Communicable Diseases, Prevention And The Immune System Flashcards
Define health
State of mental, physical and social wellbeing
Define disease
Departure from health due to malfunction of mind or body that cause symptoms
What is a pathogen
An infective organism which causes disease
What are the four types of pathogen
Bacteria
Fungi
Viruses
Protoctista
What do vectors do
Carry pathogens from one organism to another
Define degenerative disease
Results in gradual decline in bodily functions
Define infectious disease
Diseases which are transmitted by a pathogenic organism which invades the body
What does self inflicted disease mean
Disease caused by poor choices
Define deficiency disease
Diseases caused by poor diet
Define inherited disease
Disease caused by genetic faults passed on from parents
Define mental disease
Diseases affecting the mind
Define physical disease
Permanent or temporary damage to part of the body
What is a parasite
Organism that lives in or on a host taking nutrition and causes harm
What does a parasite take from the host
- nutrition
- warmth
- protection
How does bacteria affect the host
Damaging cells
Producing toxins
How fast does a bacteria do asexual reproduction
What is the process called
Every 20 minutes
Called binary fission
Bacteria is a prokaryote, what is the cell structure like
No nucleus
No membrane bound organelles
What are the two ways of classifying bacteria
By the shape ( rod shape, spherical, spiral…)
By the cell walls
How can you identify bacteria by the cell walls
Gram staining- identify the thickness of the peptidoglycan cell walls
This shows whether they are gram positive or gram negative
What do viruses make people ill
Invading cells Take over genetic machinery Make copies of viruses using cells ribosomes etc Host cell bursts Copies are released 🔁
What does a fungi do to make people ill
Live on the skin
Send out reproductive hyphae
These produce spores
And cause redness and irritation
They digest living cells and then destroy them
What type of organism are fungi
Eukaryotic
What is a saprophyte
Digest dead/decaying matter
How do fungi spread
They produce spores which reproduce
These can travel large distances ( ie in the wind )
What type of organism is protoctista
Single called Eukaryote
How do protoctista damage the host tissue directly
They digest and use the contents of a cell when they reproduce and eventually break open cells
What do toxins do
Break down the plasma membranes
Damage and inactivate enzymes
Prevent cell division
Name the three ways of direct transmission in animals
1) direct contact
2) inoculation (break into the skin)
3) ingestion
Name the three ways of indirect transmission in animals
1) formites ( bedding/ socks)
2) droplet infection
3) vectors
How can the probability of a catching a communicable disease
- overcrowded living places
- compromised immune system ( immunosuppressant drugs)
- poor disposal of waste
How are diseases directly transmitted in plants
-direct contact
How are plant diseases indirectly transmitted
- soil contamination
- vectors ( wind water animals)
What are some of the factors that affect the transmission of disease in plants
- over- crowding
- poor mineral nutrition
- damp, war conditions ( bacteria reproduce faster)
What are some of the plant barriers to pathogens
- tree bark
- waxy cuticle
- cellulose cell walls
- closing stomata
Define cell signalling
The coordination and communication between cells
Describe the process of cell signalling in plants in response to a pathogen
1) receptors in plant cells respond to molecules from pathogen made when plant cell is attacked
2) stimulates the release of signalling molecules
3) signalling molecules switch on genes in nucleus
4) this triggers a series of cellular responses:
- defensive chemicals
- defensive molecules to directly attack the pathogen
- callose and lignin made
Explain how callose is a plant defence
-When plants are infected by a pathogen they produce high levels of a polysaccharide called callose
-This is deposited between cell walls and cell surface membranes of cells next to infected cells
-they act as a BARRIER and prevent the pathogen entering cells around the site of infection
-Callose and lignin together make the barrier even thicker
-callose blocks sieve plates in the phloem sealing off the infected part
-deposited in the plasmodesmata to prevent spread
Acts as a matrix which antimicrobial compounds can be deposited in
Describe the structure of callose
Contains beta 1–3 and beta 1-4 glycosidic bonds
Name some chemical defences that plants produce
1) insect repellents- ie citronella
2) insecticides- caffeine is toxic to insects and fungi
3) antibacterial compounds- defensins
4) antifungal compounds- chitinases
5) anti oomycetes- glucanases
6) general toxins- cyanide
How do antibacterial compounds help a plant defend itself
Defensins- are plant proteins that disrupt bacterial/ fungal cell membranes
How do anti fugal compounds help plants defend themselves
Chitinases ( enzyme) hydrolyse chitin in fungal cell walls
How do anti oomycetes help plants defend themselves
Glucanases ( enzymes ) that break down glucans which are polymers found the cell walls of oomycetes
What is a oomycetes
A fungus like microorganism
How is cyanide toxic
Stops aerobic respiration
How is skin a primary non specific defence
- Covers the body and prevents the entry of pathogens
- Covered with a layer of healthy microorganisms which outcompete pathogens for space on the body surface
- Skin produces sebum
What is th importance of the skin producing sebum
An oily substance that prevents pathogen growth
It is anti microbial
How do mucous membranes act as a primary non specific defence
- body tracts including airways of gas exchange are lined with these mucous membranes
- these secrete mucus which traps microorganisms and contain lysozymes which destroy bacteria and fungal cell walls
- mucus contains phagocytes which remove remaining pathogens
What is the job of lysozymes
Destroy bacteria and fungal cell walls
What are some expulsion reflexes
What are they an example of
- coughing
- Sneezing
- vomiting
- diarrhoea
These are examples of primary non specific defences
Describe wound repair
Platelets come into contact with collagen In wall of the damaged blood vessel, they adhere and start secreting substances including:
- thromboplastin
- factor X
- serotonin
Forms a blood clot- this dries out forming a scab
Epidermal cells beneath the scab start to grow sealing the wound permanently
Collagen fibres are deposited to give new tissue strength
Once epidermis is normal, scab sloughs off and wound is healed 🤯
What does thromboplastin do
It’s an enzyme that triggered a cascade of reactions resulting in a blood clot
What does serotonin do
Makes smooth muscle in the wall of blood vessel contract
What does factor X do
It’s an enzyme that is dependent on the co factor vitamin K is catalyses the conversion of prothrombin into the enzyme thrombin ( does this by altering the tertiary structure)
Thrombin then catalyses the conversion of fibrinogen into insoluble fibrin fibres which then forms the blood clot
What are some of the characteristics of inflammation
Pain
Heat
Redness
Swelling
Explain the cell signalling response to inflammation
1) mast cells bind to pat often
2) mast cells release histamine in local area
3) histamines bind to localised cells receptors
4) histamines make muscle in walls of blood vessels dilate
5) this triggers increased blood flow to area which makes capillaries more permeable to phagocytes
What do cytokines do
Stimulate hypothalamus to reset internal temperature to above 37 degrees - stops pathogen from reproducing
Cytokines attract white blood cells to the site
What are the two types of phagocytes
Explain the difference
Neutrophils- released from bone marrow/ multi lobed nucleus
Macrophages- released from lymph nodes
How can u identify from a blood smear a…
Platelet RBC Neutrophil Monocyte Lymphocyte
Platelet- very small only fragments of cell RBC- no nucleus Neutrophils- multi lobed nucleus Monocyte- rounded nucleus Lymphocyte- massive nucleus
Describe the process of phagocytosis
1) phagocyte receptors bind to pathogens antigen
2) pathogen is identified by antigens
3) pathogen is engulfed by phagocytosis into phagosome
4) lysosome fuses with phagosome releasing digestive enzymes
5) pathogen is hydrolyse into amino acids or glucose
6) useful material is absorbed into cytoplasm
Name the digestive enzymes in a phagolysosome
Lysins
What is phagocytosis an example of
Endocytosis
What are opsonins
Chemicals that bind to pathogens and tag them
Making them easily recognised by phagocytes
Phagocytes have receptors on cell surface membranes that bind to common opsonins
Give an example of an opsonins
Antibodies
How often do bacteria reproduce
Every 20 minutes
What type of pathogen is tuberculosis
Bacteria
What does tuberculosis do
Damages the lungs and suppressed immune system
Can tuberculosis be cured
Can it be prevented
Yes by antibiotics
Yes can have a Vaccination
How is tuberculosis transmitted
1) bacteria is transmitted in droplets
2) bacteria is encased in tubercle
3) bacteria are then dormant
4) bacteria destroy alveoli
5) leads to fibrosis/ scaring
6) reduces diffusion through less surface area
What factors increase the transmission of TB
- weakened immune system
- overcrowding
- poor diet
- homeless
How is bacteria released into the air
Through coughing and sneezing this can spread the disease to other organisms