Health Definition
- The health does not simply mean "Absence of disease" or "Physical fitness".
- It could be define as a state of complete physical, mental & social well being.
- When peoples are healthy they are more efficient at work.
- This increase productivity & brings economic prosperity.
- Health also increase longevity of people & reduce infant & maternal mortality.
- Balanced diet, regular exercise & personal hygienes are very important to maintain good health.
- When peoples are aware about diseases & their effect on different body function, vaccination against infectious diseases, proper disposal of wastes, maintenance of good food, control of vectors and water resources are necessary for achieving good health.
- Drugs abuse & alcohol abuse also affect our health adversely.
- Of course, health is affected by-
- Genetic disorder.
- Infection.
- Life style including food and water we take rest and exercise we give to our bodies, habits that we have or lack etc.
- When the functioning of one or more organs or system of the body is adversely affected, characterized by various sign and symptoms, we say that we are not healthy i.e, we have a disease.
- Disease can be broadly grouped into infectious and non- infectious.
- Infectious disease- Diseases which are easily transmitted from one person to another person.
- These infectious disease are common eg; AIDS are Infectious disease and it is fatal.
Some terms related to immunity
- Immunity- Resistance of the body against a pathogen or disease.
- Antigen or Agglutinogen- Proteinous substance which stimulates the production of antibodies.
- Antibody or Agglutinin- It is a complex glycoprotein secreted by B lymphocytes in response to an antigen.
- Antiserum- Serum of any animal which contains the antibody for a specific antigen is called antiserum.
- Venom (poison)- Toxic substance secrete by snake and some insect.
- Agglutination- Antigen antibody reaction is called agglutination.
- Serology- Study of antigen antibody reaction.
- Toxoid- A bacterial exotoxin which is detoxicated by special procedure to allow its safe use in immunization against the disease.
- Interleukin- It is a protein substance which stimulate the growth and activate certain kind of W.B.C that are involved in immune response, also act as a secondary messenger that activate the immune system eg; IL-1,IL-2,IL-3,IL-4,IL-5 (IL- Interleukin).
