Introduction to

Pathophysiology

http://www.stoptb.org/assets/videos/hfotb/
J. Joachim
Hightower High School
 Objectives
• 1. Use appropriate technology
• 2. Explain role of pathophysiology in
diagnosis and treatment of disease
• 3. Explain importance of patients medical
history
• 4. Describe common cellular adaptations
• 5. Identify precancerous cellular changes
• 6. List common causes of cell damage
• 7. Describe common types of cell necrosis
 Refresher thinker-----
• Structure • Function

– Anatomy: alteration of – Physiology: disrupts

the structure of the the human body
body (physically) functions as a whole
 What is pathophysiology?
• The study of the disturbance of normal
mechanical, physical and biochemical
functions either caused by a disease or
abnormal syndrome or condition that may
not qualify to be called a disease.
 And……
• processes and how human systems are
affected= study of cell and tissue changes
associated with disease.
– Emphasis on prevention and treatment of
disease
– What’s normal and abnormal?
 And……
• An alternate definition is:

• "the study of the biological and physical

manifestations of disease as they correlate
with the underlying abnormalities and
physiological disturbances.
 Homeostasis
How would you know that a patient’s
body is maintaining homeostasis
or not?

•??????????????????????????
• Blood pressure change
• Pulse
• Temperature change
• Fluid imbalance
Therefore homeostasis can fall into an
acceptable ranges (not absolute
criteria)
• Can be adjusted based on:
– Age
– Gender
– Genetics
– Environment
– Activity Level
 Adaptive Changes

Cell injury and Cellular

• The life cycle of a cell exists on continuum
that includes normal activities and
adaptation, injury or lethal changes.

• Adaptation is a normal life cycle

• What are some examples of body normal

adaptations????????????
 Examples
• Growth during puberty

• Body changes during pregnancy and

aging process

• Stressful life style that may lead to

adaptation or disease
 Therefore…Homeostasis
• The cell constantly makes adjustments to
a changing, hostile environment to keep
the organism functioning in normal steady
state which is necessary to ensure the
survival of the organism.
• Prevention of disease by the body
depends on the capacity of the affected
cells to undergo self-repair and
regeneration i.e. adaptive-changes.
 Common Stimuli
• Physical agents
• Chemical agents
• Microorganisms
• Hypoxia
• Genetic defects
• Nutritional imbalances
• Immunologic reactions
 Our Focus
• Major Diseases
– Prevention (vaccines, screenings)
– Treatment

– Study of cellular and tissue changes

associated with diseases…..
 Ethics
• Technology
– How far is too far???
 Pathology Lab Terms
• Biopsy- living tissue

• Autopsy- dead tissue

 General Disease Terms
• Diagnosis- ID of a specific disease by
evaluating symptoms and conducting lab tests.

• Etiology- Cause of disease (genetic, infection,

dysfunction, etc.)
– Idiopathic- cause is unknown
– Iatrogenic- results from a treatment, procedure, or
medical error
• Examples: bladder infection after catheterization; damage
due to a prescribed drug, CHEMO
 General Disease Terms, cont.
• Predisposing factors- age, gender,
ethnicity ,occupational exposure
– Once you know these, prevention is easier.
• Vaccines?
• Lifestyle changes?
 More Specific Terms
• Pathogenesis- the development of the
disease or the sequence of events
involved in the tissue changes related to
the specific disease process.
• Onset
– Acute – sudden/quick
– Insidious – gradual/slow

• Chronic- on-going
• Sub-clinical – (flies under the radar), no
obvious manifestations are exhibited

• Latent- incubation period “silent period”

Most infectious in some viruses
 Signs vs. Symptoms

– Signs= objective (What the Dr. See’s)-felt, heard or

seen
• Ex. Lesions, redness, swelling

– Symptoms= subjective (what the patient

experiences) not visible outwards to others
• Ex. Nausea, headache

-Syndrome- collection of signs and symptoms

that occur together.
 Examples of each are?
• Signs: • Symptoms
 Course of Disease Terms
• Remission- manifestations subside

• Exacerbation- manifestations increase

• Example: Arthritis
• (COULD BE BOTH?
• Precipitating factors- condition that
triggers an acute episode.
– How is that different than a predisposing
factor?
• Complications- secondarily arise after
initial disease begins but while the disease
is still manifested.

• Sequelae- secondarily arise after disease

has gone away.
 Last bit of disease terminology:
• Prognosis- likelihood of outcome
• Morbidity- incidence w/in a group
• Mortality- death rate
• Epidemiology- study the occurrence of disease
• Epidemics- many cases in an area
• Pandemics- world-wide
• Prevelance- # new cases
• Incidence- # new + old (total # cases)
 Adaptation to Environmental
Stresses
• 2 cellular reactions happen:

• Hyperfunctioning

• Hypofunctioning
 Cellular Changes
6 types

cellular changes photo.jpg

• 1. Atrophy- decrease in cell size

• 2. Hypertrophy- increase in cell size (increase muscle

mass due to exercise)

• 3. Hyperplasia- increased number of cells (glandular

proliferation of breast during pregnancy)
• 4. Metaplasia- one form changes to another (cells look
different than before)

• 5. Dysplasia- cells vary in shape and size

– Usually results from chronic infection or irritation
– Pre-cancerous cells are detected (PAP smears)

• 6. Neoplasia= causes tumors

 HOMEWORK
DUE NEXT CLASS PERIOD
• Briefly describe one new recent medical
advance (within the last 2 years), discuss
it’s impact upon the medical population.
• include your source

• Typed
• # 12 fonts
• Double spaced
• Have page or more…..