Fighting Disease Flashcards
How the Skin defends the Body?
The skin acts as a barrier to pathogens. It also secretes antimicrobial substances which kill pathogens.
How the Nose defends the Body?
Hairs and mucus in your nose trap particles that could contain pathogens.
How the Trachea and Bronchi defends the Body?
The trachea and bronchi secrete mucus to trap pathogens. It is also lined with cilia. Cilia are hair-like structures
What is Cilia?
The cilia are hair-like structures, which waft the mucus up to the back of the throat where it can be swallowed.
How does the Stomach defends the Body?
The stomach produces hydrochloric acid. This kills pathogens that make it that far rom the mouth.
How the Immune System defends the Body?
If the Pathogens do make it into your body, your immune system kicks in to destroy them. The most important part of your immune system is the white blood cells. They travel around your blood and crawl into every part of you, constantly patrolling for microbes. When they come across an invading microbe they have three lines of attack.
What are the three lines of attack of the White Blood Cells?
- Consuming them.
- Producing Antibodies.
- Producing Antitoxins.
What is the process of Phagocytosis.
It is when the white blood cells can engulf foreign cells and digest them.
What are the antigens?
Antigens are the unique molecules that every invading pathogen have, the antigens are on the surface of the invading pathogen.
What happens when some types of White Blood Cells come across a Foreign Antigen.
If the white blood cell don’t recognise the antigen, they will start to produce proteins called antibodies to lock onto the invading cells so that they can be found and destroyed by other white blood cells. The antibodies are specific to that type of antigen - they won’t lock on to any others. These antibodies are then produced rapidly and carried around the body to find all similar bacteria or viruses.
What happens if the person that was infected with this pathogen be infected again?
The white blood cells will rapidly produce the antibodies to kill it - the person is naturally immune to that pathogen and won’t get ill.
What are Atitoxins?
Antitoxins are proteins produced by the white blood cells that counteracts toxins made by invading bacteria.
