3.1.1 Disease Flashcards
What is a disease and what can it be caused by?
A disorder of the body, caused by
- Pathogens
- Dietary Deficiency
- Abiotic/Environmental Factors
- Lifestyle factors
- Age/Degeneration of Body Tissue
- Genetic factors
What are the steps a pathogen must take to cause a disease?
- Transmission to host
- Entry inside the body
- Evading the defences of the host
- Harming the host
How can pathogens be transmitted to human hosts?
- Drinking Water
- Eating food
- Animal bites
- Direct Contact
How do pathogens pass the endodermis to gain entry to the body
Through cuts in the skin or thinner epithelium exchange interfaces like the lungs or gut
What types of defences are there to protect against pathogens?
Stomach acid, lysozyme enzymes, and the immune system
What are the two ways pathogens can harm their host?
- Reproducing inside host cells, preventing cells from carrying out normal reactions, then bursting out of the cell and killing the cell
- Producing toxins that inhibit enzymes, bind to receptors, cause DNA mutations or interfere with synapses
What lifestyle factors lead to increased chance of disease?
Diet, Exercise, Work Environment, Sexual Habits, Smoking, Drinking and Drug Taking
Does correlation necessarily mean causation?
No.
What is a risk factor?
Something that increases the probability that something else will occur
