Body Defences Flashcards
What is a defence mechanism?
It is developed by the body to prevent the likely hood of infections
What is the first line of defence?
Physical and chemical barriers
What is the second and third line of defence?
Inflammation, immune specific responses
Describe the ‘Chain of Infection’
Reservoir, portal of exit, method of transmission, portal of entry, host, causative agent
What are the skin’s mechanisms of defence?
Sweat, lysozyme, structural, shedding, salt, sebum and keratin.
Defence mechanisms of the respiratory tract?
- Hairs in the nose which trap dust and foreign particles
- Cilia line air passageways and
Secretions that protect the body
Lysozyme - tears, saliva, vaginal and seminal fluid
Stomach acids - pH 2 destroys most organisms
What are different cleansing actions
Saliva, tears, urine, vomiting and vaginal and seminal fluid
What are normal or resident flora?
Do not usually cause disease, prevent other microorganisms from growing out of control by competing for space, relatively permanent and unchanging
What are transient flora?
Temporary, more likely to cause infection, easily transferred from surface to surface
What are opportunists?
When good flora goes bad
What can opportunists do?
Compromised the immune system
