3. Infection and Response Flashcards
What are pathogens?
Microorganisms that cause disease.
What are communicable diseases?
Diseases that are infectious and can easily spread.
Why can bacteria make you feel ill?
They produce toxins which damage your cells and tissues.
Why do viruses make you feel ill?
They reproduce rapidly inside your body. They live inside cells and replicate themsleves using the cells’ machinery to produce many copies of themselves. The causes the celll to burst, releasing all the new viruses. The cell damage makes you feel ill.
What are protists?
Single-celled eukaryotes that are parasites. They live on or inside other organisms and can cause them damage. The are often transferred to the organism by a vector, which doesn’t get the disease itself.
What are fungi?
Single-celled or have a body made up of hyphae. These hyphae can grow and penetrate human skin and the surface of plants causing disease. Can produce spores which can be spread to others.
How can pathogens be spread?
- Water.
- Air.
- Direct contact.
How is measles spread?
By droplets from an infected person’s sneeze or cough.
What are symptoms of measles?
Red skin rash and fever.
How can measles be fatal?
If there are complications, it can lead to pneumonia or encephalitis.
How can the spread of measles be prevented?
Being vaccinated.
How is HIV spread?
Sexual contact or by exchanging bodily fluids such as blood (eg. when sharing needles).
What are symptoms of HIV?
Flu-like symptoms for a few weeks.
How can the symptoms in the first few weeks be controlled?
Taking antiretroviral drugs. Will stop the virus replicating.
What is late stage HIV infection, or AIDS?
When your body’s immune system is badly damaged that it can’t cope with other infections or cancers.
What is tobacco mosaic virus?
Virus that affects many species of plants, eg. tomatoes.
What does tobacco mosaic virus cause?
Mosaic pattern on the leaves of plants. Parts of the leaf become discoloured.
How can TMV affect a plants growth?
As the leafs have been discoloured, the plant can’t carry out photosynthesis as well.
What is rose black spot?
A fungus that causes purple or black spots to develop on the leaves of rose plants. The leaves then can turn yellow and drop off.
Why does rose black spot affect growth?
As the leaves turn yellow and drop off, less photosynthesis can happen.
How does rose balck spot spread?
Through the environment in water or by the wind.
How can rose black spot be treated?
Using fungicides or stripping the plant of it’s affected areas. These leaves are then destroyed so that it can’t spread to other plants.
What is malaria and how does it spread?
Disease caused by a protist. Part of the malarial protists life cycle takes place in a mosquito. Mosquitoes are vectors and will pick up the protist when feeding on an infected animal. Everytime the mosquito feeds on another animal, it infects it by inserting the protist into the animal’s blood vessels.
What are symptoms of malaria?
Repeating episodes of feaver.
How can the spread of malaria be reduced?
Stopping the mosquitoes from breeding, using insecticides and mosquito nets.
What is salmonella?
A type of bacteria that causes food poisoning.
What are symptoms of salmonella?
Fever, stomach cramps, vomiting and diarrhoea.
What causes the symptoms of salmonella?
Toxins produced.