FIGHTING DISEASE Flashcards
What is a pathogen?
Pathogens are microorganisms that enter the body and cause disease.
What are the 2 main types of pathogens?
Bacteria
Viruses
How do bacteria make you feel ill?
They make you feel ill by doing 2 things: a) damaging your cells, b) producing toxins (poisons)
True or False
Viruses are cells
False. Viruses are not cells
How do viruses make you feel ill?
They replicate themselves by invading your cells and using the cells machinery to produce man copies of themselves. The cell will then events ally burst, releasing all the new viruses. This cell damage is what makes you ill.
Name the 3 things found in the respiratory tract that defend the body against pathogens?
Skin
Hairs
Mucus
What are small fragments of cells called? How do they prevent microorganisms getting into the body through cuts?
Platelets. Platelets help blood clot quickly to seal wounds.
What are the 3 things white blood cells do to invading microbes?
Consume them
Produce antibodies
Produce antitoxins
What are the unique molecules on invading cells called?
Antigens
What do white blood cells do when they come across a foreign antigen?
The white blood cells will start to produce proteins called antibodies to lock onto and kill the invading cells. The antibodies pretty ducked are specific to that type of antigen - they won’t lock on to any others. Antibodies are then produced rapidly and carried around the body to kill all similar bacteria or viruses.
What happens when a person is infected with a same pathogen?
The white blood cells will rapidly produce the antibodies from the first infection to kill it - the person is naturally immune to that pathogen and won’t get ill.
What do you antitoxins do?
Counteract toxins produced by the invading bacteria
What do white blood cells do to invading microbes?
White blood cells can engulf foreign cells and digest them.
