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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. Tiny particles of calcium that appear as small specks on a mammogram. When clustered in one area of the breast - they may indicate the presence of cancer cells.






2. 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.






3. 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)






4. High blood pressure in the blood vessels supplying the lungs - a sign that blood flow is restricted in some way.






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






6. A group of specialised cells that work together to fulfil a specific function in the body - e.g. muscle.






7. A class of substances arising from outside the body - but Which bear a close similarity to naturally occurring opioids in their structure and effect; they include heroin derived from the opium poppy and morphine.






8. Pain that is triggered by a stimulus that causes actual or potential damage to the tissues of the body.






9. Memory for events or issues related to oneself.






10. 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






11. A group of steroid hormones produced mainly by the ovaries (some are also produced by fat deposits in the body) - which are responsible for promoting the development and maintenance of female sexual characteristics.






12. A system of glands (also known as ductless glands) - each of which secretes one or more hormones directly into the bloodstream. (CS 1 - 2 & 3)






13. A slimy - viscous substance secreted as a protective lubricant by the cells in the lining of the nose - throat and airways. Traps microbes and particles and is swept out of the respiratory system into the throat - to be coughed out or swallowed. Also






14. A measure of the amount of energy from ionising radiation absorbed per kilogram of tissue. It is measured in units of grays where 1 Gy = 1 joule per kilogram.






15. The new tissue formed as a wound repairs - containing tiny new blood vessels that give it a grainy appearance.






16. Haemoglobin bound to carbon monoxide. It is formed in the blood when carbon monoxide is inhaled - reducing the ability of the blood to form oxyhaemoglobin.






17. A condition in which the immune system fails to respond normally to an infection; it can be caused by a genetic defect and by HIV/AIDS - as well as by malnutrition.






18. Negatively charged particle of almost no mass that surround the nucleus of an atom.






19. The number of deaths in a population - either from all causes combined or from a specific cause - expressed as a rate per 1000 (or per 10 000 - or per 100 000 or per million) people in the population.






20. A theory of pain that was first proposed by Patrick Wall and Ronald Melzack in 1965. It suggests that there is - metaphorically speaking - a 'gate' within the spinal cord such that - if the gate is closed - nociceptive messages can be blocked. If the






21. Large blood vessels that carry blood towards the heart.






22. The photoreceptor cells located in the retina that are responsible for daytime and colour vision.






23. The removal for diagnostic study of a piece of tissue from a living body.






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






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






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






27. This term indicates alcohol's effect in inducing 'psychological short-sightedness'. Alcohol lowers the range of attention - so that immediate events take on more importance than their future consequences.






28. A thick ring of muscle that controls pupil size - thereby regulating the amount of light that enters the eye. It forms the coloured portion of the eye.






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. An infection of the lower respiratory tract (the bronchi and lungs) - e.g. pneumonia.






31. The pressure exerted by a gas. It is the sum of the partial pressures of each individual gas in a mixture of gases - e.g. oxygen - carbon dioxide - nitrogen and other gases that make up the air in the lungs.






32. A global strategy to combat trachoma - involving eyelid surgery - antibiotic treatment - attention to facial cleanliness and environmental changes.






33. A test that measures the levels of oxygen and carbon dioxide in a sample of blood from an artery - e.g. in the wrist. Used to evaluate the efficiency of gas exchange between the blood and the lungs.






34. A measure of body weight - taking height into account. Calculated by dividing person's weight (mass) in kilograms (kg) by their height in metres squared (m2). In most assessments - 20.0-24.9 is considered to be a normal healthy weight - 20.0 is categ






35. Death.






36. A covalent bond formed by the sharing of two electrons - one from each atom at either end of the bond.






37. A disorder of the fetus or infant caused by excessive maternal alcohol intake during pregnancy.






38. An outbreak of an infectious disease in a community - region or country - characterised by a sharp increase in the number of cases - followed after an interval by a decline to a normal level






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






40. Pain of relatively short duration and associated with actual damage to tissues.






41. Severe psychological shock.






42. In screening - a person whose screening test result is negative (indicating no disease) - but who actually has the disease.






43. 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.






44. A break in both of the helical strands of a DNA molecule - caused by ionising radiation.






45. A substance composed of positively and negatively charged ions - held together by the electrical attraction between opposite charges. Salts such as sodium chloride (NaCl) - in which the ions are organised in a regular crystal lattice - are this.






46. Disease or disorder that often has a gradual onset - involves slowly changing symptoms and lasts for a long time.






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






48. Condition in which no colour at all can be seen.






49. A type of cell that is found within the nervous system and Which is specialised to transmit and process information (colloquially referred to as 'nerve cell').






50. The total process in an organism by which oxygen is conveyed to tissues and cells - oxidation of nutrient molecules releases useable energy - and the oxidation products (carbon dioxide and water) are given off.