B3.2 - Turning Points in Biology Flashcards
What is an immunisation?
An immunisation is the prevention of certain diseases.
What is a vaccine?
A vaccine contains dead or inactive forms of pathogens to make you immune to a disease.
Who developed the first vaccine and what was disease was it for?
Edward Jenner. It was used for smallpox
What is herd immunity?
Resistance to the spread of a disease because a high population of people are immune.
What is a pathogen?
A harmful microorganism.
What is an antibody?
An antibody is a chemical that attacks and destroys pathogens.
How are antibodies created in the body?
Antibodies are created by white blood cells when a pathogen is detected by your immune system.
Why do some people choose not to be vaccinated?
The safety of some vaccines and the possible side effects.
What do antibiotics do?
They kill or slow down the growth of bacteria and fungi.
What do antibiotics not affect?
They do not affect viruses.
Who was the first person to create antibiotics and what did he discover?
Alexander Fleming. He discovered penicillin.
How would you find out the correct antibiotic to use on a specific bacteria?
Use an agar plate which has the bacteria spread out over it.
Then place antibiotic discs (paper discs soaked in an antibiotic) on the surface of the agar.
The disc with the largest inhibition zone (area where bacteria has grown least) is the one that is most successful against the bacteria.
What does sterile mean?
Clean of microorganisms.
How do antibiotics kill fungi and bacteria?
They disrupt the cell function or break down the cell wall.
What is a resistant bacteria?
It is bacteria that is resistant to antibiotics (antibiotic resistance).
