Infectious Diseases and Immune System Flashcards
(18 cards)
What is an external parasite?
An organism that lives on the outside of a host organism and feeds off it, such as ticks or fleas.
What are the three lines of defence in the immune system?
- Physical and chemical barriers (skin, mucus membranes)
- Innate immune response (inflammation, phagocytes)
- Adaptive immune response (specific antibodies, T and B cells)
How do viruses cause disease?
Viruses invade host cells, use the cell’s machinery to replicate, and often destroy the host cell in the process, causing tissue damage and illness.
What is an infectious disease?
An illness caused by pathogens (bacteria, viruses, fungi, or parasites) that can spread between organisms.
What is a pathogen?
A microorganism that can cause disease when it infects a host.
What’s the difference between an epidemic and a pandemic?
An epidemic is a disease outbreak affecting many people in a specific area or region, while a pandemic is a global disease outbreak.
Why don’t antibiotics work against viruses?
Antibiotics only target bacterial cell structures and processes. Viruses have different structures and reproduce differently inside host cells.
What is naturally acquired active immunity?
Immunity developed after recovering from an actual infection, where the body produces antibodies and memory cells.
What is artificially acquired active immunity?
Immunity developed through vaccination, where weakened or dead pathogens stimulate antibody production.
What is naturally acquired passive immunity?
Temporary immunity received from mother to baby through placenta or breast milk.
What is artificially acquired passive immunity?
Temporary immunity received through injection of antibodies produced by another person or animal.
What are phagocytes?
White blood cells that engulf and destroy pathogens as part of the innate immune response.
What is inflammation?
A protective response involving redness, swelling, heat, and pain that helps fight infection and promote healing.
What is the adaptive immune response?
A specific immune response that produces antibodies to target particular pathogens and creates memory cells for future protection.
What is a T cell?
A type of white blood cell that plays a key role in the adaptive immune response by directly killing infected cells and helping regulate other immune cells
What is a B cell?
A type of white blood cell that makes antibodies, which are proteins that target specific pathogens for destruction
What is a lymphocyte?
A type of white blood cell (including T cells and B cells) that is crucial for adaptive immunity by recognizing and fighting specific pathogens
What is the function of the immune system?
To protect the body from diseases and infections by identifying and destroying harmful invaders like viruses, bacteria, and parasites
