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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. Blood that contains very little oxygen.






2. An irreversible lung disease that is a combination of emphysema and chronic bronchitis - in which airway obstruction causes breathing difficulties - including shortness of breath.






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






4. A subunit of the scientific unit of volume - the litre. One litre can be divided into 1000 of these.






5. A change in the sequences of bases in the DNA of an organism - resulting in an alteration in the manufacture or function of a body protein. Also refers to the process by which such a change in DNA sequence occurs due to the action of a mutagen - e.g.






6. The system of organs and structures in which gas exchange takes place. In mammals it consists of the airways - the lungs and the muscles that mediate the movement of air into and out of the lungs.






7. The pressure exerted by the Earth's atmosphere at a particular location as a result of the mass of the column of air above it. At sea level - it is 760 mmHg or 101.325 kPa.






8. A cancer that has the ability to spread or metastasise into healthy tissue. (also known as 'malignant' cancer)






9. The value of a characteristic in terms of its contribution to the survival and reproductive chances of an animal.






10. An estimate of the probability of developing a particular disease or disorder in a population that has been exposed to a particular risk factor - relative to the probability of developing the condition if the risk factor was not present.






11. Pain that arises from damage to neurons either within the central nervous system or in the periphery of the body.






12. Disease - disorder or traumatic injury characterised by rapid onset - severe symptoms and short duration - From which the patient either recovers quickly or dies (CS 1 & 6). Some chronic (long-term) conditions can have acute episodes - e.g. exacerbat






13. A type of cell that can migrate into wound sites and make new extracellular matrix proteins such as collagen.






14. An uncharged particle in the nucleus of an atom.(






15. A complex molecule composed of smaller molecules (globin and haem) and iron atoms. It is a component of erythrocytes and its function is to bind reversibly to oxygen.






16. A measure of the refracting power of a lens. Calculated as: 1 / focal length of the lens (in metres). The unit used is dioptres (symbol D). The power of a convex lens is positive; for a concave lens it is negative.






17. The type of bone that is less dense (compared with compact bone) and contains struts (trabeculae) to provide strength. It is found within the widened areas inside the ends of the bones.






18. 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






19. Often abbreviated to 'compound': a substance made up of two or more elements; it may be composed of molecules or ions.






20. The process of inspiring or inhaling; the drawing in of air into the lungs.






21. The entire range or extent of some quantity - arranged in order; e.g. electromagnetic or visible light.






22. Any cell that ingests and destroys foreign particles - bacteria and cell debris.






23. A small airway branching from a bronchus.






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. An agent - such as a chemical - ultraviolet light - or a radioactive substance that can induce - or increase the frequency of - mutations in DNA.






26. A class of neurons that convey information from the central nervous system (CNS) to the muscles.






27. Cells that cover all surfaces of the body. (CS 3 - 4 - 6 & 7)






28. Any unintended and undesirable consequences of medical treatment; also known in medicine as an adverse effect or reaction.






29. Refers to an infectious disease that can be transmitted by physical contact.






30. 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






31. A chemical that reduces microbial contamination of water - surfaces - etc.






32. A synapse at which the release of neurotransmitter from a presynaptic neuron has an inhibitory effect on a postsynaptic cell - i.e. it inhibits the appearance of action potentials in the second cell.






33. Blood vessels that convey blood away from the heart.






34. 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






35. A measure of the dose of ionising radiation to an organ that takes into account the type of radiation used. Some types of radiation are more damaging than others (because they tend to lead to double-strand breaks in the DNA rather than the more easil






36. The process whereby oxygen is taken up by cells and used in chemical reactions involving the oxidation of nutrient molecules (e.g. glucose) derived from food; these reactions release usable chemical energy for cellular processes. (CS 5 & 7)






37. The separation of waste products from the blood.






38. Radiation which can cause ionisation. From the electromagnetic spectrum this includes gamma rays - X-rays and some high-energy ultraviolet radiation.






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






40. Often abbreviated to 'risk factors'; 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 population






41. The basic structural unit of all organisms; there are many different kinds in multicellular organisms. In mammals - including humans - they are usually composed of a nucleus containing genetic material - surrounded by the watery cytosol containing va






42. A class of neuron that is neither sensory nor motor.






43. A substance produced by an endocrine gland that is carried around the body in the blood - and affects the structure or functions of specifically receptive target organs or tissues.






44. The neuron that stores and releases neurotransmitter at a synapse with another neuron or a muscle cell.






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






46. A medically qualified person who has chosen to specialise in clinical radiology - the use of imaging to diagnose - treat and monitor various disease processes.






47. A muscular wall separating the chest (thoracic) cavity from the abdominal cavity in mammals.






48. The tube descending from the larynx to the bronchi and carrying air to the lungs; also known as the windpipe.






49. 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






50. Colours of light (red - blue and green) which - when added together - make white light.