week 5 word presentation

Question 1

hirsutism

Answer 1

• excess body hair on women (sometimes men) in parts of body where terminal hair does not normally occur or is minimal – e.g. beard or chest hair
• increase in insulin is implicated in hirsutism in women; insulin’s role is to regulate metabolism + lifespan; insulin is a precursor to growth hormone (IGF1 + IGF2), which stimulates growth

“hirsute” = hairy

Question 2

diplopia

Answer 2

• “double vision” due to impaired function of extraocular myo
• 4 types include: binocular, monocular, temporary, and voluntary

"diplo" = double
"opia" = eye

Question 3

bactericidal

Answer 3

• a bacteria-killing drug – e.g. antibiotics, which prevent reproduction, and disinfectants
• different from bacteriostatic antibiotics, which slow growth or reproduction but don’t kill the bacteria

Question 4

oligospermia

Answer 4

• low concentration of sperm in semen (less than 20 million sperm per ml)
• factors include: consumption of drugs + alcohol; smoking marijuana or cigarettes; medications incl. androgens + estrogens; strenuous riding of bikes or horses; microwaves; cell phone radiation

“oligos” = few; “sperma = sperm

Question 5

cachectic

Answer 5

• cachexia or “wasting syndrome” is loss of weight, muscle atrophy, fatigue, weakness + significant loss of appetite in someone who is not actively trying to lose weight
• formal definition of cachexia is the loss of body mass that cannot be reversed nutritionally: even if the affected patient eats more calories, lean body mass will be lost, indicating a primary pathology is in place
• usually see cachexia in late phase of fatal diseases like AIDs

“cach” = bad; “ex” = condition

Question 6

cryptorchidism

Answer 6

• failure of one or both testes to descend from abdomen via inguinal (descension normally happens during fetal development due to hormones during 7th month of gestation)
• could be due to environmental factors including estrogens
• usually the testicle will descend into the scrotum w/o treatment during 1st year of life; otherwise, the child may get hormone injections (B-HCG or testosterone) to try to bring the testicle into the scrotum

"crypto" = hidden
"orchid" = testicle

Question 7

cyclothymia

Answer 7

• alternating periods of hypomania + depression in lesser intensity than bipolar disorder
• there is a swing cycle with mood, but the manic state is not as extreme as in bipolar disorder

"kyklos" = circle
"thymos" = anger

Question 8

prevalence

Answer 8

% of population affected w/ a particular disease at a given time

"pre" = before
"valence" = be strong, have value

Question 9

laloplegia

Answer 9

paralysis of muscles involved w/ speech, in which the tongue is not affected (but vocal folds may be affected)

"lalo" = talkative, chattering
"plegic" = paralysis

Question 10

hyperhidrosis

Answer 10

• disorder in which a person sweats profusely and unpredictably (perhaps even when the temperature is cool or when they are at rest)
• can use the “sweaty palm test” to see how nervous someone is (since common sweaty areas are hands, feet, and armpits)

"hyper" = above, over
"hidrosis" = sweating ("hidros" = water)

Question 11

autoimmune

Answer 11

• of or relating to an immune response by the body against one of its own tissues, cells, or molecules (an organism fails to recogize its consituent parts as self, which allows an immune response against its own cells + tissues)
• with autoimmune diseases, the body starts to produce antibodies against itself (how? mimicry – a lot of proteins share similar shapes)

Question 12

cryoglobulinema

Answer 12

• blood contains large amount of cryogloblins, which are abnormal proteins not soluble in low temperature; therefore the condition is dangerous in cold weather when they become thick or gel-like
• prevalent in people w/ hepatitis C + autoimmune disorders

"cryo" = icy cold
"globulin" = protein made by liver + immune system
"emia" = blood

Question 13

varicelliform

Answer 13

resembling chicken pox

"varicella" = chicken pox
"form" = figure, appearance, shape

Question 14

pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis

Answer 14

• this respiratory condition causes a coal miner’s cough and is particularly induced by silicone dust that’s found in volcanos
• according to the OED, “a factitious word alleged to mean ‘a lung disease caused by the inhalation of very fine silica dust, causing inflammation in the lungs’” (condition meeting the word’s definition is normally called silicosis)

"coniosis" = dust
"pneumoconiosis" = refers to any lung condition caused by dust particles