B5: Communicable Diseases Flashcards
What are some causes of diseases?
Virus
Genetics
Weak immune system
Poisoning
Bacteria
Malnutrition
Injury
Radiation
Tumours
Fungi
What are some factors increasing the likelihood of disease?
Old age
Poor diet
Poor hygiene
Low activity/ not exercising
What are communicable diseases?
Infectious diseases caused by pathogens
What are non-communicable disease?
Non-infectious diseases which are not caused by pathogens
What are pathogens?
Infectious microorganisms that cause disease by producing toxins or damaging cells
What type of pathogens are there?
Bacterial, fungal, viral, protist
What does defective immune system lead to?
More infectious diseases
What do viruses lead to?
Trigger cancers
What does immune reactions to pathogens lead to?
Trigger rashes and asthma
What does severe physical I’ll health lead to?
Depression or other mental illnesses
What are the three ways pathogens can be spread?
Airborne
Waterborne
Direct transmission
How are pathogens spread through airborne give an example
Droplets from coughs, sneezes E.g. measles
How are pathogens spread through waterborne give an example
Pathogens in contaminated water E.g. rose black spot fungus
How are pathogens spread through direct transmission give an example?
Contact with skin, sex, eating contaminated food, contact with blood, vectors E.g. salmonella, HIV, gonorrhoea, malaria protists, tobacco mosaic virus
What’s Dr Ignaz Semmelweis famous for?
He pioneered hand washing in hospitals
What is professor Louis Pasteur famous for?
Predicted tiny organisms might cause diseases in animals and humans.
What is professor Joseph lister famous for?
He devised sterile surgical procedures in operating theatres by using disinfectants to clean instruments.
How can we prevent infections from spreading?
H - hygiene
I - isolation - isolate the sick
V - vectors - eliminate other organisms that might transmit the pathogens
V - vaccinate
What are public health campaigns and why are they useful?
National strategies to improve public health by issuing simple instructions for citizens.
What are 3 viral pathogens?
Measles, HIV, Tobacco mosaic virus
What are 2 bacterial pathogens?
Salmonella, gonorrhoea
What is 1 fungal pathogen?
Rose black spot
What is 1 protist pathogen?
Malaria
What are antigens?
They are surface proteins on cells and viruses that can cause immune response if not recognised.
What are self antigens?
They are antigens on your own cells which your immune system ignores.
What are foreign antigens?
Antigens from other organisms which will trigger an immune response. :(
What are non-specific defences?
Generic defences to pathogens that are the same, regardless of pathogen.
What are barriers?
Physical and chemical obstacles that prevent pathogens from infecting organisms.
What is phagocytosis?
White blood cells called phagocytes that pursue, ingest and digest pathogens.
What are specific defences?
Targeted response that’s unique for each pathogen. This can lead to ‘immunity’ because repeated responses to same pathogen are faster and more powerful.
Explain the antibody production.
Special proteins called antibodies produced by white blood cells called lymphocytes.
Antibodies are complementary in shape to foreign antigens.
Specific antibodies attach to and destroy specific pathogens.
Explain antitoxin production.
Antitoxins have matching shapes to the toxin produced by the pathogen.
Antitoxins attach to and neutralise the toxins.
What are memory cells?
They are special white blood cells that are produced after a specific immune response.
What do memory cells do?
They monitor for reinfection by pathogens with the same antigen.
What do memory cells do if they monitor an infection with the same antigen as before?
More antibodies and antitoxins are produced.
Antibodies and antitoxins are made more quickly.
This allows the person to become immune.
What are some symptoms of plant diseases?
Stunted growth
Spots on leaves
Areas of decay
Growths
Malformed stems or leaves
Discolouration
Presence of pests
How can you identify diseases on plants?
Gardening manuals or websites.
Taking plants to a lab.
Using a testing kit that contains monoclonal antibodies.
What is a magnesium deficiency in plants?
Stops plants from making chlorophyll for photosynthesis (chlorosis)
What is a nitrate deficiency in plants?
Stops plants from making proteins for growth.
Why are nematode worms harmful?
They attack roots by making it rot and decompose therefore preventing the plant from being able to collect water to survive.
Why are aphids harmful?
They take sugars and act as vectors for pathogens.
What are physical barriers?
Cellulose cell walls, tough waxy cuticles on leaves, and dead cells (bark) that fall away if infected.
What are chemical barriers?
Antibacterial chemicals which kill bacteria poisons which put off herbivores.
What are mechanical barriers?
Thorns, hairs, mimicry, and curling leaves to put off herbivores
