Infection and response Flashcards
Explain what a pathogen is and how pathogens are spread (inc how viruses, bacteria, protists and fungi are spread in animals and plants)
Pathogen - microorganisms that cause disease which spreads between organisms
Viruses - airborne droplets, sexual contact, exchanging bodily fluids.
Fungus - water/wind
Protist - vectors
Bacterium - eating contaminated food and sexual contact.
Explain how pathogenic bacteria and viruses cause damage in the body
Explain how the spread of diseases can be reduced or prevented
Vaccination - reduces spread of pathogen though white blood cels producing antibodies as dead/inactive pathogens are injected into body. Pathogen is recognised and attacked by antibodies.
Describe salmonella food poisoning and gonorrhoea as examples of bacterial pathogens
Salmonella - eating contaminated food, bacterium
Gonorrhoea - sexual contact, bacterium
Describe how vaccination works, including at the population level
Vaccination - dead/inactive pathogens injected into body, antibodies produced, if pathogens of the same kind try to attack they are quickly recognised and attacked by antibodies.
Population level - large population are vaccinated, spread of pathogens reduced greatly so that people unvaccinated don’t eve get it.
Explain how antibiotics and painkillers are used to treat diseases, including their limitations
Antibiotics - kill bacteria and specific antibiotics kill specific bacteria.
Painkillers - treat symptoms of disease but don’t kill pathogens.
Describe how sources for drugs have changed over time and give some examples
Previously, drugs were sourced naturally e.g. penicillin from mould. However, today drugs can be synthesised in a lab but the process still might start with a chemical extracted from a plant.
Describe how new drugs are tested, including pre-clinical testing and clinical trials (inc double blind trials and placebos)
