Pathophysiology Introduction

Introduction to Pathophysiology

• Pathophysiology connects basic sciences with clinical medicine, enhancing understanding of diseases and their mechanisms.

Common Pathological Terms

• Pathology: The study of diseases.
• Disease: An abnormal disturbance of bodily function or structure due to injury.
• Pathogenesis: Sequence of events leading to cellular changes and clinical manifestations.
• Symptoms: Patient-reported perceptions of disease (e.g., headache).
• Signs: Observable indicators detected by a physician.
• Syndrome: A cluster of signs and symptoms that characterize a specific disorder.
• Etiology: Study of the causes of diseases.
• Nosocomial Infections: Hospital-acquired infections (HAI).
• Iatrogenic Reactions: Adverse effects resulting from medical treatment.
• Idiopathic Diseases: No identifiable causative factor.
• Acute Disease: Quick onset, short duration (e.g., pneumonia).
• Chronic Diseases: Slow onset, prolonged duration (e.g., hypertension).
• Prognosis: Prediction of a disease's course and outcome.

Disease Classifications

• Congenital Diseases: Present at birth due to genetic or environmental factors.
• Hereditary Diseases: Developmental disorders genetically passed from parents.
• Sex-Linked Disorders: Genetic abnormalities on sex chromosomes (e.g., hemophilia).
• Autosomal Inheritance: Genetic abnormalities on non-sex chromosomes.
• Degenerative Diseases: Pathologies due to bodily deterioration, often age-related (e.g., atherosclerosis).
• Metabolic Diseases: Result from disturbed metabolic functions, such as hormonal imbalance (e.g., diabetes).
• Traumatic Diseases: Caused by mechanical injuries or environmental extremes (e.g., burns).
• Inflammatory Diseases: Body's response to localized injury (e.g., pneumonia).
  • Infective Diseases: Caused by microorganisms.
  • Toxic Diseases: Due to poisoning by biological substances.
  • Allergic Diseases: Excessive reaction of the immune system.
  • Autoimmune Disorders: Immune system attacks the body's own tissues (e.g., rheumatoid arthritis).
• Neoplastic Diseases: Result in abnormal tissue growth.
  • Lesion: Cellular changes in response to disease.
  • Benign Neoplasm: Localized, non-invasive tumors.
  • Malignant Neoplasm: Invasive tumors that spread.
  • Metastasis: Spread of malignant cells to other tissues.

This quiz covers the foundational concepts of pathophysiology, including common pathological terms and disease classification. Understanding these concepts is essential as they bridge basic sciences and clinical medicine, enhancing the study of health and disease. Test your knowledge on the essential terms and classifications in the field.