Communicable Diseases Key Terms and Processes Flashcards
Define the term :
Health
State of mental, physical and social well being, not just the absence of disease
Disease: Tuberculosis
Type of pathogen and name?
Method of transmission?
Treatment?
- Bacterium, Mycobacterium Tuberculosis or M.bovis
- Indirect transmission; inhalation of infected droplets in the air
- Antibiotics taken for 4-6 months
Disease: Meningitis
Type of pathogen and name?
Method of transmission?
Treatment?
- Bacterium, Neisseria meningitidis, Haemophilus influenzae
- Direct transmission with exchange of body fluids eg: kissing; also indirect transmission by inhalation of airborne droplets
- Antibiotics, vaccines for some forms
Disease: HIV/AIDS
Type of pathogen and name?
Method of transmission?
Treatment?
- Virus, Human immunodeficiency virus
- Direct transmission, through unprotected sex, unscreened blood, during birth, breast milk
- No cure or vaccine, antiviral drugs to reduce viral load in the blood, treatments for opportunistic infections
Disease: Influenza
Type of pathogen and name?
Method of transmission?
Treatment?
- Virus, Influenza A, B, C or D
- Indirect transmission through inhaling airborne droplets, very small % through eating or drinking contaminated, unpasteurised dairy products from infected cattle
Disease: Malaria
Type of pathogen and name?
Method of transmission?
Treatment?
- Protoctista, Plasmodium falciparum, P. ovale, P. malariae, P. vivax
- Indirect transmission through female = anopheles mosquito (vector)
- Drugs available, resistance is increasing, preventative measures more effective
Disease: Ringworm
Type of pathogen and name?
Method of transmission?
Treatment?
- Fungus, Trichophyton verrucosum
- Direct transmission, skin to skin contact
- Antifungal cream
Disease: Athlete’s Foot
Type of pathogen and name?
Method of transmission?
Treatment?
- Fungus, Tinea Pedia
- Indirect contact such as contact with towels used by infected people, and direct transmission with skin to skin contact
Function of the :
Red Blood Cell
- transports oxygen and carbon dioxide
Function of the :
Neutrophil
- undertakes phagocytosis
- short lived cell
- produced in bone marrow
- circulates in blood
- lobed nucleus, granular cytoplasm with many mitochondria, ribosomes and lysosomes
Function of the :
T-Killer
- white blood cell part of the specific immune response
- produced in bone marrow, matures in thymus gland
- kills infected body cells and pathogens using lysins and perforin
Function of the :
B-Lymphocyte
- white blood cell is part of the specific immune response
- produced and matures in bone marrow
- produces antibodies via a plasma cell
Function of the :
T-Helper
- white blood cell part of the specific immune response
- produced in bone marrow, matures in thymus
- coordinates B and T killer lymphocytes and macrophages through cell signalling molecules such as interleukins
Function of the : ]
B-Memory
- long lasting white blood cell produced during clonal expansion
- important in secondary immune response
Function of the :
Regulatory T-Cells
- type of t-cell that regulates and supresses the ummune system to prevent autoimmune responses
- prevents over response when pathogens have been destroyed
Function of the :
T-Memory Cells
- long lasting white blood cell produced during clonal expansion
- important in faster secondary immune response
Describe the non-specific immune response of blood clotting
- when a blood vessel becomes damaged, platelets become sticky and clump forming a temporary plug which activated thromboplastin
- thromboplastic activates prothrombin in the plasma which is converted into thrombin
- thrombin activates fibronogen (soluble) and is then converted to fibrin (soluble)
- this forms a fibre mesh and taps more platelets and RBCs forming a bloodclot
- clot will be digested by enzymes when wound is healed w/ new cells formed by mitosis
- vasoconstriction in arteries and arterioles in damaged areas mediated by serotonin released by clumping of platelets in contact with collagen in skin which decreases blood flow to the damaged area, reducing blood loss
Describe phagocytosis
- phagocyte stimulated by presence of foreign antigens or anitbodies bound to pathogens, or opsonins
- CSM is extended around the pathogen
- pathogen engulfed as endocytosis vesicle
- lysosomes containing enzymes and lysins moves towards engulfed pathogen using the cytoskeleton and ATP
- lysosome fuses with phagosome (both have phosphoplipid bilayer) to form a phagolysosome
- digestive enzymes hydrolyse and breakdown pathogen, products of digestion could include amino acids, fatty acids and glycerol, and glucose
Cytokines cause :
- other phagocytes to enter infected area
- stimulation of specific immune response
- rise in body temperature
Opsonins coat..
… pathogens with antibodies
What is an antibody?
a soluble protein that fits around an antigen and is involved in the destruction of a pathogen
Function of the :
Variable region
in an antibody
specific sequence of amino acids (110) whose 3D shape is complimentary to a specific antigen where it will bind
Function of the :
Hinge region
in an antibody
allows flexibility of aintibody when it binds to more than one antigen
Function of the :
Disulphide bridge
in an antibody
keeps the light and heavy chains joined together