Emiliano Riquelme Magaña

2055701

Gpo. 122

Etapa 4
Week 1

Biology in healthcare

21/04/2021
 • Dimension 1. Recovery
o What is the function of the Nervous System?
It is the center of all mental activity including thought, learning, and memory.
The nervous system is responsible for regulating and maintaining
homeostasis.
o How do drugs affect the nervous system?
Drugs interfere with the way neurons send, receive, and process signals via
neurotransmitters.
o What is a hormone?
A hormone is a chemical that is made by specialist cells, usually within an
endocrine gland, and it is released into the bloodstream to send a message to
another part of the body.
o Which hormone is related to diabetes mellitus?
Insulin
o Where do eggs and sperm are produced (focus on the organs of the
reproductive system?
Sperm cells are produced in men's testicles and egg cells are produced in
women's ovaries.
o Make a list about the STD´S (Sexually transmitted diseases).
 • Chlamydia.
• Genital herpes.
• Gonorrhea.
• HIV/AIDS.
• HPV.
• Pubic lice.
• Syphilis.
• Trichomoniasis.

Glossary
Function of the Nervous System: For study purposes and from the anatomical point of
view, the nervous system has two major divisions: Central nervous system and peripheral
nervous system.
Central Nervous System: It consists of the brain and spinal cord; The brain is basically
formed by the brain, the cerebellum and the brain stem. On the other hand, the spinal
cord is subdivided into 8 cervical segments, 12 thoracic, 5 lumbar, 5 sacral and 1
coccygeal.
Gray Substance: Is used to refer to the nervous tissue that has a darker appearance; this
area contains a large number of neuronal bodies and few myelinated fibers, which gives it
its characteristic “gray” color.
White matter: Is mainly formed by myelinated nerve fibers, which gives it its
characteristic “white” color.
Frontal Lobe: Voluntary motor activity and a large part of cognitive functions –memory,
orientation, calculation, judgment, organization, planning, language, among others-.
Parietal Lobe: It has an essential function that has to do with the perception and analysis
of the sensitivity of the skin.
Temporary Lobe: The most typical function is the memory, especially the short-term one,
and some emotional functions.
Occipital Lobe: It has primarily visual functions.
Insular Lobe: Has multiple functions, including some types of memory, sense of pain, and
autonomic and emotional functions.
Neurons: Have a great diversity of shapes and sizes. The fundamental parts of the neurons
are soma or cellular body and its prolongations, which can be of two types: axons or
dendrites.
Axons: Are always single prolongations that consist of the cytoplasm specialized in the
transmission of information to other neurons.
Dendrites: Can be unique, but some neurons can host hundreds of them, such as Purkinje
cells, found in the cerebellum.
Sensory neurons: They are in charge of taking information from outside the organism
towards the central nervous system.
Motor neurons: Are responsible for transmitting the information that originates in the
central nervous system to some peripheral organ or tissue.
Interneurons: Are cells that connect and communicate only with other neurons, they are
the most abundant in the nervous system.
Types of the Glial cells: Are divided into several subtypes: astrocytes, oligodendrocytes,
ependymal cells, microglial cells, and Schwann cells.
Astrocytes: Cells that have numerous extensions in radial form.
Synapses: Are specialized sites that mediate communication between neurons.
Chemical synapses: The interaction between the neurons is mediated by a chemical
substance that is released by a neuron and is capturated bu a different one.
Electrical synapses: In which there is no chemical mediator, but a direct communication
between the cells.
Neurotransmitter: Causes different changes in the receptor neuron, so it can increase its
capacity to generate new responses or to decrease them.
Small molecule: In general, the neurotransmitters of this molecule enable rapid
interneuronal communication.
Neuropeptides: Are involved in the long-term modulation of chemical synapses.
Peripheral Nervous System: The main function of teh PNS is to connect the central
nervous system with the limbs and organs.
Alzheimer´s disease: Is the most frequent cause of dementia worldwide. AD can occur in
individuals older than 65 years and is characterized by the progressive loss of memory for
recent events.
Epilepsy: It is characterized by the presence and recurrence of various types of “crisis” of
cerebral origin.
Parkinson´s disease: The presence of three cardinal symptoms characterizes this disease:
tremor in the extremities, the limitation for muscle mobility and slowness in general
movements.
Dopamine: Neurotransmitter present in various areas of the brain, is important for the
motor function of the organism.
Classification of the drugs abuse according their effects:
1. Stimulants
2. Depressants
3. Hallucnogens
4. Opioids
5. Others inhalants, solvents, etc.
Functions of the Endocrine System: Is made up of groups of cells that form glands isolated
in the epithelium of the respiratory and digestive system.
Pituitary gland: It is located in the sella turcica, a cavity at the base of the skull.
Adenohypophysis: Is constituted by endocrine cells surrounded by abundant blood
capillaries, through which are transported the regulatory factors from the hypothalamus
that control the activity of endocrine cells.
Somatotropin: Growth hormone, secreted by the adenohypophysis.
Prolactin: Stimulates the growth of the mammary gland and the secretion of milk.
Corticotropin: Stimulates the secretion of hormones from cortex of the adrenal gland.
Thyrotopin: Stimulates the secretion of thyroxine.
Follicle Stimulant: In women: stimulates the growth of the ovarian follicles and the
secretion of estrogen. In man: stimulates the secretion of androgen-binding protein in the
testicle.
Neurohypophysis: It is formed by nerve fibers that are the axons of neurons, whose cell
body is located in the hypothalamus.
Pituicytes: Cells that cover the axons and contribute to their proper functioning.
Vasopressin: Increases the reabsorption of water in the kidney so it decreases the volume
of urine and its concentration.
Oxytocin: Stimulates the contraction of muscle cells of the uterus in childbirth and
myoepithelial cells of the mammary gland for ejection of milk.
Pineal gland: It is located in the midline of the brain, on the roof of the third ventricle, and
forms part of the epithalamus.
Thyroid gland: Thyroid hormones, thyroxine and triiodothryonine, are hormones
produced by the thyroid gland, the main responsible for regulating metabolism.
Thyroxine gland: Increases metabolism. They regulate the production of heat and
stimulates the growth of the tissues and the function of others glands.
Parathyroid gland: They are small glands of the endocrine system that are found in the
neck behind the thyroid gland. They control the level of calcium in the body, in the blood
and in our bones.
Adrenal gland: Increases sodium reabsorption and potassium excretion in the kidney so it
increases the blood pressure.
Pancreas: Is a heterocrine gland, has about 14 cm long and is located in the abdomen; it is
surrounded by the stomach, small intestine, liver, spleen, and gallbladder.
Kidney Glands: They are small glands located in the upper part of each kidney; they
produce essential hormones for life, including sex hormones and cortisol.
Hypothyroidism: The most common is an autoimmune disease, in which the body
produces antibodies that attack the thyroid hormones.
Mellitus diabetes: Type I is caused by the autoimmune destruction of pancreatic islet beta
cells by antibodies produced by the same organism. Type II is multifactorial, and it is
considered that its cause is the interaction between life style-hypercaloric diet, obesity,
lack of excersice- enviromental factors –stress, cantaminants- and genetic predisposition.
Gigantism and Dwarfism: Dwarfism is when low amounts of growth hormone are
produced from birth. Gigantism, this is generated when there is an excess of growth
hormone during childhood, before puberty.
Reproductive System: This system consists of the gonads, ovaries, and testes, where the
gametes originate, and of a series of conduits and organs to transport and house these
gametes.
Ovaries: are even organs with the size of an almond that are responsible for the
production of female gametes.
Urine tubes, oviducts or fallopian tubes: Are pairs and tubular organs, approximately 10
cm long.
Uterus: Is inverted pear-shaped and its average size is 7.7cm long by 5cm wide in women
without previous pregnacies.
Vagina: Is a tubular organ about 10 cm long. Its functions are to act as an outlet for the
menstrual flow.
Vulva: Includes the external genitalia: pubic scrotum, labia majora, labia minora, clitoris,
and vestibule.
Mammary glands: Are even organs located in the anterior part of the thorax. Milk-
producing cells are organized into structures in the form of small sacs called alveoli.
Menstrual cycle: Hormones regulate process as the maturation of oocytes, ovulation, and
the preparation of the uterus for implantation.
Menstrual phase: Day one corresponds to the beginning of menstruation, originated
when the fertilization is absent and, consequently, the levesl of estrogen and
progresterone diminish.
Pre-ovulatory phase: This phase goes from the end of menstruation, to ovulation.
Ovulation: The peak of estrogen production triggers in the pituitary gland the production
of luteinizing hormone.
Post-ovulation phase: The ovarian follicle from which the oocyte was released presentsa
small hemorrhage and, subsequently, the cells that comprise it are organized, giving origin
to the corpus luteum and begin to produce progesterone and estrogen.
Testicles: Are even organs located in the scrotal bags that keep them out of the abdominal
cavity.
Conduits of the male reproductive system: Their function is to proctect and drive sperm
from the testicle to the urethra.
Accesory glands: The semen is made up of the sperm and the secretions of the accesory
glands, which are the seminal vesicles, the prostate and the bulbourethral or Cowper´s
glands.
STD: Sexually Transmitted Infections
Chlamydia: Is caused by the bacterium Chlamydia trachomatis. It is the STD with the
highest prevalence, and at the beginning of the infection, there are no symptoms.
Gonorrhea: The bacterium that causes this disease is Neisseria gonorrhoeae. It is an STD
that has no symptoms in 5 to 10% of infected donors.
Syphilis: is caused by the bacterium Trepinema pallidum. Its contagion is not only by
sexual transmission but also by blood transfusions from infected donors.
Genital herpes: Is an incurable STD causeb by a herpes virus type 2. It produces painful
blisters on the penis and vulva, including the vagina.
Genital warts: Are caused by the human papillomavirus, which is sexually transmitted and
is not curable.
Molluscum contagiosum: Caused by the molluscum contagiosum virus, prduces lesions in
the form of small, yellowish-white hard rashes on the skin.
Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome: Is caused ny the human immunodeficiency virus,
which remains throughout life in the body, although the infected person does not have
any symptoms.
Hepatitis B: Five types of virus produce viral hepatitis. Type B is spread sexually and also
by the use of contaminated syringes, blood transfusuon, saliva, and tears.
Methods for birth control: There are different ways to avoid pregnacy: physical or
chemical methods and partial abstinence.
Barrier methods: Its dunction is to prevent sperm from entering the vagina or the uterus.
They include the condom, the vaginal sac or female condom, and the diaphragm.
Intrauterine devices: Are objects introduced into the uterus and made of various
materials, such as plastic and metasl. The most commonly used are copper or stainlees
steel.
Surgical sterilization: In man, it is called vasectomy. In women, this sterilization consists of
the ligature and section of both oviducts.
Hormonal methods: These methods use hormones that modify the develpment of the
ovarian follicles and inhibit ovulation.
Progestin: Hormones whose function is to maintain pregnacy and are also present in
other phases of the menstrual cycle.
Rythm method: For this method to work, the woman always requires to hace regular
menstrual cycles, since sexual relations should be avoided three days before ovulation,
the day of ovulation, and three days after.
Basal temperature method: During the ovulation, the body temperature increases and
the quantity and consistency of the cervical mucus change, becoming more abundant,
clear, and elastic.