Download How The Human Body Reacts to Environmental Factors

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Reacts to airborne contaminants
Major:
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Particulate matter
Carbon monoxide (CO)
Sulphur dioxide (SO2)
Hydrocarbons
smog
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Other air-borne contaminants:
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VOC’s
Workplace chemicals
Pesticides
Pathogens
Ionizing radiation
◦ Causes atoms to expel electrons and become ions
 Fly frequently, work in nuclear energy or with x-rays,
lasers
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i9dW0k4afCI&NR=1&feature=fvwp Healthbeat - Children & Air
Pollution
Reactions (Symptoms)
Diseases
Examples of Connants or Factors That May Cause
Reactions
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smoke and smoking, particulates, smog, CO, SO2, VOCs
difficulty breathing, wheezing,
asthma, chronic obstructive
smoke and smoking, particulates, smog, SO2, VOCs,
coughing, shortness of breath,
pulmonary disease (chronic
pathogens
excessive mucus, anxiety, weakness
bronchitis and emphysema)
inflamed lungs, dry cough
pneumonia, pneumonitis
eyes, nose, & throat irritation;
headache
smoke and smoking, particulates, hydrocarbons,
pathogens
chronic cough, difficulty breathing,
bloody mucus, chest pain
lung cancer
smoke and smoking, ionizing radiation, hydrocarbons,
workplace chemicals, arsenic, asbestos
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Reacts to contaminants in foods and liquids
Heat and stress may also affect it
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Many digestive system diseases cause by
pathogens
◦ Example: 2008 Listeriosis outbreak across Canada
 Unclean meat processing plant equipment
Reactions (Symptoms)
Diseases
Examples of Connants or Factors That May Cause
Reactions
feeling sick, vomiting
nausea
alcohol abuse, pathogens, stress, heat
intestinal inflammation and pain,
cholera, dysentery, giardia
pathogens
vomiting, cramps, watery diarrhea, bloody
stools
nausea, fatigue, weight loss, coma, kidney cirrhosis
alcohol and drug abuse, workplace chemicals
failure
fever, rash, nausea, headache, exhaustion,
listeriosis
Listeria monocytogenes pathogen
fever, chills, pain, shock, diarrhea
septicemia
Escherichia coli pathogen
vomiting, diarrhea, difficulty breathing,
heavy metal poisoning
workplace chemicals, drugs
difficulty swallowing (esophagus),
cancer of the esophagus and
alcohol abuse, smoking, workplace chemicals
weakness, weight loss, back pain
pancreas
shock, collapse, circulatory failure
headache, intestinal pain
(pancreas), clay-coloured stools (pancreas)
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Workplace and household solvents can be
absorbed and irritate skin
◦ Example: bleach = burns skin
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can be absorbed into blood stream and
carried to rest of body
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Environmental factors
◦ Hot and cold
◦ UV Rays or ionizing radiation can cause Melanoma
(skin cancer)
◦ Poison Ivy = skin rash
Reactions (Symptoms)
Diseases
Examples of Connants or Factors That May
Cause Reactions
rashes, itching
eczema, contact
cleaning fluids, workplace chemicals, glues,
dermatitis
disinfectants, oils, heavy metals, pesticides
hair loss
alopecia
ionizing radiation
hives, itching
urticaria
drugs, stress, heat, cold, dust mites
sunburn, tumours
skin cancer
UV rays, ionizing radiation, workplace chemicals
severe adult acne
chloracne
workplace chemicals, PCBs, herbicides
loss of pigment
leukoderma
workplace chemicals
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Lymphatic system (immune system): glands,
nodes
Leucocytes (white blood cell) protect against
pathogens (not all)
Single cell animals (protozoan's, parasites')
often survive
◦ Malaria (protozoan) – infected mosquitoe bites
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Ionizing radiation and chemicals
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Lymphatic system filters out
bacteria and wastes – through
lymph nodes and spleen
Lymphocytes (specialized WBC)
also do this ~ ionizing radiation
and chemicals can damage
lymphocytes
Reactions (Symptoms)
Diseases
Examples of Connants or Factors That May
Cause Reactions
fever, chills, confusion, sweating,
malaria
Plasmodium genus pathogens
leukemia (blood cancer)
ionizing radiation, VOCs
weight loss, fever, night sweats,
lymphoma (lymphatic
UV and ionizing radiation, PCBs, pesticides
enlarged lymph nodes, anemia,
system cancer)
extreme thirst
fatigue, weight loss, fever,
weakness, bone and joint pain,
infections
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Brain, spinal cord, nerves
Brain and spinal cord =
central nervous system
(CNS)
Nerves and pathways =
peripheral nervous system
(PNS)
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Peripheral nervous system (PNS) sends
impulses to CNS indicating feeling
◦ pleasure, touch, pain, hunger, thirst, sound, smell,
sight, and other stimuli
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CNS responds by sending command back to
muscles, glands, organs in how to respond
◦ Ie. Touch something hot = tells arm to pull away
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=62dVw7QQVJ8&NR=1 Lead Poisoning in Kids
Reactions (Symptoms)
Diseases
Examples of Connants or Factors That
May Cause Reactions
irritability, numbness; speech,
mercury poisoning
fungicides, workplace chemicals, connated
vision, hearing, thinking, and
(Minamata disease)
fish and seafood, antiseptics
lead poisoning
water from lead pipes, lead in paint,
coordination problems;
vomiting, abdominal pain,
kidney failure, coma
irritability, burning mouth,
nervous system damage, pain,
workplace fumes, leaded gasoline
mental disturbances, paralysis,
convulsions
headache, fever, body aches,
meningitis,
virus
nausea, vomiting, drowsiness, encephalitis
confusion, weakness,
paralysis, loss of
consciousness
pain, hearing loss
deafness
excessive noise
System
Parts
Reaction
Cause
Affect
(Disease)
Nervous
Brain, spinal
cord, nerves
(CNS, PNS)
Irritability,
vision,
hearing,
coordinatio
n loss
Mercury
Minamata
poisoning
Disease
(contaminated
fish, seafood,
workplace
chemicals)
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Urinary: rid body of wastes
◦ Kidneys filter blood to remove wastes – excrete
urine – bladder – emptied
◦ Both vulnerable to environmental contaminants
 Bladder infections/kidney infections
Reactions (Symptoms)
Diseases
Examples of Connants or Factors That
May Cause Reactions
blood in urine, flank pain,
kidney, bladder cancer
fever, tumour
smoke and smoking, hydrocarbons, workplace
chemicals
damaged sperm and eggs
fertility problems
PCBs, workplace chemicals
sexual abnormalities
hormone imbalance
PCBs, workplace chemicals, non-stick
coatings
pain, tumours, discomfort,
ovarian, breast cancers workplace chemicals, ionizing radiation,
weight loss
asbestos, talc
difficult urination, blood in
prostate, testicular
urine, tumours, breast
cancers
enlargement
pesticides, heavy metals, PCBs, bisphenol-A
System
Parts
Reaction
Cause
Affect
(Disease)
Urinary
Kidneys,
Bladder
Blood in
urine, pain,
fever
Smoking,
workplace
chemicals,
pathogens
Kidney,
bladder
cancer,
infection