Vaccination And Immunity Flashcards
What is the role of the immune system?
Destroys pathogens and toxins
Protects us in the future
What are the roles of white blood cells?
Engulfing through phagocytosis
Produce antibodies (lymphocytes)
Produce antitoxins (neutralises toxins)
Produce memory cells
What is herd immunity?
Unvaccinated person can’t catch disease because everyone around them is vaccinated
Suggest the main benefit of vaccinating lots of people.
Herd immunity
Describe how a vaccine can stop a person contacting a disease in the future.
A dead or inactive version of pathogen is injected in patient
WBC are stimulated to produce specific antibodies against the antigen
Antibodies stay in circulation if live pathogen infects person
Antibodies are made rapidly and in large quantities
Describe how a person develops natural immunity to a communicable disease (6)
Pathogens invade the body and has surface proteins called antigens.
Antigen recognised by WBC
WBC produce antibodies that specifically match the antigen
Antibodies cause pathogens to clump together for easy phagocytosis
Antibodies circulate in body and made rapidly incase of future invasion
Through memory cells
Why should a patient finish the Full course of the antibiotic tablets?
To prevent the spread of resistance bacteria.
Explain how lymphocytes aid phagocytosis.
Lymphocytes produce antibodies that bind to antigens
This makes pathogens clump together
Phagocytes can more easily engulf and digest pathogens
Explain the mechanisms that stop pathogens entering the body via trachea and bronchi
Mucus traps pathogens
Cilia waft mucus and pathogens up to the throat
Mucus and pathogens get swallowed and destroyed by stomach acid
What is a disadvantage to vaccination?
Not guaranteed immunity to illness in future
People experience side effects like high temps and fevers
Describe how the human body prevents pathogens entering
Skin acts as a natural barrier, oil on surface repels pathogens
Eyes produce tears which are antiseptic and contain enzymes to kill bacteria
Trachea and bronchi contain mucus to trap bacteria and is carried away by cilia
