Fighting disease Flashcards
How does skin act as a barrier to pathogens
It produces antimicrobial substances which kill the pathogens.
What traps particles that might contain pathogens in your nose
hair and mucus
Other than the nose, what also secretes mucus to trap pathogens
Trachea and Bronchi (breathing pipework)
What are the trachea and bronchi lined with and what is it
Cilia - a hair like structure which whafts mucus up to the back of the throat where it can be swallowed
What does the stomach produce
hydrochloric acid that kill pathogens
What is the immune system
A network of cells and proteins that defend the body against microbes once that make it into the body
What to white blood cells do
They travel around the whole body looking for microbes. Once they find one the attempt to destroy it
What are the 3 ways that a white blood cell can destroy a microbe
1) Consuming them
2) Producing Antibodies
3) Producing antitoxins
How do white blood cells consume foreign cells
Certain white blood cells can engulf and digest the foreign cell
What is the process of a white blood cells consuming foreign cells called
Phagocytosis
What does every invading pathogen have on its surface
Unique molecules called antigens
What happens when some types of white blood cell come across a foreign antigen
They produce proteins called antibodies to lock onto the invading cells so they can be found and destroyed by other white blood cells
Are all the antibodies the same
No, he antibodies produced are specific to that type of antigen - they wont lock onto others
Are antibodies produced quickly
yes
When they have been produced, what happens to them
They are carried round the body to find all similar bacteria or viruses
What happens if a person is infected with the same pathogen again
The white blood cells will rapidly produce the antibodies to kill it and the person is naturally immune to that pathogen and won’t get ill
What are white blood cells that produce antibodies also known as
B-lymphocytes
What produces antitoxis
White blood cells
What do antitoxins do
Counteract toxins produced by invading bacteria
