How Does My Body Defend Itself Against Infection And Dieseases Flashcards
What is a pathogen?
A bacteria, virus or microorganism that can cause disease
How do bacteria and viruses make us feel ill?
Bacteria are living cells and, in favourable conditions, can multiply rapidly. Once inside the body, they release poisons or toxins that make us feel ill.
How do white blood cells help to defend us against pathogens?
- ingest pathogens and destroy them
- produce antibodies to destroy particular pathogens
- produce antitoxins that counteract the toxins released by pathogens.
How does immunity develop?
Once you have been infected with a particular pathogen and produced antibodies against it, some of the white blood cells remain. If you become infected again with the same pathogen, these white blood cells reproduce very rapidly and the pathogen is destroyed. This is active immunity. Sometimes you may be treated for infection by an injection of certain antibodies from someone else. This is passive immunity.
What was Semmelweiss’s discovery?
Because of Semmelweiss we now know that bacteria and infection can come from how clean someone is. Surgery equipment is now sterilised and everything is kept clean to be kept healthy.
How are painkillers useful?
They block nerve impulses from the painful part of the body, or block nerve impulses travelling to the part of the brain responsible for perceiving pain.
What are antibiotics?
a medicine that inhibits the growth of or destroys microorganisms.
Why is it so difficult to treat viral infection?
Viral infections are hard to treat because viruses live inside your body’s cells. They are “protected” from medicines, which usually move through your bloodstream. Antibiotics do not work for viral infections. There are a few antiviral medicines available.
What is a vaccination?
A small amount of a dead or inactive microorganism pumped into your blood stream and tackled by antibodies so that your body knows how to deal with the microorganism and becomes immune
Why must Petri dishes be sterilised before use?
So that no existing bacteria will effect an experiment
What is the maximum temperature that cultures can be incubated to in a school?
Why?
25 degrees for safety reasons
