Communicable Diseases Flashcards
What is a pathogen?
A microorganism that invades your body and causes infectious disease.
What are 4 types of pathogen?
Bacteria (Bacterium)
Viruses
Fungi
Protists
What are bacteria?
Living cells
What are viruses?
Non-living particles
What is this?
Bacteria
Why does bacteria make us feel ill?
-produces toxins (poisons)
-damage our body cells
-reproduce rapidly
What happens to bacteria in the body?
They multiply rapidly
What is the ideal environment for bacteria to reproduce rapidly?
Warm and moist
What is this?
Virus
Why do viruses make us feel ill?
-Reproduce inside cells until they burst, damaging them
-produce toxins
How do viruses replicate?
Fools body cells into making copies of them
What are fungi?
single or multicellular organisms
How does fungi make us feel ill?
-produce thread-like hyphae that penetrate the skin
-cause tissue damage
-spread virus via spores
What are protists
single celled parasites
How do protists make us feel ill?
-lives on or inside organisms, causing tissue damage
-spread via vector that does not get disease
