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Module 4 > Communicable Diseases > Flashcards

Communicable Diseases Flashcards

(69 cards)

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1
Q

What’s a pathogen

A

Organism that causes disease

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2
Q

What’s a host

A

Organism the pathogen lives in

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3
Q

Organisms that affect diseases

A

Bacteria
Viruses
Fungi
Protoctista

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4
Q

How do bacteria spread disease

A

They are prokaryotic cells that rapidly reproduce to spread disease -> no membrane bound organelles & nucleus
- most bacteria produce toxins that produce poison or damage the host cells, causing disease.
These toxins can damage / inactivate enzymes, cause cell-membrane breakdown etc. e.g. interfere with the host cell genetic material so cells can’t divide

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5
Q

Diseases caused by bacteria

A

TB & ring rot

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6
Q

How do viruses infect host cells and take over the generic machinery & organelles of cell

A
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7
Q

Diseases caused by viruses

A
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8
Q

How do fungi spread disease

A

Some fungi produce toxins which affect the host cells & cause disease
Fungi digest living cells & destroys them. This combined with the response of the body to the fungus damage gives symptom of disease

Fungi = hyphae from mycelium spread throughout host skin / vascular tissue -> release spores

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9
Q

Diseases caused by fungi

A
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10
Q

How do Protoctista spreads disease

A

Some take over the cells & break them open, digesting
Some need a vector to transfer them to their hosts, while some enter directly through polluted water

These are eukaryotes which aren’t animals, fungi, or plants + have overlapping features with all of the other eukaryotes

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11
Q

What diseases do Protoctista cause

A
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12
Q

Ways of direct transmission

A
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13
Q

Ways of indirect transmission e.g. using a vector etc

A
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14
Q

Factors that increase the likelihood of transmission

A
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15
Q

Why is spread of communicable diseases likelier in warmer / moist conditions

A
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16
Q

What is direct transmission

A

Direct contact of a healthy plant with any part of a diseased one

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17
Q

Ways of indirect transmission (NOT USING A VECTOR)

A
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18
Q

What are factors affecting plants pathogen transmission

A
  • planting varieties of crops that are susceptible to disease
  • over-crowding increases the likelihood of contact
  • damp conditions = increased survival and spread of spores & pathogens
  • poor mineral nutrition = reduced plant resistance
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19
Q

What are (plants) passive defences

A

Passive defences are always present, before infection, & prevent entry & spread of pathogen

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20
Q

Examples of main physical plant defences

A
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21
Q

Chemical defences in plants

A
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22
Q

What are non-specific defences in animals

A
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23
Q

What are the steps of skin keratinisation (~30 days)

A
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24
Q

Why does blood clot

A
  • prevents excess blood loss
  • prevent pathogens entering body & bloodstream through wound
  • scab provides barrier which allows wound to heal
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25
How does blood clot
Clotting factors activate the enzyme cascade, once a clot forms, blood cannot leak out of the body & pathogens cannot get in
26
Why does blood clot formation have to be complex
To prevent formation in blood vessels when not needed
27
Wound repair steps
28
What do mast cells do in the immune response
Detect the presence of pathogens in tissue, then release histamines (cell signalling substances)
29
What do histamines stimulate
- vasodilation to increase blood flow through capillaries to area -> leaky capillaries allow WBC’s + plasma proteins to leave the blood & enter tissue fluid -> that tissue fluid then enters tissues, leading to swelling The excess tissue fluid is drained by the lymphatic system, where lymphocytes are stored, & pathogens come into contact with lymphocytes and imitate the immune response
30
What are expulsive reflexes
1. Coughs & Sneezes - they eject the pathogen laden mucus from gas exchange 2. Vomiting & Diarrhoea - expel the contents of the gut, & infective pathogens
31
How do mucus membrane work / what’s the action of mucus
Mucus secreted by goblet cells Mucus traps pathogen Cilia sweeps mucus upwards to top of trachea Mucus swallowed -> enters digestive system -> traps pathogens -> killed by stomach acid
32
Where are mucus membranes found
Mucus membrane line the gut, airways and reproductive system, as these areas are less well protected as ifs where many things are taken into the body
33
What are antibodies
Y shaped (proteins) that are specific to 1 type of antigen
34
Antibody structure
4 polypeptide chains (two light & two heavy) held together by disulphide bonds 2 variable regions (these allow for the binding of more than 1 of the same antigen) - has a complementary shape to a specific antibody - variable regions of different antibodies allow for specificity to different antigens Constant region (allows recognition by & attachment to phagocytes) Hinge region (allows flexibility + binding of more than one antigen)
35
Function of the antibody
Produced by plasma cells to bind to specific antigens
36
Antibody diagram
37
Antibody diagram
38
Ways antibodies can function
Agglutinins Opsonins Anti-toxins
39
What do agglutinins do
Cause pathogens to stick together by agglutination - clump together many pathogens - clump too large to enter host cells - increases likelihood of the clump being consumed by phagocyte & more pathogens can be consumed by phagocyte at once
40
How do opsonins work
These are protein molecules which attach to antigens on the surface of a pathogen -> increase the ability of the phagocyte to bind to & engulf the pathogen
41
How do anti-toxins work
They neutralise toxins released by pathogens - cover binding site (antigen) on pathogen Bind to toxins Prevent entry of pathogen into host cell
42
Types of immunity
Active Passive Artificial Natural
43
Types of each immunity explanation / examples
44
What is autoimmunity
When antibodies produced by the immune system attack its own antigens, damaging its body cells
45
Examples of autoimmune diseases
46
What are lymphocytes
White blood cells Smaller than phagocytes Have large nucleus which fills most of cell Specific receptors on the cell surface membranes
47
2 types of lymphocytes
T and B
48
T cells vs B cells table
49
What do T cells differentiate into
50
What do B lymphocytes become
Differentiate into plasma cells e.g. to produce antibodies B memory cells also stay in the blood to provide long term immunity
51
What occurs in the primary immune response (based on B cells & humoural immunity)
52
How does the secondary immune response differ from the primary one
Secondary… Stars earlier than primary Faster Produces more antibodies + production starts sooner than primary Due to memory cells
53
Functions of memory cells
54
Functions of memory cells
55
Vaccination definition
Deliberate exposure to harmless antigenic material in order to stimulate an immune response, produce antibodies, & memory cells in order to gain future immunity to a specific disease Antigenic material = weakened dead pathogen
56
Epidemic vs pandemic
Epidemic = rapid spread of disease through a high proportion of population Pandemic = worldwide epidemic
57
Herd vaccination vs ring vaccination
58
Why do vaccines have to be changed regularly
As different strains of the pathogen emerge due to the pathogen mutations -> these diff strains have diff antigens, so therefore antibodies produced must match the antigens of the new strain
59
Examples of vulnerable demographics in society e.g as they have compromised or immature immune systems
- young children - elderly - hiv infected - on immunosuppressants - leukomia - under cancer treatments
60
Define ‘health’
Free from disease & physical, mental & social well-being & good nutrition & suitable housing
61
Sources of medicines & threats to these sources
Sources - plants / micro-organisms esp those in traditional medicine (as already identified to be likely to have a medicinal effect Threat - reducing biodiversity - new drugs coming from plants / animals fungi Leads to habitat destruction via logging
62
How does antibiotic resistance develop
63
How does antibiotic resistance develop
64
What do phagocytes do + types of them
First line of secondary defence (after pathogen has entered the body) E.g. macrophages, neutrophils, & mast cells
65
What are macrophages / what do they do (etc’
66
What do Antigen present cells do
Move around the body, increasing the likelihood that it will come into contact via specific cells (T-lymphocytes) which active the immune response
67
What do neutrophils do / their structure / their traits etc.
68
What do cytokines do
They’re cell signalling molecules which stimulate the immune response - have specific shape - complementary shape to receptor - bind to receptor on membrane - activate clonal expansion
69
What is the process of phagocytosis (a neutrophil engulfing a pathogen into a phagocyte)

Module 4 (3 decks)

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