1.5 Vocabulary Flashcards
Antibodies
Proteins produced by the immune system that bind to and eliminate foreign bodies.
Bone Marrow
The soft tissues inside the bones, producing our blood cells.
Cilia
Hair-like organelles that are found on the surface of some eukaryotic cells. In the trachea, they help brush up mucus and dust particles away from the lungs.
Colonization
The process of bacteria adapting to permanently inhabit our bodies.
Commensal Flora
The microbes that normally inhabit our bodies and coexist with us without causing disease.
Commensal Microbes (Flora)
The microbes that normally reside within a host.
Commensalism
Symbiotic relationship in which one organism derives a benefit, and the other is unharmed.
Complement System
Proteins produced by the body that are toxic to microbes.
Defensins
Small peptides, that can poke holes microbial cell membrane causing them to die.
Keratin
Protein that is one of the key components of skin, nails, and hair.
Lysozyme
An enzyme found on or in saliva that can degrade the cell walls of gram positive bacteria.
Peritoneal Cavity
Space between the organs in the abdominal cavity and the abdominal wall.
Phagocyte
Scavenger cell that engulfs and samples foreign bodies.
Sterile
Free of any biological agents including microscopic ones such as bacteria, fungi, and viruses.
Thymus
Soft organ behind the breast bone where T cells mature (develop) to respond to pathogens.
