Combating infection Flashcards
How do we combat infections?
Antibiotics, antivirals, antifungals, antiparasitics, vaccines, hygiene.
What do antibiotics treat?
Bacterial infections only.
How do antibiotics work?
Kill or stop bacteria by targeting the cell wall, proteins, DNA, or metabolism.
Why don’t antibiotics work on viruses?
Viruses lack a cell wall, ribosomes, and metabolism.
What do antivirals do?
Stop viruses from entering, replicating, or leaving cells.
What do antifungals treat?
Fungal infections like athlete’s foot and yeast infections.
How do antifungals work?
Damage fungal cell walls or membranes.
What do antiparasitics treat?
Infections from parasites like malaria and helminths (worms).
How do vaccines work?
Train the immune system to recognize and fight pathogens.
What are types of vaccines?
Live (weakened), inactivated (killed), mRNA, subunit.
What are examples of bacterial infections?
Strep throat, tuberculosis, pneumonia, E. coli.
What are examples of viral infections?
Flu, COVID-19, HIV, measles.
What are examples of fungal infections?
Athlete’s foot, ringworm, thrush.
What are examples of parasitic infections?
Malaria, tapeworm
How can we prevent infections?
Vaccines, hygiene, handwashing, sanitation, masks.
Why is hygiene important?
Stops pathogen spread in food, water, and air.
How does herd immunity work?
Enough people are vaccinated so disease spread slows/stops.
What are innate defenses against infection?
Skin, mucus, stomach acid, immune cells.
