mod 7 Flashcards
(31 cards)
Explain the characteristics that differentiate types of pathogens
Pathogens include prions, viruses, bacteria, protozoans, fungi, and macroparasites, classified by structure, cellular organisation, and reproduction methods.
Outline the steps involved in pathogen transmission during an epidemic
Pathogens must exit a host, survive transmission, enter a new host, and establish infection to spread effectively.
Discuss how environmental and social factors influence the spread of disease
Factors like sanitation, overcrowding, and travel can increase exposure and transmission of infectious diseases.
Explain how malaria is transmitted and managed
Malaria is transmitted via mosquito bites and managed by vector control, antimalarial drugs, and prevention methods like nets and insecticides.
Outline the impact and management strategies of the Ebola virus
Ebola causes severe illness and is managed through isolation, contact tracing, burial protocols, and supportive treatment.
Describe direct and indirect modes of disease transmission
Direct involves contact or droplets; indirect includes airborne, waterborne, foodborne, and vector-borne pathways.
Discuss how Louis Pasteur contributed to understanding infectious disease
Pasteur disproved spontaneous generation, developed germ theory, and created vaccines and pasteurisation.
Explain Koch’s postulates and their significance in microbiology
Koch’s postulates link specific microbes to diseases, enabling identification and study of pathogens.
Outline how plant diseases affect agricultural productivity
Infectious diseases in crops can reduce yield, quality, and marketability, leading to economic loss.
Discuss the causes and consequences of Panama disease in bananas
Caused by a soil fungus, it starves banana plants of nutrients and water, reducing marketable crop yield.
Explain how anthrax affects livestock and management strategies
Anthrax causes rapid death in livestock; management includes carcass disposal and soil removal to prevent spread.
Describe how foot and mouth disease impacts agriculture
Highly contagious, it reduces milk production and disrupts livestock trade, requiring quarantine and culling.
Outline pathogen adaptations that enhance transmission
Adaptations include resistance to immune response, survival in vectors, and secretion of chemicals or adhesion structures.
Explain the role of vectors in disease transmission
Vectors like mosquitoes carry pathogens between hosts, enabling life cycle completion and infection spread.
Discuss how viruses evade host immune responses
Viruses avoid detection through rapid mutation, hiding in host cells, or disrupting immune signalling.
Describe how antibiotic resistance develops in bacteria
Overuse of antibiotics selects for resistant strains, which multiply and spread through horizontal gene transfer.
Outline passive plant defences against pathogens
Include physical barriers like thick cuticles and bark, and chemical deterrents such as antimicrobial compounds.
Explain active plant responses to pathogens
Involve recognition of invaders, oxidative bursts, cell wall reinforcement, and programmed cell death.
Discuss how systemic acquired resistance works in plants
After infection, signals like salicylic acid enhance long-term resistance to future pathogen attacks.
Describe the plant response to a named fungal pathogen
E.g. Lomandra responds to Phytophthora by producing hydrogen peroxide to kill fungi and limit spread.
Explain non-specific animal defences against pathogens
Include skin barriers, inflammation, phagocytosis, fever, and antimicrobial secretions.
Outline specific immune responses in animals
Involve B and T lymphocytes targeting specific antigens, producing antibodies and memory cells.
Discuss the role of inflammation in the immune response
Inflammation isolates pathogens, increases immune cell access, and initiates tissue repair.
Describe how phagocytes combat infection
Phagocytes engulf and digest pathogens using enzymes, forming part of the innate immune system.
