Chapter 4 Goals Page 109 Students will be able to: Define basic prefixes used in the medical language Analyze medical terms that combine prefixes & other word elements Learn about the Rh as an example of an antigen- antibody reaction.

Prefixes Chapter 4 Pages 109 – 138

A Closer Look Page 120 Antigens & Antibodies; The Rh Condition A foreign substance (such as a poison, virus, or bacterium), stimulates the production of antibodies. Antibodies are protein substances made by white blood cells in response to the presence of foreign antibodies. These antibodies remain in your blood to protect against specific antigens when encountered in the future. For example, the flu virus (antigen) enters the body, causing the production of antibodies in the bloodstream. These antibodies then bind to & mark for destruction the antigens (viruses) that produced them. The reaction between an antigen & an antibody is an immune response. When you receive a vaccine, you actually are receiving dead or weakened antigens that stimulate white blood cells to make antibodies.

Page 121 A Closer Look: Cont. Another example of an antigen-antibody reaction is the Rh condition. A person who is Rh-positive (Rh+) has a protein coating (antigen) on his or her red blood cells (RBCs). This specific antigen factor is something that the person is born with & is normal. People who are Rh-negative (Rh-) have normal RBCs as well, but their red cells lack the Rh factor antigen.

A Closer Look: Cont. Page 121 If an Rh- woman & an Rh+ man conceive an embryo, the embryo may be Rh- or Rh+. A dangerous condition arises only when the embryo is Rh+. During delivery of the first Rh+ baby, some of the baby’s blood cells containing Rh+ antigens can escape into the mother’s bloodstream. This sensitizes the mother so that she produces a low level of antibodies to the Rh+ antigen. Sensitization can also occur after a miscarriage, abortion, or blood transfusions. (because this is different from the Rh- mother) Because this occurs at delivery, the first baby is generally not affected & is normal at birth.

A Closer Look: Cont. Page 121 Difficulties arise with the second Rh+ pregnancy. If this embryo also is Rh+, during pregnancy the mother’s acquired antibodies (from the first pregnancy) enter the embryo’s bloodstream. These antibodies attack & destroy the embryo’s Rh+ RBCs. The embryo attempts to compensate for this loss by making many new but immature RBCs called erythroblasts. The affected infant is born with hemolytic disease of the newborn (HDN) or erythroblastosis fetalis. HDN can occur in the first pregnancy if a mother has had an Rh+ blood transfusion.

A Closer Look: Cont. Page 121 One of the clinical signs of HDN is jaundice. Jaundice results from excessive destruction of RBCs. When hemolysis occurs, the hemoglobin within the cells produces bilirubin. High levels of bilirubin in the blood stream (hyperbilirubinemia) cause jaundice. To prevent bilirubin from affecting the brain cells of the infant, newborns are treated with phototherapy. Light decomposes the bilirubin, which is then excreted from the infant’s body. jaundice = yellow skin pigmentation Hemolysis = RBCs break down bilirubin = a chemical pigment Phototherapy = exposure to bright lights

A Closer Look: Cont. Page 121 Physicians administer Rh immunoglobulin to an Rh- woman within 72 hours after each Rh+ delivery, abortion, or miscarriage. The globulin binds to Rh+ cells that escaped into the mother’s circulation & prevents formation of Rh+ antibodies. This protects future babies from developing HDN.

A Closer Look: Cont. Page 122 Congenital Anomaly An anomaly is an irregularity in a structure or organ. Example of congenital anomalies include syndactylyl, heart defects, & clubbed feet. Some congenital anomalies are hereditary, whereas others are produced by factors present during pregnancy. For example, when a pregnant woman consumes high levels of alcohol during pregnancy, there is often a pattern of physical & mental defects in her infant at birth. congenital anomalies = those that an infant is born with Syndactylyl = webbed fingers or toes Hereditary = passed to the infant through chromosomes from the father or mother, or both

A Closer Look: Cont. Page 122 Recombinant DNA Recombinant DNA technology is the process of taking a gene from one organism & inserting it in to the DNA of another organism. Another term you may hear related to recombinant DNA polymerase chain reaction (PCR). This is a method of producing multiple copies of a single gene, which is an important tool in recombinant DNA technology. Gene = a region of DNA The gene that codes for insulin (i.e. contains the recipe for making insulin) Genes are cut out of chromosomes using special enzymes For example, recombinant techniques are used to manufacture insulin outside the body. The gene that codes for insulin is cut out of a human chromosome & transferred into a bacterium, such as Escherichia coli (E. coli). The bacterium then contains the gene for making human insulin &, because it multiplies very rapidly, can produce insulin in large quantities. Diabetic patients, unable to make their own insulin, can use this synthetic product.

A Closer Look: Cont. Page 123 Syndromes Syndrome = a group of signs or symptoms that appear together to produce a typical clinical picture of a disease or inherited abnormality. For example, Reye syndrome is characterized by vomiting, swelling of the brain, increased intracranial pressure, hypoglycemia, & dysfunction of the liver. It may occur in children after a viral infection that has been treated with aspirin.

A Closer Look: Cont. Page 123 Marfan syndrome is an inherited connective tissue disorder marked by a tall, thin body type with long, “spidery” fingers & toes (arachnodactyly), elongated head, & heart, blood vessel, & ophthalmic abnormalities.

A Closer Look: Cont. Page 124 Transurethral Resection of the Prostate Gland In transurethral resection of the prostate gland (TURP), a portion of the prostate gland is removed with an instrument (resectoscope) passed through the urethra. The procedure is indicated when prostatic tissue increases (hyperplasia) & interferes with urination.

A Closer Look: Cont. Page 124 Ultrasonography Ultrasonography is a diagnostic technique using ultrasound waves (inaudible sound waves) to produce an image of an organ or tissue. Echocardiograms are ultrasound images of the heart. Sonogram = a fetal ultrasound image.