Infection And Response Flashcards
What are pathogens?
Microorganisms that cause disease.
How do bacteria cause disease?
Bacteria cause disease by producing toxins that damage tissues and cause illness.
How do viruses cause disease?
Viruses invade and replicate inside host cells, causing cell damage.
What is the body’s first line of defense against pathogens?
Physical and chemical barriers such as skin, mucus, and stomach acid.
How do white blood cells respond to pathogens?
White blood cells engulf and digest pathogens, produce antibodies, and release antitoxins.
What is the role of antibodies?
Antibodies bind to specific antigens on pathogens to neutralize or mark them for destruction.
What is vaccination?
Vaccination involves introducing a harmless form of a pathogen to stimulate the immune system and create memory cells.
What is herd immunity?
When a large proportion of a population is immune to a disease, reducing its spread and protecting those who are not immune.
What are antibiotics?
Drugs that kill or inhibit the growth of bacteria.
Why can’t antibiotics treat viral infections?
Antibiotics target bacterial structures and processes, which are different from those of viruses.
What is antibiotic resistance?
When bacteria develop the ability to survive exposure to antibiotics that once killed them.
What are antitoxins?
Proteins produced by the immune system that neutralize toxins produced by pathogens.
How do vaccines work?
Vaccines stimulate the immune system to produce antibodies and memory cells without causing disease.
What is the role of the skin in the immune system?
The skin acts as a physical barrier to prevent pathogens from entering the body.
How do mucus and cilia protect the respiratory system?
Mucus traps pathogens, and cilia moves the mucus out of the respiratory system.
What is the function of phagocytes?
Phagocytes engulf and digest pathogens and debris in the body.
What is the difference between a pandemic and an epidemic?
An epidemic is a widespread occurrence of an infectious disease in a community at a particular time, while a pandemic is an epidemic that has spread across multiple countries or continents.
What is an antigen?
A molecule on the surface of a pathogen that triggers an immune response.
How do antigens and antibodies interact?
Antibodies bind to specific antigens on the pathogen to neutralize or mark it for destruction by other immune cells.
What is the role of memory cells in the immune response?
Memory cells remember a specific pathogen and trigger a faster, stronger immune response upon re-exposure.
What is the purpose of the practical on antiseptics and antibiotics?
To investigate the effect of antiseptics and antibiotics on bacterial growth using agar plates.
