infection and response Flashcards
pathogens
microorganism that cause infectious disease in plant or animals spread through direct contact, by water or air
virus
- very small
- move into cells and uses biochemistry of it to make copies of itself
- leads to cell bursting and releasing copies into bloodstream
- damage and destruction of cells make individuals feel ill
- live and rapidly reproduce inside cells, causing cell damage
bacteria
- small
- multiply very quickly through binary fission inside body
- produce toxins that can damage tissues and make us feel ill
protists
- some are parasitic meaning they use humans and animals as their hosts (live on and inside causing damages)
fungi
- can either be single celled or have a body made of hyphae
- can produce spores which can be spread to other organisms
direct contact
- touching contaminated surfaces
- e.g kissing, contact with bodily fluids, skin to skin
by water
- drinking or coming into contact with dirty water
by air
- pathogens carried in the air then breathed in
- common example is the droplet infection when sneezing, coughing or talking expels pathogens in droplets that can be breathed in
improving hygiene
- hand washing
- using disinfectants
- isolating raw meat
- using tissues
- handkerchiefs when sneezing
reducing contact with infected individuals and reducing vectors
- using pesticides or insecticides and removing their habitat
vaccination
by injecting a small amount of a harmless pathogen into an individuals body, they can become immune to it so it will not infect them and they cannot pass it on
viral diseases
- particularly dangerous as they can enter all types of cells, no medicine yet
- measles
- human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)
-tobacco mosaic virus
measles
SYMPTOMS
- fever, red skin rash, can lead to other problems e.g pneumonia, encephalitis (brain infection) and blindness can be fatal if complications continues
HOW IT IS SPREAD
- droplet infections
HOW IT IS PREVENTION
- vaccinations for young children to reduce transmission
HIV
SYMPTOMS
- initially flu-like symptoms then virus attack the immune system and leads AID (a state in which the body is susceptible to many different diseases)
HOW IT IS SPREAD
- by sexual contact or exchange of bodily fluids e.g blood when drug users share needles
HOW IT IS PREVENTED
- the spread = using condoms, not sharing needles, screening blood when it is used in transfusions
- development of AIDs - use of antiretroviral drugs (stop the virus replicating in the body)
tobacco mosaic virus
SYMPTOMS
- discolouration of the leaves, affected part of the leaf cannot photosynthesise resulting in the reduction of the yield and affects growth, distinctive mosaic pattern
HOW IT IS SPREAD
- contact between diseased plants and healthy plants, insects act as vectors
HOW IT IS PREVENTED
- good field hygiene and pest control, growing TMV-resistant strains
bacterial disease
- on the rise as they are becoming resistant to antibiotics
salmonella
SYMPTOMS
- fever, stomach cramps, vomiting, diarrhoea (caused by toxins secreted)
HOW IT IS SPREAD
- found in raw meat and eggs, unhygienic conditions
HOW IT IS PREVENTED
- poultry vaccinated against it, keeping raw meat away from cooked food, avoid washing it, wash hands and surfaces when handling, cook food thoroughly
gonorrhoea
SYMPTOMS
- thick yellow or green discharge from vagina or penis, pain when urinating
HOW IT IS SPREAD
- sexually transmitted disease spread through unprotected sexual contact
HOW IT IS PREVENTED
- using contraception
- before penicillin but many resistant strains are developing
rose black spot (fungal disease)
SYMPTOMS
- purple or black spots on leaves of rose plants, reduces the area of the leaf available for photosynthesis, leaves turn yellow and drop early
HOW IT IS SPREAD
- spores of fungus are spread in water (rain) of by wind
HOW IT IS PREVENTED
- using fungicides or stripping the plant of affected leaves (have to be burnt)
malaria (protist)
SYMPTOMS
- fevers and shaking (when the protists burst out of blood cells)
HOW IT IS SPREAD
- vector is the female anopheles mosquito, in which protists enter the human bloodstream via their saliva
HOW IT IS PREVENTED
- using insectide coated insect nets while sleeping, removing stagnant water to prevent the vectors from breeding, travellers taking antimalarial drugs to kill parasites that enter the blood
non-specific defence system
works to prevent pathogens from entering the body
skin
- acts as a physical barrier
- it provides antimicrobial secretions to kill pathogens
- good microorganisms known as skin flora compete with the bad microorganisms for space and nutrients
the nose
- has hairs and mucus which prevent particles from entering your lungs
trachea and bronchi
- secrete mucus in order to trap pathogens
- cilia beat to waft mucus upwards so it can be swallowed