Communicable Disease Flashcards
(20 cards)
What are pathogens?
Pathogens are microorganisms that enter the body and cause disease
What do pathogens cause?
Communicable diseases
What can be infected by pathogens?
Plants and animals
What are the 4 pathogens?
Bacteria, virus, fungi, protist
What is bacteria?
Very small cells which can reproduce rapidly inside your body
How does bacteria make you feel ill?
By producing toxins that damage your cells and tissues
What are viruses?
Viruses are not cells, and like bacteria, they reproduce rapidly inside your body
How do viruses make you feel ill?
They live inside your cells and replicate themselves using the cell’s machinery to produce many copies of themselves. The cell will usually them burst, releasing all the new viruses. The cell damage is what makes you feel ill.
What are protists?
Protists are single celled eukaryotes
Some protists are p____
Parasites
Where do parasites live, and can they cause damage?
Parasites live on or inside other organisms, and can cause them damage.
What are protists often transferred by?
A vector
Fungi come in different _____
Shapes
How can pathogens be spread?
Water — some pathogens can be picked up by drinking or bathing in dirty water
Air — pathogens can be carried in the air, and can then be breathed in
Direct contact — some pathogens may be picked up by touching contaminated surfaces, including skin
What is cholera?
A bacterial infection that’s spread by drinking water contaminated with the diarrhoea of other sufferers
What’s athlete’s foot?
Athlete’s foot is a fungus which makes skin itch and flake off. It’s most commonly spread by touching the same things as an infected person.
What is influenza?
A virus
Give an example of a virus
Influenza
Give an example of a fungus
Athletes foot
Give an example of a bacterial infection
Gonorrhoea
