforce the tendency to drink alcohol.






48. The tissues that attach muscles to bones.






49. An activity where the eye is constantly focused on objects nearby (e.g. reading).






50. Characteristic signs that follow the termination of taking a drug - most usually associated with a negative mood. There can also be characteristic physiological signs associated with particular drugs - e.g. sweating and shivering.