Immune Systems Flashcards
Antibiotic
kill bacteria, taken for bacterial infections such as salmonella and gonorrhoea
Antibody
a Y-shaped protein used by the immune system to identify and neutralise foreign objects such as pathogens
Antigen
a toxin or foreign substance which induces an immune response in the body
Antireterovirals
a specific type of antivirals for HIV
Antiseptic
a type of disinfectant that is safe for use on skin
Anti-Toxin
an antibody with the ability to neutralise a specific toxin
Antiviral
taken for viruses such as measles
Athlete’s Foot
a type of fungal infection
Bacteria
a large group of unicellular microorganisms which have cell walls but lack organelles and an organized nucleus, including some that can cause disease
Bacteria Growth Formula
bacteria at the end of growth period = bacteria at the beginning of the growth period x 2^number of divisions
B-Cell
a type of lymphocyte that produces antibodies used to attack bacteria, viruses and toxins
Binary Fission
asexual reproductions with no fertilisation, where one organism splits in tow, e.g. bacterial reproduction
Carbon Monoxide
a chemical found in tobacco smoke that causes damage to cells
Carcinogen
things that cause cancer or significantly increase your risks of developing cancer
Casual Mechanism
something that explains how one factor influences another, eg agar gel
Clinical Stage
the second part of a drug trial, where drugs are tested on healhty humans to test for side effects and toxicity before being tested on people with the illness to see if they work before being released
Codeine
a strong painkiller made of opiates
Disease
a disorder of structure or function in a human, animal or plant which may have a range of symptoms and be caused by bacteria
Disinfectants
used to kill bacteria in the environment
Double Blind Trials
a trial where neither the people administering the drug or the patients know if they are being given a real drug or a placebo
Drug
a medicine or other substance that has a physiological effect when ingested or otherwise introduced to the body
Epidemic
a widespread occurrence of an infectious disease in a community at a particular time
Fungicides
taken for fungal infections
Herd Immunity
where, by way of the majority of the population being vaccinated, an unvaccinated person is less likely to catch a disease
Hybridoma
cells created during the production of monoclonal antibodies by the fusion of an antibody-specific lymphocyte and a tumour cell
Immune
not being able to catch a disease because you already have antibodies in your blood to fight it
Immunosuppressants
medications that suppress the immune system
Lymphocyte
a type of white blood cell
MRSA
Methicillin-Resistant Staphyloccus Aureus
an infection caused by specific bacteria that are immune to common antibiotics, spread by getting into cuts, the bacteria live in people’s noses
Monoclonal Antibodies
lots of one type of antibodies
Mutation
a change in the structure of a gene
Painkiller
a drug or medicine that numbs pain receptors, stopping pain
Pandemic
a widespread occurrence of an infectious disease over a whole country or the world at a particular time
Penicillin
a type of naturally-occurring mould which can be used as an antibiotic
Phagocyte
type of cell that has the ability to engulf and ingest foreign particles such as bacteria
Placebo
a medicine that does not contain the actual medicine being tested, used in drug trials as a control
Preclinical Testing
testing that happens to a drug before it is tested on humans, eg on computers, tissues and animals
Protein Coat
what viruses have instead of cell walls or cell membranes
Resistant
in the case of antibiotics, where an antibiotic does not work on a specific person
T-Cells
lymphocytes which attack the body’s own cells if they become infected with a virus or become cancerous
Toxin
a poison of plant or animal origin
Vaccine
a dead or weakened version of a pathogen
Virus
a large group of disease-carrying protists
White Blood Cells
cells that engulf pathogens and make antibodies and anti-toxins
Zidovudine
an antiretroviral used for the treatment of HIV
