36 Questions
What is the definition of geriatrics?
The branch of medicine that deals with the diagnosis and treatment of diseases and problems specific to the aged
According to Hippocrates' system of four-humours, what was the consequence of old age?
Gradual consumption of 'innate heat and inevitable loss of body moisture'
What is the definition of biogerontology?
The study of the biology of ageing and longevity
What did Galen believe was the cause of ageing?
Changes in body humours that began in early life
What is the main cause of ageing according to the 'Wear and Tear' theory?
Internal and external insults to the body system
What phenomenon is characterized by the cessation of cell division?
Cellular Senescence
What is the function of telomeres in human chromosomes?
Protect and separate chromosomes from others in DNA sequence
What is the role of telomerase in human cells?
Fills the gap at the end of chromosomes to prevent shortening
Why would enhancing telomerase levels be viewed as a positive statement in Parkinson's disease and not in cancer?
Telomerase prevents cell death in Parkinson's disease but promotes tumor growth in cancer
Which physiological change is characteristic of 'normal' ageing and is NOT disease-related?
Decreased muscle mass
What is the main purpose of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) in menopause?
Compensate for the decrease in oestrogen and progesterone production
What is the average age at which menopause occurs?
51
Which symptoms are associated with perimenopause?
Hot flushes, changes in the vagina, emotional changes
What is the most widely used and effective treatment for menopause?
Hormone therapy (HRT)
What does an active lifestyle result in, in terms of ageing?
Less muscle mass loss and greater flexibility
How is homeostatic response altered in ageing?
Maintained at a level of decreased function
What is the major contributor to disability in older people, increasing fall risk and vulnerability to injury?
Sarcopenia
Which type of tissue is responsible for voluntary movement and experiences muscular atrophy in injury and ageing?
Muscle tissue
What are the primary treatment approaches for sarcopenia?
Exercise-based approaches, particularly resistance or strength training
Which of the following are skin changes in ageing?
Wrinkling, loss of elasticity, decline in cell replacement, and decline in dermal thickness
What are the eye changes in ageing that lead to visual impairments?
Lens growth, progressive decrease in lens elasticity, and increased risk of age-related macular degeneration
What is attributed to causing hearing loss in ageing?
Ageing of the middle ear and decline in hair cells of the cochlea
What is prevalent in older people, with ageing affecting absorption and metabolism of foods, vitamins, and medications?
Gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms
What becomes more prevalent with increasing age, and is treated with proton-pump inhibitors?
Gastro‐Oesophageal Reflux Disease (GORD/GERD)
What has been discovered to play a major role in causing many peptic ulcers, now treated with antibiotics in combination with PPIs?
Helicobacter pylori
What aspects of the human body does the ageing process impact, leading to age-associated conditions such as macular degeneration, hearing loss, and GI tract disorders?
Cellular senescence and changes in connective, muscle, epithelial, and neuronal/neural tissue
Which type of tissue undergoes changes in ageing including decreased collagen solubility and increased rigidity?
Connective tissue
What are advanced glycation end-products (AGEs) formed in ageing primarily responsible for?
Tissue stiffening
Which part of the brain is responsible for information processing and is folded into sulci and gyri?
Cerebral cortex
How many lobes is the cerebral cortex divided into?
Four
What are the basic signaling units of the nervous system?
Neurons
What kind of changes does the ageing brain experience in molecules, cells, vasculature, and gross morphology?
Atrophic changes
Which type of diseases are not a direct consequence of ageing, but the ageing brain becomes more susceptible to them?
Age-related diseases of the brain
Why may proteins associated with neurodegenerative diseases become more harmful to the ageing brain?
Due to changes in the ageing process
What may lead to decreased intestinal barrier function in the ageing process?
Ageing process
What does the ageing brain show compensatory changes in to help re-establish synaptic connections lost from cell death?
Dendritic arbour, spines, and synapses
Study Notes
Cellular Organisation and Ageing: Tissue Types and Brain Structure
- There are four main types of tissue: connective, epithelial, neural/neuronal, and muscle, all of which undergo changes in the ageing process.
- Connective tissue connects, supports, and separates other tissues and organs, and it undergoes changes in ageing, including decreased collagen solubility and increased rigidity.
- Advanced glycation end-products (AGEs) formed in ageing lead to tissue stiffening, particularly in collagen tissues.
- Epithelial tissue plays a fundamental role in establishing tissue barriers and undergoes changes in ageing, impacting organ function.
- The brain is comprised of the forebrain, midbrain, and hindbrain, with the cerebral cortex being the largest part responsible for information processing and folded into sulci and gyri.
- The cerebral cortex is divided into four lobes: frontal, parietal, occipital, and temporal, each with specific functions.
- Neurons are the basic signaling units of the nervous system and have specialized connections called synapses for chemical communication.
- The ageing brain experiences changes in molecules, cells, vasculature, and gross morphology, leading to atrophic changes, volume decline, and the development of white matter lesions.
- Age-related diseases of the brain, such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, are not a direct consequence of ageing, but ageing makes the neuronal tissue more susceptible to these diseases.
- Proteins associated with neurodegenerative diseases may become more harmful to the ageing brain due to the changes in the ageing process.
- The ageing process may lead to decreased intestinal barrier function, impacting the absorption of certain nutrients and causing systemic inflammation.
- The ageing brain shows compensatory changes in dendritic arbour, spines, and synapses to help re-establish synaptic connections lost from cell death.
Test your knowledge of cellular organisation and ageing with this quiz on tissue types and brain structure. Explore the changes that occur in connective, epithelial, neural, and muscle tissues as well as the ageing brain's anatomy and functionality. Delve into the impact of ageing on the brain's molecular, cellular, and gross morphology, and its susceptibility to neurodegenerative diseases.
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