Knowra Biological factors Biological factors Biological factors are characteristics or processes of living organisms, including genes, physiology, age, and sex, that influence conditions or outcomes.
Genetics : The study of genes, heredity, and variation in organisms. Genetic variation can shape susceptibility, traits, and responses.
Gene expression : The process by which information in a gene is used to produce functional RNA or protein. It links genetic variation to molecular and organism-level effects.
Risk factor : A characteristic or exposure associated with an increased probability of an outcome. Biological traits can serve as risk factors without determining outcomes.
Social determinants of health : The social conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work, and age that shape health. They influence outcomes through social conditions rather than organism-level characteristics.
Physiology : The study of how living organisms and their parts function. Physiological processes influence how organisms maintain health and respond to change.
Endocrine system : The network of glands and hormones that regulates bodily functions. Hormones mediate biological effects on growth, metabolism, and behavior.
Biomarker : A measurable biological characteristic used as an indicator of a process, condition, or response. Biomarkers make some biological processes observable in research and care.
Environmental factors : Non-biological features of an organism's surroundings that can affect its condition or outcome. They distinguish external exposures from characteristics within living organisms.
Age : The length of time an organism has lived, often used to describe a stage of development. Biological effects can differ across development and aging.
Immune system : The cells, tissues, and processes that defend an organism against infection and other threats. Immune activity can determine vulnerability and responses to disease.
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