# Looking for a specific definition



## Ed Roland (Mar 8, 2010)

How does ISA define the word "Disease"?


----------



## treeseer (Mar 8, 2010)

woodweasel said:


> How does ISA define the word "Disease"?


condition that impairs a vital function; usually infectious.

y do u ask? opcorn:


----------



## Ed Roland (Mar 8, 2010)

Guy, it's that "usually infectious" part that is causing strife in my life. 

The word _disease_ seems to be one of those terms that get waxed over with ambiguity. Pirone defines disease as "any condition in the plant that interferes with normal development." and if you google the definition they all say, in their own way, the same thing.

"A pathological condition of a part, organ, or system of an organism resulting from various causes, such as infection, genetic defect, or environmental stress, and characterized by an identifiable group of signs or symptoms" 
- answer.com/freeonlinedictionary.com

"disease /dis·ease/ (dĭ-zēz´) any deviation from or interruption of the normal structure or function of any body part, organ, or system that is manifested by a characteristic set of symptoms and signs and whose etiology, pathology, and prognosis may be known or unknown." 
- medicaldictionary.com

"Definition
noun, plural: diseases
An abnormal condition of an organism which interrupts the normal bodily functions that often leads to feeling of pain and weakness, and usually associated with symptoms and signs.
A pathologic condition in which the normal functioning of an organism or body is impaired or disrupted resulting in extreme pain, dysfunction, distress, or death.

Supplement
It may include state of injuries, disabilities, disorders, syndromes, infections, isolated symptoms, deviant behaviors, or atypical variations of structure and function."
- biology-online.org

Strictly speaking, ANY abnormal condition of an organism which interrupts normal functions is a disease. Now, I can not think of a circumstance where I would use this kind of technobabble to tell a client they caused a non-infectious disease with their lawnmower... even though they did... but, this _can_ be important when sitting for an ISA exam. Words have meaning.

Any official ISA stance on tree terms?


----------



## treeseer (Mar 8, 2010)

woodweasel said:


> Any official ISA stance on tree terms?


Yes, the Glossary can be yours for only $9.95. I pull it out often. updated annually; there is spirited discussion about some of the terms.  but broad agreement on the great majority of them.

the definition of disorder is exactly the same except it is "usually NONinfectious", so that fits lawnmower blight much better...some say disease is a type of disorder, some not. me i'm not sure, and not sure how much it matters.

I would not stress out too much about precision; aim for accuracy.


----------



## S Mc (Mar 9, 2010)

treeseer said:


> the definition of disorder is exactly the same except it is "usually NONinfectious", so that fits lawnmower blight much better...some say disease is a type of disorder, some not. me i'm not sure, and not sure how much it matters.
> 
> I would not stress out too much about precision; aim for accuracy.



A heartfelt THANK YOU, Guy.

Ed, can we NOW, PLEASE, drop this?


----------



## Ed Roland (Mar 9, 2010)

ok, i'm satisfied.


----------



## treeseer (Mar 9, 2010)

Wow it sounds like the tchat got a little stressed out there....:jawdrop:

$9.95; relative drop in the bucket...


----------



## Urban Forester (Mar 9, 2010)

treeseer said:


> Wow it sounds like the tchat got a little stressed out there....



Yeah really, how could anything about being an Arborist get you stressed out like that...


----------



## Ed Roland (Mar 9, 2010)

:agree2: Its the journey not the destination. 

If told to select the answer that is most right amungst all right answers then things get complicated. Free ISA definitions here. More work than thumbing a hard copy, though.
http://www.isa-arbor.com/Dictionary/DictionarySearch.aspx?ID=1 

Sylvia and i rarely disagree. The last was about the fourth causal factor >_time_< being added to the disease triangle. :deadhorse:
We have logged hundreds of hours online and with study webinars and AdvArb talk on facebook. 
I consider myself extremely lucky to have S Mc & D Mc as friends and study partners.

Guy, i'm told you will be joining us Thursday? See ya there.


----------



## ddhlakebound (Mar 10, 2010)

woodweasel said:


> :agree2: Its the journey not the destination.
> 
> If told to select the answer that is most right amungst all right answers then things get complicated. Free ISA definitions here. More work than thumbing a hard copy, though.
> http://www.isa-arbor.com/Dictionary/DictionarySearch.aspx?ID=1
> ...



Finally a reason to create a facebook acct....Are you all willing to have another student sitting in when I'm able? How fast of a connection speed is needed?


----------



## treeseer (Mar 10, 2010)

ed no i gotta go prune today--will be joining in april to dissect the detective's work in the next ish.

thanks for posting that link--i could not find it on the site.

making the disease triangle a square by factoring in the 4th dimension? crazy, man!

ddh just dive in; the water's fine tho choppy at times.


----------



## S Mc (Mar 10, 2010)

woodweasel said:


> :agree2: Its the journey not the destination.



It always is...so many miss that point entirely. 



woodweasel said:


> Sylvia and I rarely disagree. The last was about the fourth causal factor >_time_< being added to the disease triangle. :deadhorse:



OMG, Don't even get me started again on that one.  

The sign of a true friend. When you CAN have a passionate discussion where you do not fully agree and come away with respect and admiration for the other person, nonetheless. Cheers, Ed.

Sylvia


----------



## derwoodii (May 4, 2010)

Here's an interesting site worthy of a visit. 

I was looking up a new term for me found in a tree report as I was finding it a bit Orwellian 1984 double speak "When T1 reaches the point of ‘pathological rotation’ it will no longer be able to adequately ‘mechanically self optimise’ and is likely to fail" err me thinks "trees got some rot n gonna fall soon"...

But found this site on the google trail.. enjoy

http://www.forestpathology.org/index.html

What do you think a disease is? One textbook says: “Any deviation in the normal functioning of a plant caused by some type of persistent agent.”

http://www.forestpathology.org/concepts.html


----------



## treeseer (May 15, 2010)

Pathological rotation = Mortality spiral, when the "decline spiral" is so advanced that it is certain that it cannot reverse into a "RECOVERY SPIRAL"?


----------

