Final answer:
Vital signs consist of measurable indicators like body temperature, heart rate, breathing rate, and blood pressure, used to assess an individual's health status. Deviations from normal measurements can indicate health conditions, whereas subjective symptoms like pain, although important, are harder to quantify.
Step-by-step explanation:
Vital signs are biological markers used to monitor and reflect the status of an individual's basic life functions. These include body temperature, which is typically around 37 °C (98.6 °F); heart rate, usually 60-100 beats per minute; breathing rate, with a normal range of 12-18 breaths per minute; and blood pressure, ideally between 90/60 and 120/80 mm Hg. Any deviation from these normal ranges can be indicative of disease or a condition that needs medical attention.
Other measurable aspects of health include antibody presence in blood and various metabolites levels in plasma, revealing evidence of infection or health status despite not always indicating active disease. It's important to note that unlike vital signs, which are objective, symptoms of disease such as pain are subjective, can be experienced differently by patients, and are more challenging to measure quantitatively.