12 - Communicable diseases Flashcards
Pathogens
Pathogens are microorganisms that cause diseases.
they live within the Host and also cause damage by taking nutrition from them.
There are 4 types of pathogens
Bacteria
TB
Bacterial meningitis
Ringrot
Their presence can cause diseases by damaging cells or by releasing waste products to the host.
In plants bacteria lives within the vascular tissues and cause blackening and death of these tissues
Viruses
HIV / AIDS
Influenza
Tobacco Mosaic Virus (TMV)
Viruses invade cells and take over the genetic machinery and other organelles of the cell
Then they cause the cell to create more copies of the virus
The host cell eventually bursts releasing many new viruses which can affect the healthy cells
Protoctista
Malaria
Blight
These enter the cell and feed on the contents so that they can grow
Fungi
Black sigatoka
Athlete’s foot
Ringworm
Fungus can send out specialise reproductive hyphae which grow on the surface of the skin to release spores
Direct Transmission
Passing a pathogen from host to new host with no middle vector
Indirect transmission
Passing off and pathogen from host to a new host via a vector
Transmission
Passing a pathogen from an infected individual to an uninfected individual
Vector
An organism that carries a pathogen from one host to another
Diseases and climate
Many fungi and bacteria can grow and reproduce quicker in warm and waste conditions therefore they tend to be more common in warmer climates. In cooler conditions these pathogens are damaged and even killed by cold weather
Passive defences
Passive defences are present before the infection and their role is to prevent the entry and spread of the pathogen
Plant defences (physical)
Cellulose cell wall acts as a physical barrier
Lignin thickening of the cell wall
Waxy cuticle prevent water collecting on the surface
Bark contains chemicals
Callose : a large polysaccharide that is deposited in the sieve tubes
Plant defences (chemical)
Some chemicals such as terpenes and tannins in bark are present before an infection however because it requires a lot of energy they are not produced until after the plant detects takes an infection
Active Defence
Cell walls becoming thickened and are strengthened with additional cellulose.
Callose is deposited between the plant cell wall and membrane near the pathogen so that the pathogen cannot penetrate the barrier and infect the cell
Necrosis
Deliberate cell suicide
Canker
A sunken necrotic lesion in the woody tissue it causes death of the cambium tissue in the bath
Inflammation
Swelling and redness of tissue caused by infection
Mucous membrane
Specialised epithelial tissue that is covered by mucus
Primary defences
Those that prevent pathogens entering the body
The Skin
The skin is the body’s main primary defence. The outer layer of the skin or the epidermis, consists of layers of cells. These cells are called keratinocytes.
These cells are produced by mitosis at the base of the epidermis. As they migrate, they dry out and the cytoplasm is replaced by the protein keratin. This process is called keratinisation. By the time the cells reach the surface, they are no longer available. The layer of dead skin acts as an effective barrier to pathogens.
Blood clotting
The body must prevent excess blood loss by forming a clot, making a temporary seal to prevent infection and repair the skin.
Many clotting factors are released platelets and from damaged tissue. These factors activate an enzyme cascade.
Skin repair
Once the clot is formed, it begins to dry out and form a scab. The scab shrinks and dries, which makes a temporary seal, where the skin under repairs.
Phagocytes
First line of the secondary defence. Specialised cells in the blood and tissue fluid engulf and digest the pathogens.
Antigen presenting cell
A cell that isolates the antigen from a pathogen and places it on the plasma membrane so that it can be recognised by other cells in the immune system
Neutrophil
A type of white blood cells that engulfs foreign matter and traps it the phagosome which fuses with lysosomes to digest the foreign matter.
Opsonins
Protein that binds to the antigen on a pathogen and then allow phagocytes to bind.