Infection And Response Flashcards
What is a communicable disease?
Any disease that is infectious
What are communicable diseases caused by?
In animals and plants infections are caused by
- viruses
- bacteria
- protists
- fungi
What is a pathogen?
Any virus bacteria protest of fungus that can cause an infectious disease. They are all micro organisms.
Do all micro organisms cause infectious diseases?
No, many micro organisms are not pathogens. Some bacteria are useful, for making cheese/yoghurt. We can eat fungi e.g. mushrooms, and Quorn.
How are pathogenic microorganisms spread?
Spread of micro organisms can be by direct contact, by water or by air
What do pathogenic bacteria do?
Their cells reproduce rapidly inside the body, producing toxins that can damage tissues and make us feel ill
What is salmonella?
a type of food poisoning caused by bacteria ingested either in or on food, usually chicken or egg that has been prepared in unhygienic conditions
What are the symptoms of salmonella?
Fever, abdominal cramps, vomiting, and diareah are all caused by the salmonella bacteria and all the toxins they produce
How are we kept safe by salmonella?
In the UK, poultry chickens are vaccinated against salmonella to control the spread of bacteria. People should take care preparing chicken.
What is gonorrhea
A sexually transmitted disease caused by bacteria. it is spread by sexual contact with an infected person
What are the symptoms of gonorrhea?
Thick yellow or green discharge from the premise or the vagina
Pain when urinating
What can we use to treat gonorrhea
The antibiotic penicillin worked well to treat gonorrhea until resistant strains of bacteria evolved
Now scientists are researching to find new treatments
How can we prevent gonorrhea from spreading
Antibiotics will kill the bacteria but the infected person should use a barrier method of contraception eg condoms
What do pathogenic viruses do
The reproduce rapidly inside cells causing cell damage when they are released
What is the measles?
A viral disease that is serious and can cause death. If the infected person suffers from complications. It is spread by inhaling droplets from sneezes and coughs.
What are the symptoms of measles?
Red skin rash and fever
How can we prevent measles from spreading?
Most young children are vaccinated against measles
What is HIV?
Viral disease that attacks the bodies immune cells, white blood cells.
It is spread by sexual contact or exchange of body fluids as blood eg when drug users share needles
What are the first symptoms of HIV?
Flulike illness is the first symptom. If successfully controlled, the virus doesn’t attack the bodies immune cells.
What is late stage of HIV?
In late stage HIV, the immune system become seriously damage, an infected person get ill from any other infections, e.g. cold or flu and sometimes cancers.
How can we treat HIV?
Medicines called antiretroviral drugs can successfully control the virus and prevent the damage to the immune system this can stop HIV from becoming aids
What is tobacco mosaic virus?
This is a virus that infects and damages many plant species including tomato
What are the symptoms of TMV?
Mosaic colour pattern appears on the leaves. The pattern ranges from pale green, to yellow or brown
It affects plant growth as less photosynthesis occurs so less glucose is made - cells has less energy
What is rose black spot?
A fungal disease of rose plants is a spread in the environment by wind or water, raindrops splashing.
What are the symptoms of rose black spot?
Purple or black spots appear on the leaves.
The leaves often turn yellow and fall of the plant.
It affects plant growth as there are fewer leaves to photosynthesise.
How can we treat rose black spot?
Fungicide sprays can be used, and removing and destroying the affected leaves. Also helps prevent the spread of fungus to other leaves and other plants.
What is malaria?
A disease caused by a protist. The protist is spread by biting mosquitoes as the protist is a parasite that lives in the mosquito for part of its life cycle.
What are the symptoms of malaria?
A fever and flu like symptoms that recur every few days
The most common malaria infections cause fever, every three or every four days and can be fatal
What is a vector species?
A vector is a species that carries a micro organism from one infectious individual to another. In malaria, the mosquito is the vector.
How can we prevent the spread of malaria?
Preventing the vector from spreading the protist, using mosquito nets to avoid being bitten
preventing the mosquitoes from breeding keeps vector numbers low
What are non-specific defence systems?
Defences the body has against all types of pathogens include skin nose, trachea, bronchi, and stomach.
How does the skin prevent pathogens from entering?
Skin is a waterproof layer that prevents most pathogens from entering the body. If the skin is damaged, the wound is sealed quickly by a scab forming.
How does the nose prevent pathogens from entering?
The nose has mucus to trap airborne pathogenic micro organisms and stop them from getting further into the body.
How does the trachea/bronchi prevent pathogens from entering?
They have sticky mucus that traps airborne pathogens and also the cells lining the airways have cilia that waft the mucus off to the throat to be swallowed.