Diet, Metabolism and White blood cells Flashcards
What is metabolism?
The chemical reactions that take place in the body that keep us alive.
What is metabolic rate?
The speed at which the chemical reactions happen.
What factors affect your metabolic rate?
- Proportion of fat to muscle in the body
- Amount of exercise and other physical activity
- Gender (men are usually higher than women)
What are the functions of carbohydrates, fats, protein, fibre and vitamin and mineral ions?
Carbohydrates: Release energy
Fats: Release energy and insulate the body
Protein: Growth, cell repair, cell replacement
Fibre: Keeps your digestive system working properly
Vitamin and mineral ions: Keeps your bones, skin, blood and everything else healthy.
Imbalanced diets lead to malnourishment in the form of?
- Obesity
2. Lack of food.
What are the two main types of pathogens?
- Bacteria
2. Viruses
What are antibiotics?
They are substances that kill or prevent the growth of bacteria.
What are the main steps in the development of resistance?
- Random mutations occur in the genes of individual bacteria cells
- Some mutations protect the bacterial cell from the effects of the antibiotic
- The bacteria without the mutation will be killed by the antibiotic but the resistant strain will still be there.
- The resistance strains will be able to reproduce with less competition with the normal bacteria strains.
What are painkillers used for?
They relieve pain but do not actually solve the underlying problem.
Why is it important to finish a full course of antibiotics?
To ensure that all the bacteria is killed. If the course is not finished then the bacteria that is left can reproduce and cause an infection again.
What are the 3 ways that white blood cells deal with antigens?
- Ingest them (NOT EAT!)
- Produce antibodies to destroy particular pathogens
- Produce antitoxins that counteract the toxins produced by the pathogens.
Why do antibiotics not cure viruses?
Viruses reproduce inside your own body cells, unlike bacteria who reproduce outside them, so it is very difficult to develop a drug that doesn’t kill the body cells as well as the virus. Viruses also mutate very regularly so it is hard to have just one cure.
