Biology 100 Midterm 2 (part 3) Flashcards
Discuss the spread of antibiotic resistance in bacteria through plasmids.
Plasmids play a crucial role in the rapid spread of antibiotic resistance among bacteria by acting as small, circular pieces of DNA that can transfer antibiotic resistance genes between different bacterial cells through a process called horizontal gene transfer, primarily via conjugation, allowing bacteria to easily acquire resistance traits and contribute significantly to the growing problem of multidrug-resistant pathogens.
Identify events that could lead to an emerging virus.
Events that could lead to an emerging virus include: changes in land use and deforestation, increased international travel, climate change, urbanization, intensive agriculture practices, wildlife trade, breakdown in public health measures, microbial adaptation and mutation, human population growth, and changes in animal host populations; all of which can facilitate the transmission of viruses from animals to humans or enable a virus to spread more easily within a human population.
Identify events that could lead to an emerging virus.
Events that could lead to an emerging virus include: changes in land use and deforestation, increased international travel, climate change, urbanization, intensive agriculture practices, wildlife trade, breakdown in public health measures, microbial adaptation and mutation, human population growth, and changes in animal host populations; all of which can facilitate the transmission of viruses from animals to humans or enable a virus to spread more easily within a human population.
Identify the major functions and organs involved in the circulatory, immune, and endocrine systems, and describe how they work together to keep you healthy.
The circulatory system, primarily composed of the heart and blood vessels, transports oxygen and nutrients to cells throughout the body while removing waste products; the immune system, including white blood cells and lymphatic organs, defends against pathogens; and the endocrine system, consisting of glands like the thyroid and pancreas, regulates bodily functions by secreting hormones - all working together to maintain overall health by ensuring proper delivery of nutrients, fighting infections, and balancing vital bodily processes.
Discuss the immune response to infectious diseases.
The immune system’s response to infectious diseases involves two main components: innate immunity and adaptive immunity. Both components are made up of white blood cells that come from hematopoietic stem cells in the bone marrow.
Distinguish between infectious diseases and genetic diseases.
Infectious diseases are caused by harmful organisms that enter the body from outside, while genetic diseases are caused by abnormalities in the genome that a person is born with.
Describe how we combat infectious diseases (antibiotics and vaccines).
To combat infectious diseases, we primarily use antibiotics to treat existing bacterial infections by killing or inhibiting the bacteria, while vaccines are administered proactively to stimulate the body’s immune system to prevent future infections by a specific pathogen, essentially “training” the body to recognize and fight off the disease-causing agent if encountered later.
Discuss how various pathogens can lead to sexually transmitted diseases and affect reproductive health.
Various pathogens, including bacteria like Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae, viruses like Human Papillomavirus (HPV) and Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV), and parasites like Trichomonas vaginalis, can cause sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) by infecting the reproductive tract, leading to complications like pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), infertility, ectopic pregnancy, and even cervical cancer, significantly impacting reproductive health.
Distinguish between prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells.
The primary distinction between prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells is that prokaryotic cells lack a nucleus and other membrane-bound organelles, while eukaryotic cells possess a well-defined nucleus and various membrane-bound organelles within their cytoplasm, allowing for greater cellular complexity and organization; essentially, prokaryotic cells are simpler and smaller compared to eukaryotes.
Describe prokaryotic cellular structure and diversity, highlighting the differences and similarities between archaea and bacteria.
Prokaryotic cells, including both archaea and bacteria, are single-celled organisms lacking a nucleus and internal membrane-bound organelles, with a simple structure consisting of a plasma membrane, cytoplasm, a single circular DNA molecule located in a region called the nucleoid, and often a cell wall; however, the key distinction between archaea and bacteria lies in the composition of their cell walls, with bacteria containing peptidoglycan while archaea do not, and differences in their cell membrane lipid structures, making archaea more adaptable to extreme environments.
Describe the life cycle of a viral bacteriophage through transduction.
In transduction, a bacteriophage accidentally incorporates a piece of bacterial DNA from its host cell into its own viral genome during replication, then transfers this “borrowed” DNA to a new bacterial host when it infects another cell, essentially acting as a vector to move genetic material between bacteria; this process typically occurs during the lytic cycle of the bacteriophage, where the host cell is lysed to release new viral particles, sometimes mistakenly packaging bacterial DNA instead of viral DNA.
Describe the function of a prion and a viroid.
A prion is a misfolded protein that acts as an infectious particle, causing neurodegenerative diseases by converting normal proteins into the abnormal prion form, while a viroid is a small, circular, single-stranded RNA molecule that infects plants and causes disease by disrupting the host cell’s normal functions, relying on the host’s machinery for replication and propagation; essentially, prions are infectious proteins, and viroids are infectious RNA molecules that primarily affect plants.
