Infection and Response Flashcards
What is health?
A state of complete physical and mental wellbeing
What might make someone more likely to suffer from infectious diseases?
Defects in their immune system
What are the 4 types of pathogens?
Virus, disease, protists, fungi
What are pathogens?
Micro-organisms that cause infectious disease
Features of viruses.
Small, move into cells and use biochemistry to make copies of itself, cells burst and flow into blood stream,
Features of protists?
Some are paristic(have humans or animals as their host) like malaria
Features of bacteria?
Small, multiply very quickly using binary fissions, produce toxins that damage cells
Features of fungi?
Can be single celled or have a body made of hyphae, they can produce spores which spread to other organisms.
How are pathogens spread?
Direct contact, by water, by air (droplet infection)
How can the spread of pathogens be reduced?
Improve hygiene, reduce contact with infected individuals, remove vectors, vaccination.
Why are viral diseases so dangerous?
they can enter all types of cells
Symptoms of measles?
Fever and red skin rash, can lead to pneumonia, encephalitis and blindness
How are measles spread and prevented?
Droplet infection, vaccination
Symptoms of HIV?
Initially flu like symptoms, then virus attacks immune system and leads to AIDS
How is HIV spread and prevented?
Sexual contact or exchange of bodily fluids - condoms, not sharing needles, screening blood, anitretroviral drugs
