Gerontology Vocabulary With Definitions

Front 1

Average life expectancy

Back 1

The age at which 50 percent of the members of a population have died, when plotted on a standard survival curve. This static is normally calculated from birth, but may be recomputed in terms of expected years remaining at any age.

Front 2

Cloning

Back 2

The use of the chromosome from an adult cell to create identical twin (copy) of an organism by inserting the adult nucleus into an egg from which the nucleus has been removed, stimulating embryogenesis, and implanting the embryo into the uterus of a surrogate mother.

Front 3

Centenarian

Back 3

A person who is 100 years or older

Front 4

Cancer

Back 4

A clonal growth (cells all descend from one ancestral cell) that undergo continuing mitotic divisions and are not inhibited in their growth when they come in contact with neighboring cells (contact inhibition)

Front 5

Blastocyst

Back 5

A preimplantation embryo that contains a fluid-filled cavity called blastocoel

Front 6

Arthritis

Back 6

A general term referring to disease of the joints...

Front 7

Cohort

Back 7

A set of people born during a specific time period

Front 8

Cleavage

Back 8

The mitotic division of the early embryo that occur in absence of growth to divide the embryo into many smaller nucleated cells.

Front 9

Chromosome

Back 9

The structures in the nucleus of the cell, consisting of DNA bound to histones and other proteins

Front 10

Biomarker

Back 10

A measurable parameter of physiological age that is a more useful predictor of remaining life expectancy than chronological age.

Front 11

Cataract

Back 11

A cloudiness or opacity that develops in the lens of the eye and result in poorer vision.

Front 12

Aging

Back 12

The life-long process of growing older, not just a later life experience

Front 13

Alzheimer's Disease

Back 13

The most common form of dementia. A degenerative disease that attacks the brain and results in impaired memory, thinking and behavior.

Front 14

Caloric restriction

Back 14

A diet in which caloric intake is reduced, compared with ad libitum (eat as much as you like) diets, without any reduction in nutritional requirements (protein, water, vitamins or minerals)

Front 15

Bases

Back 15

These are molecules with one or two nitrogen containing ring structures. The biologically important bases are the purines Adenine and Guanine and the pyrimidines Cytidine, Thymine and Uracil. Dna and RNA are composed of linked sequences of nucleotides.

Front 16

Average life expectancy

Back 16

The age at which 50 percent of the members of a population have died, when plotted on a standard survival curve. This static is normally calculated from birth, but may be recomputed in terms of expected years remaining at any age.

Front 17

Cloning

Back 17

The use of the chromosome from an adult cell to create identical twin (copy) of an organism by inserting the adult nucleus into an egg from which the nucleus has been removed, stimulating embryogenesis, and implanting the embryo into the uterus of a surrogate mother.

Front 18

Centenarian

Back 18

A person who is 100 years or older

Front 19

Cancer

Back 19

A clonal growth (cells all descend from one ancestral cell) that undergo continuing mitotic divisions and are not inhibited in their growth when they come in contact with neighboring cells (contact inhibition)

Front 20

Blastocyst

Back 20

A preimplantation embryo that contains a fluid-filled cavity called blastocoel

Front 21

Arthritis

Back 21

A general term referring to disease of the joints...

Front 22

Cohort

Back 22

A set of people born during a specific time period

Front 23

Cleavage

Back 23

The mitotic division of the early embry that occur in absence of growth to divide the embryo into many smaller nucleated cells.

Front 24

Chromosome

Back 24

The structures in the nucleus of the cell, consisting of DNA bound to histones and other proteins

Front 25

Biomarker

Back 25

A measurable parameter of physiological age that is a more useful predictor of remaining life expectancy than chronological age.

Front 26

Cataract

Back 26

A cloudiness or opacity in the eye that develops in the lens of the eye and result in poorer vision.

Front 27

Aging

Back 27

The life-long process of growing older, not just a later life experience

Front 28

Alzheimer's Disease

Back 28

The most common form of dementia. A degenerative disease that attacks the brain and results in impaired memory, thinking and behavior.

Front 29

Caloric restriction

Back 29

A diet in which caloric intake is reduced, compared with ad libitum (eat as much as you like) diets, without any reduction in nutritional requirements (protein, water, vitamins or minerals)

Front 30

Bases

Back 30

These are molecules with one or two nitrogen containing ring structures. The biologically important bases are the purines Adenine and Guanine and the pyrimidines Cytidine, Thymine and Uracil. Dna and RNA are composed of linked sequences of nucleotides.

Front 31

Average life expectancy

Back 31

The age at which 50 percent of the members of a population have died, when plotted on a standard survival curve. This static is normally calculated from birth, but may be recomputed in terms of expected years remaining at any age.

Front 32

Cloning

Back 32

The use of the chromosome from an adult cell to create identical twin (copy) of an organism by inserting the adult nucleus into an egg from which the nucleus has been removed, stimulating embryogenesis, and implanting the embryo into the uterus of a surrogate mother.

Front 33

Centenarian

Back 33

A person who is 100 years or older

Front 34

Cancer

Back 34

A clonal growth (cells all descend from one ancestral cell) that undergo continuing mitotic divisions and are not inhibited in their growth when they come in contact with neighboring cells (contact inhibition)

Front 35

Blastocyst

Back 35

A preimplantation embryo that contains a fluid-filled cavity called blastocoel

Front 36

Arthritis

Back 36

A general term referring to disease of the joints...

Front 37

Cohort

Back 37

A set of people born during a specific time period

Front 38

Cleavage

Back 38

The mitotic division of the early embryo that occur in absence of growth to divide the embryo into many smaller nucleated cells.

Front 39

Chromosome

Back 39

The structures in the nucleus of the cell, consisting of DNA bound to histones and other proteins

Front 40

Biomarker

Back 40

A measurable parameter of physiological age that is a more useful predictor of remaining life expectancy than chronological age.

Front 41

Cataract

Back 41

A cloudiness or opacity in the that develops in the lens of the eye and result in poorer vision.

Front 42

Aging

Back 42

The life-long process of growing older, not just a later life experience

Front 43

Alzheimer's Disease

Back 43

The most common form of dementia. A degenerative disease that attacks the brain and results in impaired memory, thinking and behavior.

Front 44

Caloric restriction

Back 44

A diet in which caloric intake is reduced, compared with ad libitum (eat as much as you like) diets, without any reduction in nutritional requirements (protein, water, vitamins or minerals)

Front 45

Bases

Back 45

These are molecules with one or two nitrogen containing ring structures. The biologically important bases are the purines Adenine and Guanine and the pyrimidines Cytidine, Thymine and Uracil. DNA and RNA are composed of linked sequences of nucleotides.

Front 46

Dementia

Back 46

A syndrome characterized by a decline in intellectual functioning. May be caused by more than 70 diseases, the most common being Alzheimer's Disease

Front 47

Demography

Back 47

The study of a population and those variable bringing about change in that population. Variables studied by demographers are age, sex, race, education, income, geographic trends, birth and death.

Front 48

Diploid Cell

Back 48

A cell with pairs of homologous chromosomes

Front 49

DNA

Back 49

An abbreviation for Desoxy Ribonucleic Acid. Double stranded DNA molecules consist of anti-parallel (running in opposite directions) chains of nucleotides in which the sugar component is desoxyribose.

Front 50

Evidence-Based Medicine

Back 50

The practice of medicine with treatment recommendations that have I their origins in objective tests of efficacy published in the scientific literature rather than anecdotal observations.

Front 51

Fertility

Back 51

Reproductive potential. In demography, the number of years per year divided by the number of women of childbearing age, expressed as a rate.

Front 52

Genre

Back 52

A functional unit of heredity. It's a segment of DNA located at specific site on a chromosome whose length is typically several thousand base pairs long. A gene directs the formation of an enzyme or other protein by means of processes of transcription and translation. More precisely, a gene is a sequence of DNA that can be activated and copied into messenger RNA (or mRNA) by the process known as transcription.

Front 53

Generation

Back 53

Though popularly used as synonym for cohort, the term is also applied within the context of the family. Children from one generation, their parents from another, their grandparents a third, and so on.

Front 54

Genotype

Back 54

The genetic makeup of a cell, organism or group of organisms, with respect to a single trait or group of traits.The sum total of genes transmitted from parents to their offspring.

Front 55

Genome

Back 55

The complete collection of genes in the nucleus of each cell of our bodies. There are now known to be somewhat less than 25000 genes in the human genome

Front 56

Geriatrics

Back 56

A branch of internal medicine concerned with the care and treatment of older persons and the treatment and amelioration of disease of old age and frailty.

Front 57

Gerontology

Back 57

The multidisciplinary study of all aspects of aging, including health, biological, sociological, economic, behavioral and environmental.

Front 58

Glaucoma

Back 58

A disease in which pressure builds up within the eye and causes internal damage, gradually destroying vision.

Front 59

Haploid Cell

Back 59

A cell with half the normal compliment of chromosomes, typically a germ cell.

Front 60

Life history

Back 60

The combination of age-specific survival probabilities and fertilities characteristic of a species ; the time table of individual development and aging for a representative organism.

Front 61

Maximum lifespan

Back 61

The characteristic observed age of death for its very oldest individual of a species.

Front 62

Average lifespan

Back 62

The age at which 50 percent of the members of a species or a group has died.

Front 63

Life cycle

Back 63

The entire course of a person life, from infancy to old age.

Front 64

Longevity

Back 64

The condition or quality of being long lived.

Front 65

Meals on Wheels

Back 65

A program that delivers meals to the homebound.

Front 66

Medicare

Back 66

A federal entitlement program of medical insurance for persons age 65 and over, provided through the social security system. Covers mostly acute health care needs.

Front 67

Menopause

Back 67

The time of life when a woman ceases to menstruate and can no longer become pregnant.

Front 68

Osteoporosis

Back 68

A decrease in density of th bones causing structural weakness throughout the skeleton. Fractures can result from even a minor injury or fall.