Infection & response Flashcards
What is the defenition of health?
The state of physical and mental well-being.
What are 3 causes of ill health?
- communicalbe and non-communicable diseases
- poor diet
- high levels of stress
- working with harmful chemicals
and the list goes on.
What is a pathogen?
MICROORGANISMS such as viruses and bacteria the CAUSE DISEASES in animals and plants.
How do pathogens make us feel ill?
By producing toxins.
Name 3 viral diseases
- Measles (fever and a red skin rash).
- HIV (flu like illness, the virus attacks the body’s immune cells).
- Tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) (gives discolouration of leaves affects growth of plant).
How can viruses spread?
Direct contact by water or by air.
Name 2 bacterial diseases
- Salmonella - food poisoning (spreads by bacteria ingested in food).
- Gonorrhoea - STD with symptoms of a thick yellow or green discharge form the peen or vagina pain when you urinate.
Name 3 things white blood cells produce to defend against pathogens?
- Phagocytes
- Antibody production
- Antitoxin production
What is the job of the non-specific defence system?
It is to PREVENT pathogens from entering the human body e.g. skin consists of dead cells making it DIFFICULT for pathogens to penetrate.
What is the job of the immune system?
- It DESTROYS pathogens and any toxins they produce.
- It PROTECTS us in case the same type of pathogen invades us again in the future.
What is phagocytosis?
Where white blood cells INGEST PATHOGENS and uses ENZYMES to destroy the pathogens.
What are antibodies?
PROTEIN MOLECULES produced by white blood cells
What do the antibodies do?
They STICK to the pathogens which triggers them to be DESTROYED (lock and key).
Can antibodies for measles virus work against another pathogen?
No antibodies are EXTREMELY SPECIFIC.
How can toxins produced by certain types of bacteria be countered?
With antitoxins.
