Defences Against Disease Flashcards
What physical defences do plants have?
- Bark (lignin)
- Waxy cuticle
- Thorns, spines and hairs
- Shrivelling/folding leaves
- Cellulose cell walls
- Mimicry
What chemical defences do plants have?
- Releasing chemicals/hormones signalling other plants to defend themselves
- Histamine
- Toxic chemicals
- releasing hormones that attract predators to pests
- Antibacterial molecules
What are human first lines of defence?
Skin
Scabs
Nose hair and mucus
Cilia cells
Eyelashes/tears
Stomach acid
What dies a non specific defence system mean?
Ot aims to block/destroy ALL microorganisms
How does skin prevent disease?
- Barrier between inside and outside
- Shedding skin
- Sebaceous glands produce anti microbial oils
How do scabs prevent disease?
- platelets make fibrin, pulling edges together
- mesh forms trapping RBCs, forming a clot
- dries into a scab
- stops pathogens entering body
How do nose hairs and mucus prevent disease?
- nose hair traps larger particles
- mucus traps pathogens
How do cilia cells prevent disease?
- hair-like projections waft mucus away
- found in lungs
- goblet cells between them for mucus production
How do tears prevent disease?
- high salt concentration dries up pathogens
- lyzosomes break down pathogens
- washes out pathogens
How do eyelashes prevent disease?
They trap dirt and pathogens
How does stomach acid prevent disease?
- low pH (2) HCl destroys pathogen cell walls, killing them
- stomach lining prevents damage to body
What are the 2 main types of WBCs?
Phagocytes and lymphocytes
Describe the process of phagocytosis
- phagocytes leave blood through capillary walls and enter tissue that is being attacked
- cell membrane and cytoplasm of phagocyte surround the pathogen
- pathogen is engulfed by phagocytosis
- pathogen is digested by lyrics enzymes, useful substances are absorbed and waste is released by exocytosis
- phagocyte continues to engulf more pathogens
Define antigens
A substance capable of stimulating an immune response.
Often on the surface of a pathogen but can also be a toxin or chemical
Define antibodies
A protective protein produced by immune system in response to presence of antigens
Antibodies recognise and latch onto antigens in order to remove them from body