THE SCIENCE SHOW
FOCUS ON HEALTH
ANSWER KEY
TSIALIS APOSTOLOS
Episode 1: Sexually Transmitted Diseases
Previewing
KEY QUESTIONS
1. Venereal diseases
2. Prevention
3. The etymology of the term is: Gk, gone + rhoia, flow, i.e., discharge of semen. The
ancient Greeks mistakenly thought that this discharge was leakage of semen.
MEDICAL TERMS
1.chlamydia 2.gonorrhea 3.endometriosis 4.salpingitis 5.herpes genitalis
6.condyloma acuminatum
Intensive Viewing
AIDS
I. 1) 5 to 10 million people 2) In 138 countries 3) blood, sexual secretions
II.  toilet seats
 kisses
 coughs
 dishes __ unsafe sex
 caresses  clothing
__ razors __ syringes
III. When the AIDS virus reaches the blood the immune system tries to neutralize it
by producing antibodies. These molecules normally attach themselves to viruses and
bacteria notifying their presence to the immune system’s killer cells. However, the
AIDS virus outmaneuvers this strategy. It manages to do so by attacking the
lymphocytes, cells that play the role of generals in the battle the organism wages
against foreign bodies.
IV. The Aids virus spots a lymphocyte, it attaches itself to it. It then injects a copy of
its genetic material into the nucleus of the lymphocyte. The virus genetic material
really represents the directions for fabrication. Concealed in e lymphocytes these
directions are invulnerable to the immune system’s attacks.
V. When the lymphocytes reproduce they pass on a copy of them to their
descendants. In most people who are infected, the AIDS virus’ genetic material will
remain hidden for months or even for years. The antibodies the organism produces
during the first attack are the only clue to the presence of the virus. Tests to detect the
AIDS virus infection are based on the presence of these antibodies in the blood.
People having such antibodies are said to be HIV positive. Most people who are HIV
positive have no symptoms for several years. However they can unwillingly transmit
through their blood or sexual secretions, the virus and the lymphocytes, which have
incorporated the AIDS virus’ genetic material.
GONORRHEA
1) bacteria 2) mucous 3) irritation, swelling, redness 4) pus, swelling, pain
5) a) vaginal, pain b) discharge, sensation
CHLAMYDIA
1) sterility 2) In the cervix 3) endometriosis 4) salpingitis 5) The accumulated pus
and scar formation in the fallopian tubes renders the spermatozoa incapable of
fertilizing the ovum.
HERPES GENITALIS
Symptoms
painful blisters
fever
stiffness
headaches
Factors
too much exposure to the sun
pants worn too tightly
stress
menstruation
CONDYLOMA ACUMINATUM
1) podophyllin 2) cold 3) LAZER
Focus on Language
PERIPHERAL VOCABULARY
1.conversely
2.divulge
3.insidious
4.forestall
5.judicial 6.repercussion
7.pronounced 8.besiege 9.abstinence 10.subside 11.relapse(into) 12.incubation
13. stave off 14.notably 15.screen 16.intercourse
ADJECTIVES
1-f
2-d 3-b
4-i
5-h
6-a 7-g 8-e 9-j
10-c
PHRASAL VERBS
1.have done it without you 2.run down 3.put across 4.had made it up 5.come round
GRAMMAR CHECK
Answers will vary
ANALYSING MEDICAL WORDS AND WORD PARTS
I. 1.gland 2.cancer, cancerous 3.to cut 4.kidney 5.disease 6.brain 7.joint 8.heart
9.nose 10.bone
II. 1.leuk-o-cyte
2.dermat-itis
white blood cell
inflammation of the skin
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3.inguin-al
4.axill-ary
5.post-nat-al
6.tachy-pnea
7.onc-o-logy
8.psych-osis
9.epiderm-oid
10.poly-neur-itis
pertaining to the groin
pertaining to the armpit
pertaining to after birth
rapid breathing
study of tumors
abnormal condition of the mind
resembling epidermis
inflammation of many nerves
Post-viewing
RELATED READING
1. It’s purpose is to share of information regarding the development, delivery,
evaluation, production and implementation of AIDS vaccines and immunotherapies.
2. Several of the women took a break from the sex trade and, upon returning, became
infected with HIV -- leading researchers to question how long any protection may
last.
3. A typical vaccine presents a marker of the virus, bacteria or fungus to educate the
immune system, showing it what the enemy looks like. Then when the disease
appears and the marker is present again, the immune system recognizes it as an enemy
and launches an all-out attack, blocking infection. This is an antibody response; it
occurs before cells are infected. A cellular immune response kills cells that are
already infected.
IN YOUR OWN WORDS
1. to activate, to stir up, to serve as the activating influence of; i.e. to spark interest
2. fulfillment, accomplishment, the carrying into effect
3. done, made, provided, occurring, etc. in or for the meantime; provisional,
temporary.
4. withstanding the action or effect; that is not overcome by some disease or drug
5. assured, certain
6. that overwhelms, overthrows, overturns, or submerges utterly; so powerful as to
overcome utterly by strength of numbers, influence, etc.
7. a downward trend or financial loss, as on an investment
8. to conceal
Episode 2: CANCER
Previewing
Α.Π.Θ. – ΙΑΤΡΙΚΗ ΣΧΟΛΗ
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KEY QUESTIONS
1. In men: prostate, stomach, lung; in women: breast, cervix, ovaries
2. Environmental agents (heavy metals, chemicals, viruses), hereditary factors,
physical condition, diet, stress.
3. Chemotherapy, surgery, radiation therapy
MEDICAL TERMS
1.hormone therapy 2.monoclonal antibodies (MOAB) 3.cobalt 60 4.porphyrin
5.lymph node 6.photochemotherapy 7.remission 8.life expectancy 9.virus
10.oncogene 11.chemotherapy 12.metastasis
Intensive Viewing
THE DEVELOPMENT OF CANCER
1–4–7–2–5–3–8–6
DIVISION OF CELLS
Genes are like small electric switches. They can be turned on or off. However, most
genes are only turned on for a short period in a person’s life and then put to sleep.
Therefore, at any given moment only a small number of a cell’s genes are
functioning. It sometimes happens though that some of the cell’s dormant genes are
activated. Their sudden awakening disrupts the activities of the cell. The cell
becomes incapable of performing the tasks assigned to it and starts dividing
chaotically. It has turned into a cancer cell.
GETTING THE MAIN IDEA
I. 1) skin, testis, breast, uterus, bladder 2) intestine, stomach, lung
II. heavy metals, chemical products, viruses and also hereditary factors, general
physical condition, diet, stress.
III. 1.chemotherapy 2.surgery 3.radiation therapy
IV. 1.surgical removal 2.radiation therapy 3.chemotherapy
COMMON TREATMENTS OF CANCER
I. 1.T
2.F 3.T
II. 1.YES 2.NO 3.YES
III. Radiation Therapy is based on the sensitivity of living cells to rays beamed by
radioactive bodies such as cobalt 60. The radiation penetrates the cells and sections
DNA. The genes become inoperative. The X-rayed cells loose their capacity to divide
and die.
IV. 1. They primarily attack rapidly dividing cells such as cancer cells.
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2. nausea, hair-loss
METASTASES
Metastases are secondary cancers that originate from the main cancer site. They are
formed from the cancer cells that have separated naturally from the originated tumor.
These cells are spread through the blood or lymphatic system – network of vessels
throughout the body. These vessels are lined with lymph glands or nodes, which
filter out the cancer cells. Most of these cells die but sooner or later one of them will
survive causing a new cancer to develop.
PHOTOCHEMOTHERAPY
I. Photochemotherapy is based on the use of a natural chemical compound of the
human body, porphyrin. Small amount of this compound - close to blood hemoglobin
- is produced normally by all body cells. Cancer cells when applied with a chemical
substance called aminolevulinic acid produced greater quantities of porphyrin than
healthy cells. Porphyrin also has the property of becoming toxic in the presence of
light.
II. The main advantages of photochemotherapy are: little risk of the treatment
damaging the body’s healthy cells, greater control of the drug due to the use of a
light beam, and elimination of porphyrin by the body within a few hours.
MONOCLONAL ANTIBODIES
1. T
2. F 3. T
4. T
Focus on Language
PERIPHERAL VOCABULARY
1.unbearable 2.delve into 3.recapitulate 4.rigorous 5.assign to 6.enigma 7.drain
8.harbor 9.hereditary 10.detach 11.foster 12.restrain 13. attenuate 14.originate
15.spare 16.tenatious 17.detection 18.amalgamate 19.proliferate 20.by leaps and
bounds
SURGICAL PROCEDURES IN CANCER TREATMENT
1. fulguration 2. electrocauterization 3. exenteration 4. incisional biopsy
5. excisional surgery 6. cryosurgery
ABBREVIATIONS
3, 9, 1, 10, 6, 8, 2, 7, 4, 5
GRAMMAR CHECK
assigned (adj.), spreading (adj.), ensuring (adv.), affecting (adv.)
ANALYSING MEDICAL WORDS AND WORD PARTS
I. 1.tumor, mass 2.process of visual examination 3.removal 4.bodies 5.abnormal
condition 6.breakdown, destruction 7.formation 8.little 9.record 10.suture
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II. 1.crani-o-tomy
2.laryng-eal
3.palat-o-plasty
4.sub-mandibul-ar
5.hepat-o-megaly
6.stomat-itis
7.olig-uria
8.colp-o-rrhaphy
9.mammo-plasty
10.myel-o-gram
incision of the skull
pertaining to the voice box
surgical repair of the roof of the mouth
pertaining to the lower law
enlargement of the liver
inflammation of the mouth
scanty urination
suture of the vagina
surgical repair of the breast
record (x-ray) of the spinal cord
Post-viewing
RELATED READING
1. Body Mass Index
2. People who are obese can benefit from doing some moderate activity and reduce
their excess risk of pancreatic cancer. Walking at a moderate pace every day is
something you can build into your lifestyle and most everyone can do.
IN YOUR OWN WORDS
1. to make less or smaller; to lessen; to reduce in magnitude or degree
2. an offender, one guilty of a fault or offence
3. not intense, violent, or rigorous
4. to bring about as a result, cause to follow as a consequence, entail, bring on
5. to look carefully into or through; to view in detail; to examine
6. to entangle, involve, commit
7. (or regimen) a particular course of diet, exercise, or mode of living
8. to incorporate, frame, raise, by gradual means
Episode 3: THE BRAIN
Previewing
KEY QUESTIONS
1. Answers will vary. Suggested answer: loosing teeth – loosing money, seeing
yourself in a mirror – announcement of a wedding.
2. All three are diseases of the brain.
3. Medical purposes: diagnosis of various forms of epilepsy or coma, location of
cerebral injuries or tumors. As a research instrument in order to assess the
effectiveness of certain therapies or to study phenomena like sleep and dreams.
MEDICAL TERMS
1.electroencephalogram (EEG) 2.psychoanalysis 3.axon 4.neurotransmitter
5.cerebral cortex 6.cerebellum 7.corpus callosum 8.limbic system 9.schizophrenia
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10.Parkinson’s disease 11.cranium 12.beta waves 13.alpha waves 14.delta waves
15.theta waves 16.epilepsy 17.biopsy 18.tumor
Intensive Viewing
DREAMS
1. F (more than 4) 2. F (less than 100) 3. F (10 minutes) 4. T
rapidly, F (40%)
5. F (eyes move
INTERPRETATION OF DREAMS
The first scientific attempts at interpreting dreams go back about one hundred years to
Sigmund Freud. Freud believed that a dream of a diving and swimming related to the
womb. By a reversal process common in our subconscious the dive would mean
rather the immergence from water, hence, birth. From his part, Carl Jung, one of
Freud’s followers believed that water symbolized the archetypal mother rather than
the dreamer’s real mother. For Jung, the color of the water, its temperature, every
detail distinguishing the choice of one symbol over another was meaningful. The
theories of master and student were soon to become irreconcilable. For Freud the
motivating force behind dreams was sexuality. Young found Freud’s view too
limiting. Dreams might just as well originate in a collective unconscious, built
through the ages that gives all mankind its psychological heritage.
THE BRAIN
I. 1. T
2. F (left) 3. F (right)
4. F (they work together)
II. 1. The center of vision … is isolated at the back of the head.
2. All tactile information is … gathered by the skin, muscles, joints and tendons.
3. The frontal cortex … regulates our impulses.
4. The cerebellum … is responsible for the coordination of movement.
5. It is believed that memory … is spread throughout the brain.
NEUROTRANSMITTERS
The brain is a world in itself. It consists of some 50 to 100 billion nerve cells called
neurons. To exchange information the neurons send nerve impulses through their
main prolongations, the axons. A little like a tree sends its sap from its trunk to all its
branches. On the axons and their branches are located the neuron-to-neuron contacts.
It is in these tiny swellings that the brain’s chemical messengers the neurotransmitters
are found. The neurotransmitters take over the impulse and relay it to an other
neuron. Owning to these neurotransmitters each neuron can establish contact with
thousands of other neurons. During the past few years, scientists have discovered over
forty different kinds of neurotransmitters. They each have a crucial role in
orchestrating nerve impulse exchanges. Too much dopamine could cause
schizophrenia and a deficiency of the same neurotransmitter could bring on
Parkinson’s disease.
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EEG
1. The EEG registers the brain’s electric currents.
2. Alpha waves are typical of relaxation and daydreaming states.
3. Beta waves are produced when a person is active.
4. Theta waves immerge when we fall asleep.
5. Delta waves are those of dreams.
MRI
3-5–1–6–7–2-4
Focus on Language
PERIPHERAL VOCABULARY
1.reflect on
2.monitor
3.unravel
4.assimilate
7.superfluous 8.predominate 9.intervene 10.intrigue
13.prolongation 14.relay 15.deficiency 16.amplification
19.circumvent 20.impact 21.spin 22.resonate 23.exquisite
5.nocturnal 6.veritable
11.defective 12.tactile
17.affliction 18.feeble
24.impulse
PARTS OF THE BRAIN AND THEIR FUNCTIONS
5–4–1–2–6-3
ABBREVIATIONS
2, 6, 7, 1, 10, 8, 4, 5, 3, 9
GRAMMAR CHECK
1) have you worked 2) I’ve worked 3) I worked 4) were you 5) I moved 6) I’ve
had 7) I had 8) I sold 9) I came
ANALYSING MEDICAL WORDS AND WORD PARTS
I. 1.back, again 2.away from 3.against 4.short 5.good, normal 6.half 7.large 8.bad
9.many 10.beyond
II. 1.pro-gnosis
2.hyper-glycemia
3.dia-gnosis
4.peri-cardi-um
5.epi-gastr-ic
6.di-ure-tic
7.anti-angin-al
8.an-alges-ic
9.dys-phag-ia
before knowledge; a prediction about the outcome of treatment
excessive amount of sugar in the blood
complete knowledge
the membrane surrounding the heart
pertaining to above the stomach
a drug that promotes kidneys to excrete urine
a drug that prevents chest pain due to ischemia
an agent that relieves pain
difficult swallowing
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10.sub-cutane-ous pertaining to under the skin
Post-viewing
RELATED READING
1. In children, the content of the nightmare may be influenced by daytime experiences
such as television viewing, movies, or scary real-life events. In adults, there is a less
specific association between nightmares and daytime events.
2. In cases when nightmares persist longer than 6 weeks or remain unexplained.
3. Follow a regular energetic fitness routine, using aerobic exercises if possible.
IN YOUR OWN WORDS
1. acting against or in opposition to, opposing, contrary, antagonistic
2. cessation of use or provision of a drug; spec. the interruption of doses of an
addictive drug, with resulting craving and physical reactions
3. the mental connection between. an object and ideas that have some relation to it,
link
4. case history, the patient’s complete medical background
5. to cease to continue; to cease, stop
6. to evaluate (a person or thing); to estimate (the quality, value, or extent of) again
7. to use improperly, to make a bad use of; to take (a drug) for a purpose other than a
therapeutic one.
8. requiring or utilizing free oxygen in the air for metabolic purposes; involving the
presence of air
Episode 4: GENETICS
Previewing
KEY QUESTIONS
1. Genetic inheritance.
2. Due to a congenital defect
3. A test whose aim is to detect possible diseases or predispositions.
MEDICAL TERMS
1.nucleotide 2.chromosome 3.graft 4.implant 5.insecticide 6.mutation 7.embryo
8.polyunsaturated 9.in vitro 10.handicapped 11.DNA 12.eugenics
Intensive Viewing
DNA
1. molecule 2. genetic inheritance 3. identical 4. genes, nucleotides, chromosomes
CLONING
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1. a. First, it involves taking the nucleus of a cell from a body of a living being.
b. The nucleus is then introduced into a female sexual egg, a non-fertilized egg
whose nucleus was previously removed.
c. The egg divides and it can be implanted in the uterus.
2. In 1978
GENETIC ENGINEERING
The DNA molecule carrier of the genetic inheritance of all species can be cut, sliced and
edited much like the shots of a film. Genetic engineering of this kind requires the use of
restriction enzymes, which select and cut DNA molecules in two. A gene can thus be
extracted from a DNA molecule and grafted to another DNA molecule previously sliced by
the same enzyme. We thus create a transgenic species that is to say a new species from the
combination of the genetic inheritance of existing species. Genetic manipulation can also be
applied to bacteria and even to more complex beings like mice and man.
CROSSBREEDING
1. Nowadays the genes of a plant cell can be altered to produce a mature plant.
2. In vitro reproduction from an engineered plant cell can yield several thousand
identical plants.
3. With animals researchers lack precision when they attempt to place a new gene
to a designated site of the DNA molecule.
4. The foreign gene transplanted randomly on the DNA molecule produced
unpredictable results.
5. Man has at his disposal the means to force the hand of nature.
6. Long before genetics mutations were part of the normal process of evolution.
IN VITRO CONCEPTION
For the time being the sorcerer’s apprentices are playing God, ideas rushing through their
heads. Who knows for instance how the association of in vitro fertilization with DNA
recombination would turn out? This child has 3 mothers, his genetic mother, his surrogate
mother and his adopted mother. The egg was taken from Suzan, the sperm from John.
Barbara carried the fetus and Dian adopted the baby. There are thousands of test tube babies
living all around the world. In vitro conception is modern medicine’s answer to
insurmountable fertility problems. This solution however raises problems of a moral and
legal nature that frequently neither the partners involved nor the courts are able to deal with.
But the innovative potential of genetic engineering may soon create ethical and legal
challenges that are far greater.
EUGENICS
1.S 2.I 3.N 4.I 5.N 6.S 7.N 8.I 9.N 10.S
Focus on Language
PERIPHERAL VOCABULARY
1.array 2.diversity 3.universal 4.define 5.inheritance 6.elongate 7.diminutive
8.authentic
9.homologus 10.fuse
11.identical
12.remarkable 13.overrun
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14.vigilance 15.profitable 16.adaptable 17.insurmountable 18.eradicate 19.flaw
20.traits
NOUNS FROM VERBS
to modify
to assess
to bypass
to radiate
to train
to consult
to circulate
to vaccinate
modification
assessment
bypass
radiation
training
consultation
circulation
vaccination
to practice
to screen
to inject
to scan
to prescribe
to inflame
to fail
to ail
practice
screen
injection
scan
prescription
inflammation
failure
ailment
PHRASAL VERBS
1.’m done in 2.came out 3.made for 4.would have come up 5.make out
GRAMMAR CHECK
1. Sexual reproduction is the union of x nuclei of a female sex cell and a male sex
cell that results in the creation of a new individual.
2. Identical twins are formed from the fertilization of a single egg cell by a single
sperm.
3. The transformation of a normal cell to a cancerous one is only partially understood
at x present time. The key to x understanding the process of x malignant
transformation lies in the operation of the DNA of a cell.
4. Causes of x cancer not only come from the environment but may also originate
within the body.
ANALYSING MEDICAL WORDS AND WORD PARTS
1.gastr-itis
2.gynec-o-logy
3.nephr-ectomy
4.in-cis-ion
5.erythr-o-cyte
6.iatr-o-genic
7.ped-iatr-ics
inflammation of the stomach
study of female (women’s diseases)
removal of the kidney
process to cut into (a part of the body)
red blood cell
pertaining to produced by treatment
pertaining to treatment of children (combining vowel o has
been dropped between ped- and iatr-)
8.gastr-o-enter-o-logy study of the stomach and intestines
9.cyt-o-logy
study of cells
10.bi-opsy
process of viewing life
Post-viewing
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RELATED READING
1. Because many of the qualities that interest us about humans involve many genes in
many locations and , in most cases, we don’t yet know enough to alter our genes
intelligently or intentionally.
2. No, there is no evidence that people have suffered any harm so far, although it
would be difficult to document a hazard to the general population.
3. Yes, because the information about the presence of a diseased gene can very easily
be used against a person by employers or insurance companies..
IN YOUR OWN WORDS
1. open to discussion; debatable, questionable; disputed
2. non-professional, not expert, esp. with reference to law and medicine
3. that which is involved or implied in something else
4. to meddle or interfere with (a thing) so as to misuse, alter, corrupt, or pervert it
5. presenting a clear course; free from difficulties
6. belonging to the intrinsic nature of that which is spoken of; intrinsic, essential
7. to prove or support (something) by documentary evidence
8. work composed of pieces or fragments put together, esp. in an incongruous manner
Episode 5: DRUG DEPENDENCY
Previewing
KEY QUESTIONS
1. Answers will vary.
2. According to some researchers nicotine creates a dependency as powerful as
heroine because it acts directly on the dopamine neurons in the brain.
3. The level of toxicity of chemical contaminants, like drugs, mainly consumed by man,
which become more dangerous when mixed with other drugs may be increased and even
multiplied through combinations..
MEDICAL TERMS
1.cirrhosis 2.toxicity 3.drug 4.synergy 5.acetaldehyde 6.caffeine 7.dopamine
8.narcotic
Intensive Viewing
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THE FUNCTION OF THE BRAIN
The brain functions through billions of cells called neurons. Consisting of a cellular
body and elongated fibers, neurons are connected together into vast networks. The
information that flows through these networks is transmitted in two different ways.
On the neurons, the signals are conveyed through electric currents. When these
currents reach the end of the neurons they cause chemical substances called
neurotransmitters to be secreted. The neurotransmitters make contact with the next
neuron, thereby creating a new electric current. Neurotransmitters play a vital role in
our brain. Depending on their chemical nature and abundance, they enhance or
diminish the signals transmitted from one neuron to the next, and thus regulate all
activity in every region of the brain. In the brain every neurotransmitter is assigned
precise functions. For example, one of the brains most important functions –
satisfying vital needs – appears to be associated with the neurotransmitter called
dopamine.
1. They consist of a cellular body and elongated fibers.
2. Through electric currents.
3. By making contact with the next neuron.
4. Satisfying vital needs
COCAINE
I. When a person absorbs cocaine for instance, the drug reaches the brain quickly. It
causes an increase in the amount of dopamine present in the neurons. This functional
modification of the brain creates intense euphoria. After a while the effect disappears
but the brain remembers the euphoric sensation. Haunted by the memory the person
then feels something is lacking – a need, a feeling similar to being hungry. That
feeling can only be alleviated by consuming cocaine again. In time, the vicious circle
intensifies. The need to take drugs can replace the vital needs and even becomes
stronger than the need to eat for instance.
II. 1.a.T
b.T 2.F 3.F 4.F 5.T 6.F
ALCOHOL
I. In small amounts alcohol:
In high doses alcohol:
stimulates the nervous system
slows the reflexes
heightens the reflexes
upsets coordination
creates a feeling of well being
blurs memory
reduces fatigue
lowers concentration
II. 1. No, because if they stop consuming alcohol, they will experience a series of
violent withdrawal symptoms.
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2. No, because they are genetically predisposed.
3. No, they just don’t experience the same euphoria as others.
4. No, the presence of this enzyme causes alcohol to produce greater euphoria and
this makes people who have it more susceptible to alcoholism.
5. No, they enable alcoholics to share their experiences and thus help each other.
THE CONTAMINATION OF OUR PLANET
I. A number of chemical pollutants contaminating the environment endanger living
beings because like drugs they are foreign to the normal processes of life. To
determine how these substances act, toxicologists use a colony of living cells.
Normally, the liver eliminates toxic substances absorbed by animals and man. The
liver cell’s response to these agents enables the toxicologists to predict the response
of entire organisms. Their studies have indicated that many toxic substances act on
the membrane, which surrounds cells. This is the case of heavy metals like mercury,
lead and cadmium. The membrane is not merely a protective layer. Equipped with
tiny pumps, it regulates the flow of many substances into and out of the cells. The
constant pumping action of this membrane enables the cells to maintain a different
chemical composition than that of their ambient environment. That composition is
essential to maintaining their vital processes. In weak concentrations heavy metals do
not destroy the cells. But they can prevent the membrane pumps from functioning
normally.
they chemical pollutants, Their toxicologists, it membrane,
that composition, their cells, they heavy metals.
II. Genotoxic agents attack the long molecules of DNA, which constitute genes. They
cause chemical changes in the basic units of these vital molecules. The changes are
liable to result in mutations, that is, permanent changes to the structure of the genes.
Scientists believe that some mutations can cause a healthy cell to become a cancer
cell. The list of mutagenic and carcinogenic agents that can cause these mutations is a
long one. It includes pesticides, heavy metals, emissions from combustion and
cooking reactions and many others.
Focus on Language
PERIPHERAL VOCABULARY
1.intoxication
2.awareness 3.boost 4.ambient 5.vital 6.enhance 7.alleviate
8.induce 9.horrendous 10.illicit 11.deterioration 12.susceptibility 13.predisposed
14.universal 15.disrupt 16.hazardous 17.liable to 18.jeopardize 19.juvenile
20.deliquency
FORMAL VS. INFORMAL SPEECH
1.got hammered 2.teens 3.kids 4.Fag ends 5.snifter
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PHRASAL VERBS
1.Did you do well 2.’ll make application to 3.is made up
5.came up against
4.is being done up
GRAMMAR CHECK
1. The nervous circuits are affected from drugs.
2. Drinking has long been practiced as part of a normal social life.
3. The biosphere as a whole is being threatened by massive intoxication.
4. An excellent operation was performed by the surgeon.
5. Severe health problems will be caused by the chronic use of a drug.
ANALYSING MEDICAL WORDS AND WORD PARTS
1.hydr-o-phobia
2.my-oma
3.hem-o-stasis
4.lapar-o-tomy
5.arteri-ole
6.pleur-o-dynia
7.nephr-o-pathy
8.ot-algia (more commonly used than ot-o-dynia)
9.isch-emia
10.amni-o-centesis
Post-viewing
RELATED READING
1. It should be but and not butt, however the writer wants to simultaneously ask (But
Why?) and provide the answer (Butt = cigarette butt, i.e. because of smoking).
2. Smoking increases risk of melanoma and nonmelanoma skin cancer and perhaps
increases those skin cancer risks as well.
3.
Number of subjects : 33
Men : 21
Women : 12
Nonsmokers
Men : 10
Women : 9
Smoking patterns : 10 to 20 cigarettes a day for
3 to 25 years
Results : Protein MMP-1 levels higher for
smokers
Conclusion : Smokers get a double whammy –
once from the sun and again from tobacco,
since both trigger this skin-destructive MMP-1
Α.Π.Θ. – ΙΑΤΡΙΚΗaction.
ΣΧΟΛΗ
15
IN YOUR OWN WORDS
1. nonsmoker
2. to send, put, or hit in a forceful way
3. rear end
4. the action or process of deteriorating, of growing or making worse
5. smoking habits
6. the final analysis or determining factor; the point, the crux of the argument;
7. to increase a pain, the virulence of (disease), the bitterness of (feeling, speech, etc.);
to embitter, aggravate
8. occurring, existing, or done before the usual, proper, or appointed time
Episode 6: PHARMACOLOGY
Previewing
KEY QUESTIONS
1. Answers will vary.
2. E.g. Thalidomide, a mild sleeping pill became popular as because it had no side effects,
during the sixties. At that time a number of women took the drug during their pregnancy,
and gave birth to children with congenital malformations.
3. Ten years
MEDICAL TERMS
1.ointment 2.tranquilizer 3.bronchitis 4.insulin 5.prostaglandin 6.hypothalamus
7.nausea 8.lactose 9.starch 10.thalidomide 11.side effect 12.antacid
Intensive Viewing
INTRODUCTION
Drugs
Illnesses
aspirin
sleeping pill
tranquilizer
antibiotic
ointments
cancer
bronchitis
ASPIRIN
I. Let’s take aspirin. Of all the drugs based on acetylsalicylic acid it is the most widely
consumed. It is estimated that each year some 100 billion aspirins under various
Α.Π.Θ. – ΙΑΤΡΙΚΗ ΣΧΟΛΗ
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trademarks are taken worldwide. Like most drugs aspirins are taken orally. Once
swallowed, they enter the stomach where they begin to dissolve. Here they run into
their first obstacle, the stomach’s high acidity. Fortunately, owing to its chemical
composition the aspirin is able to withstand this acidity, which is not the case with
some other drugs. Insulin, for example, must be injected into the muscle because if it
went through the stomach it would be completely inactivated. The aspirin then travels
to the intestine. From there it enters the bloodstream, which carries it through the
system in less than one minute. So the aspirin spreads to every part of our body
including the organs that don’t need it.
II. 1. Drugs can be administered orally, by suppository, by injection, locally.
2. Aspirin reduces pain, fever, inflammations.
3. Prostaglandins are chemical substances.
4. Fever comes from the presence of prostaglandins in the hypothalamus.
5. An aspirin will have effect as long as there is sufficient quantity in the body.
III. 1.F 2.T 3.F 4.NG 5.F 6.T 7.F 8.NG 9.T 10.F
THE MANUFACTURING OF DRUGS
1. a. by simulating how the body and drug interact
b. by maximizing the efficiency of molecules whose action is already known
c. by accelerating research on an active molecule
2. 10%
3. 10 years
4. a. the drug’s chemical compound
b. the way it is to be taken
c. psychological factors related to marketing
5. a. lactose
b. cellulose
c. starch
6. 120$ million
SIDE EFFECTS
Despite precautions some drugs are like time bombs, their side effects only showing
up several years after they are taken. This is what happened with thalidomide. During
the sixties thalidomide became popular as a mild sleeping pill because it had no side
effects. At that time a number of women took the drug during their pregnancy, and
gave birth to children with congenital malformations. The pharmaceutical industry
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is required to give a high priority to drug safety but at the same time it is under ever
increasing pressure to find solutions. Cancer is a good example. It is one of
pharmacologists’ greatest challenges and a prime target for new drugs.
The drugs currently used to treat cancer permeate our entire system. Via the blood
stream they reach both the malignant cells and the cells of all our other organs liver,
kidneys, intestines, muscles; a little like a circular distributed door to door. And
that’s where the problem lies. While the substances used in chemotherapy do kill the
malignant cells, these are not the only ones they kill, hence the known side effects:
hair loss, nausea.
HOMING DRUGS
1.two 2.antigen 3.20.000 to 100.000 4.1000, 1000 5.second, solid foreign
6.containing, absorbed, decomposes, released 7.limitations
Focus on Language
PERIPHERAL VOCABULARY
1.engrave 2.abate 3.assimilate 4.remedy 5.concoct 6.component 7.expedient
8.permeat 9.homing 10.complement 11.capacity 12.druggist 13.solid 14.decompose
15.pour
ADMINISTRATION OF DRUGS
1.topical 2.oral 3.intradermal 4.intrathecal 5.intramuscular 6.rectal 7.intravenous
8.inhalation
ABBREVIATIONS
3, 6, 7, 5, 10, 9, 4, 2, 1, 8
GRAMMAR CHECK
The diaphragm is a muscle that separates the abdominal and thoracic cavities.
Acromegaly is an endocrine disorder, which is caused by an excessive amount of
growth hormone.
A psychiatrist is a specialist who treats mental and nervous disorders.
A neurologist is a specialist who deals with the structure and functions of the
nervous system.
PLURALS
varices, bursae, apices, metastases, bullae, ova, nuclei, epiphyses, bronchi, atria,
coccyges, bacteria
ANALYSING MEDICAL WORDS AND WORD PARTS
1. ocul/ : oculist, ocular, oculistics
2. blephar/: blepharitis, blepharoptosis
Α.Π.Θ. – ΙΑΤΡΙΚΗ ΣΧΟΛΗ
opt/ : optician, optometrist
palpebr/: palpebral, palpebration
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3.
4.
5.
6.
lacrim/: lacrimation, lacrimatory
kerat/: keratoplasty, keratitis
cor/ : corectasis, corectomy
phac/ : phacoemulsification
dacry/: dactyorrhea, dacryoadenitis
corne/: corneosclera, corneoiritis
pupill/ : papillary, pupilloscope
phak/ : phakitis, phakomatosis
Post-viewing
RELATED READING
1. Aspirin.
2. Drowsiness and fast or deep breathing
IN YOUR OWN WORDS
1. together with
2. without obvious cause
3. of old age
4. extreme, pronounced
5. throw up, empty the contents of the stomach
6. adapt oneself to, get used to
7. annoying, troublesome
8. extreme nervousness, a state of emotional and (often) physical tension; agitation
Α.Π.Θ. – ΙΑΤΡΙΚΗ ΣΧΟΛΗ
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