Diseases

Question 1

Diseases can be transmitted in many ways - name 2.

Answer 1

air, water, touch, animals, food.
Animal diseases can be spread by 5 main routes of transmission: direct contact (direct bodily fluid contact); inhalation of aerosols; ingestion; indirect transfer by fomites (contact with surfaces); or vector transmission (mosquito bites, etc).

Question 2

How do people usually contract cholera?

Answer 2

drinking unclean water, eating food that has been in unclean water (i.e. shellfish) or eating food prepared by someone with cholera.

Question 3

Name two symptoms of cholera.

Answer 3

diarrhoea, nausea, vomiting, cramps, irritability, fatigue, glassy or sunken eyes, dehydration, irregular heartbeat

Question 4

Cholera can be mild or severe. How long would a mild case, where the patient is quickly diagnosed and treated to rehydrate last?

Answer 4

around 1 week.

Question 5

What is the most common treatment for cholera

Answer 5

oral rehydration to replace fluids and electrolytes (salts).

Question 6

Who was the Hungarian scientist (1818 - 1869) that helped to reduce the death rate of women from childbed fever?

Answer 6

Ignaz Semmelweis

Question 7

What did Semmelweis notice about the difference between women who had delivered with the aid of midwives compared to those who had been delivered by obstetric physicians?

Answer 7

The rate of childbed fever and death was much higher in those delivered by physicians because physicians did not wash their hands between carryout autopsies and treating women in childbirth.

Question 8

What recommendation did Semmelweis make to physicians aiding in childbirth?

Answer 8

mandatory hand washing, washing of medical instruments

Question 9

What affect did his recommendations have on the mortality rate of women aided by physicians in childbirth?

Answer 9

It fell from 18% to 1%

Question 10

What did many senior physicians was the cause for the reduction in mortality rates?

Answer 10

A new ventilation system, they believed infection was spread via ‘miasmas’.

Question 11

Infectious diseases are caused by what?

Answer 11

Pathogens

Question 12

define Pathogens

Answer 12

A pathogen is an organism that causes disease

Question 13

Are all animal illnesses caused by pathogens?

Answer 13

No

Question 14

Name two causes of illness in humans, not caused by pathogens.

Answer 14

vitamin deficiency, hereditary diseases, obesity, smoking

Question 15

Give 2 examples of a chemical or physical defences the body uses to defend against pathogens

Answer 15

tears (enzymes destroy bacteria), ear wax (sticky physical - traps pathogens, though it is also acidic and antibacterial so also chemical), internal nose hairs (physical), stomach produces acid to kill pathogens in food (chemical), scabs cover wounds to physically protect.

Question 16

Which blood cells form the immune system in humans?

Answer 16

white blood cells

Question 17

where in the body are white blood cells formed?

Answer 17

the bone marrow

Question 18

what is a leukocyte?

Answer 18

a white blood cell that fights disease and foreign objects in the body

Question 19

approximately how many leukocytes are their in a microlitre of blood?

Answer 19

4,000 -11,000

Question 20

Which cells constantly screen the blood, tissues and organs for signs of pathogens and foreign substances?

Answer 20

Leukocytes

Question 21

define antigens.

Answer 21

An antigen is a molecule or molecular structure that may be present on the outside of a pathogen. This normally triggers an immune response

Question 22

Name a type of Leukocyte

Answer 22

granulocytes, monocytes, and lymphocytes

Question 23

What are phagocytes?

Answer 23

white blood cells that protect the body by ingesting harmful foreign particles, bacteria, and dead or dying cells.

Question 24

Which cells trigger the immune response by releasing macrophages and dendritic cells into the blood?

Answer 24

phagocytes

Question 25

which cells do phagocytes pass information to about the antigens they have digested?

Answer 25

Lymphocyctes

Question 26

Which lymphocytes search the body for infected cells to kill, after phagocytes have identified the antigens?

Answer 26

T Cells

Question 27

Which cells produce antibodies (proteins) to fight infection, using the antigen information gathered?

Answer 27

B-cells and helper T-cells

Question 28

What is the purpose of a fever response to infection?

Answer 28

A warmer body makes it harder for bacteria and viruses to reproduce and spread.

Question 29

What is the purpose of a swelling response to infection?

Answer 29

When body cells are damaged they release chemical which make fluid leak into surrounding tissues - swelling. This attracts phagocytes which consume invaders and damaged cells.

Question 30

Fill in the missing words:
After F____ infection by a pathogen, the body R_______ how to make the appropriate A________. This ensures they can be made Q_____ in H_____ amounts should the same pathogen invade again.

Answer 30

After FIRST infection by a pathogen, the body REMEMBERS how to make the appropriate ANTIBODY. This ensures they can be made QUICKLY in HIGH amounts should the same pathogen invade again.

Question 31

Vaccines contain D___ pathogens or live but W_______ pathogens or P____ of the pathogen.

Answer 31

Vaccines contain DEAD pathogens or live but WEAKENED pathogens or PART of the pathogen.

Question 32

What happens when a vaccine is introduced into a body?

Answer 32

The leukocytes react as if it were a normal disease and build a mild antibody response and memory for future protection.

Question 33

Name 2 common vaccines.

Answer 33

MMR, HPV, Flu, Diptheria, Tetanus, Polio

Question 34

Which type of immunity is described here? A mother passes antibodies to her child via breastmilk.

Answer 34

Passive Immunity - antibodies created outside the body as passed to us.

Question 35

Which type of immunity is described here? A vaccine is injected and the body creates antibodies in reaction.

Answer 35

Active Immunity - body created it’s own antibodies in response to infection or vaccine.

Question 36

Who created the first vaccine against smallpox?

Answer 36

Edward Jenner

Question 37

What non fatal disease did Jenner use to create his smallpox vaccine?

Answer 37

Cow Pox

Question 38

Why did being infected with cow pox protect against small pox?

Answer 38

The diseases were similar enough for the cow pox antibodies to recognise and kill the small pox infection.

Question 39

Why do we take antibiotics to treat some infections?

Answer 39

They can slow down or stop the growth of some bacteria.

Question 40

Are antibiotics useful in fighting most viruses?

Answer 40

No

Question 41

Which antibiotic come from Penicillum mould?

Answer 41

Penicillins

Question 42

How have some bacteria managed to develop fairly widespread resistance to antibiotics?

Answer 42

When a course of antibiotics is started, the weak unresistant bacteria in the population die quickly, as the course continues the stronger, more resistant bacteria begin to die also. If the course of antibiotics is unsuccessful in killing all of the bacteria in the infection, the strong resistant bacteria are left and reproduce giving a large number of strong, resistant bacteria.

Question 43

Bacteria reproduce by making clone (copies) of their cells. Sometimes these cells mutate. Will the mutated cells always be of similar strength and resistance to antibiotics?

Answer 43

No

Question 44

What treatments can be offered when a bacterial infection is resistant to a specific antibiotic?

Answer 44

Other types antibiotics may be successful.

Question 45

What do we call bacterial infections that are resistant to all antibiotics?

Answer 45

Superbugs (e.g. MRSE)