Chapter 5 - Health And Disease - Microbes And Disease Flashcards
What are bacteria?
Tiny living things
Why are they called microbes?
You can only see them under a microscope
What is septicaemia, and how can it affect the body?
Blood poisoning - causes tissues and organs to die
What are the key meningitis symptoms?
Fever, nausea, dislike of bright lights, rash, bruises, aches and pains
What cells in your body fight infection?
White blood cells
What way do white blood cells fight infection?
Produce antibodies - clumps microbes together to make it easier for the white blood cells to engulf infection
How does vaccination work?
Injects small sample of microbes for white blood cells to recognise disease
What different sorts of microbe are there?
Fungi, bacteria, viruses, plasmidium
Who came up with the smallpox vaccine?
Edward Jenner
What conditions do bacteria and fungi like to grow in?
Warm and wet places (e.g on the human body)
Who discovered penicillin?
Alexander Fleming
What is an antibiotic?
A substance produced by fungi that kills bacteria (can’t kill viruses, as they live inside the cells)
