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Infection And Response Flashcards

1
Q

What are communicable diseases?

A

Communicable diseases are diseases that are spread from person to person.

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2
Q

What is the definition of a pathogen?

A

A pathogen is a microorganism that causes infectious disease.

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3
Q

Name the 4 things that pathogens involve.

A
  1. Bacteria
  2. Viruses
  3. Fungi
  4. Protists.
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4
Q

How do bacteria make us feel ill?

A
  • Once inside the human body, bacteria can reproduce very quickly - every 20 mins under ideal conditions.
  • bacteria then release harmful toxins which make us feel ill and damage our tissues.
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5
Q

What is the difference between viruses and bacteria?

A

Bacteria can reproduce by themselves, however viruses can only reproduce inside a host cell.

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6
Q

Describe how viruses make us feel ill.

A
  1. First, the virus invades the cell.
  2. Then, the virus reproduces inside the host cell.
  3. This is very damaging to the cell. When the virus leaves the cell, it can cause the cell to burst open and die.
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7
Q

Name 3 ways how pathogens are spread.

A
  1. Some pathogens are spread in the air.
  2. Some pathogens are spread in water.
  3. Some humans are spread by direct contact.
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8
Q

Name 5 ways we can reduce the spread of pathogens.

A
  1. Washing your hands before eating.
  2. Access to clean drinking water - chlorine can kill microbes
  3. Using condoms - prevents the spread of STDs
  4. Isolation- highly infectious diseases like Ebola.
  5. Vaccinations
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9
Q

What is measles?
What kind of pathogen is it caused by?
How is measles spread?

A
  1. Measles is a highly infectious viral illness.
  2. A virus.
  3. It’s spread in droplets when people cough or sneeze. The virus passes to the other person when the droplets are inhaled.
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10
Q

What is the first symptom of measles?
What happens after around 3 days?

A
  1. The first symptom of measles is usually a fever.
  2. A rash develops.
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11
Q

Name two bad complications measles can cause.

A
  • brain damage
  • damage to the breathing system
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12
Q

What is done to prevent the spread of measles?

A

Children are vaccinated against measles when they’re very young.

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13
Q

What is HIV?
What kind of pathogen is HIV caused by?
How is HIV spread?

A
  1. HIV is a virus that attacks the body’s immune system.
  2. A virus.
  3. Through the exchanges of fluids between humans.
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14
Q

What is the first symptom of HIV?
What is happening at this stage?

A
  1. A flu like illness.
  2. The virus is attacking the cells of the patients immune system.
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15
Q

Over time, what is a consequence of HIV?

A

Over time the immune system becomes severely damaged and struggles to fight off infections that other people could easily deal with.

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16
Q

What is late stage HIV or AIDS?

A

Late stage HIV is when the immune system becomes so severely damaged that the patient easily contracts other diseases such as TB or develop cancer.

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17
Q

How are people with HIV treated?

A
  • people with HIV are often treated with antiretroviral drugs.
  • these stop the virus from multiplying inside the patient so that it doesn’t damage the patients immune system.
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18
Q

How much do antiretroviral drugs help HIV patients?

A
  • they do not go on to develop AIDS.
  • they can lead a normal life expectancy.
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19
Q

Are antiretroviral drugs a cure for HIV?

A

No. The patient must take them for the rest of their life.

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20
Q

Name 2 specific ways how HIV can be transmitted.

A
  1. It can be spread through unprotected sexual intercourse.
  2. It can also be spread through sharing infected needles because blood containing HIV can pass in the needle from one person to another.
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21
Q

How are the bacteria that cause salmonella spread?

A

They are spread by ingesting infected food.

22
Q

What kind of pathogen causes salmonella?
What cause the symptoms of salmonella?

A
  1. Bacteria
  2. The symptoms of salmonella are caused by bacteria that secrete harmful toxins.
23
Q

Name 3 symptoms of salmonella

A
  1. A fever
  2. Abdominal cramps
  3. vomiting
24
Q

How is salmonella disease controlled in the UK?

A

Salmonella is often found in chicken and poultry, but in the UK all chicken is vaccinated against salmonella.

25
What is gonorrhoea ? What kind of pathogen is it caused by?
1. Gonorrhoea is an STD that is caused by bacteria
26
Name 2 symptoms of gonorrhoea.
1. Thick green / yellow discharge from penis / vagina. 2. Pain when urinating.
27
What did gonorrhoea used to be treated by? Why can it not be treated by that anymore.
1. Gonorrhoea used to be treated by the antibiotic penicillin. 2. Antibiotic strains of bacteria are now very common so it has to be treated a different way.
28
Explain 2 ways we can prevent the spread of gonorrhoea.
1. People can use condoms during sexual intercourse which will stop the bacteria from passing from person to person. 2. People that have unprotected sex can be tested for gonorrhoea and then can be treated with antibiotics before having sexual intercourse again.
29
Is malaria communicable or not? What kind of pathogen is it caused by?
1. Yes, malaria is communicable. 2. It’s caused by a protist
30
What are the consequences of malaria?
- people with malaria experience repeated bouts of fever. - malaria can be fatal.
31
Explain the life cycle of malaria.
1. First, the infected person is bitten by a mosquito. The malaria pathogen passes onto the mosquito. 2. The mosquito then bites another person and they become infected with malaria.
32
What do scientists call the mosquito?
They call the mosquito a vector because it passes a pathogen from person to person.
33
Name 2 ways we can prevent the spread of malaria.
1. We can stop it spreading by stopping the mosquito from breeding. Mosquitoes breed in still water, so we can drain areas of still water, or spray them with insecticide which kills mosquitoes. 2. We can sleep in mosquito nets. These prevent mosquitoes from biting people because they cannot get through the net.
34
Name all of the parts of the body’s non specific defence systems.
1. The skin 2. The nose contains hair and mucus. 3. The bronchi and trachea contain cilia 4. The stomach
35
What is the job of the non specific defence system?
It’s job is to prevent pathogens from entering the human body.
36
How does the skin prevent pathogens from entering the human body?
1. The skin forms a protective layer covering the body. It has dead cells which is hard for the pathogens to penetrate. 2. The skin produces an oily substance called sebum which can kill bacteria. 3. If the skin is damaged, it scabs over to stop pathogens from entering the body.
37
how do the hair and mucus in the nose prevent pathogens from entering the body.
They can trap pathogens before they enter the breathing system.
38
What happens if pathogens make it into the breathing system?
- Cilia - found in the trachea and bronchus - are covered in mucus which can trap pathogens. - the cilia then waft the mucus upward towards the throat where it’s swallowed by the stomach.
39
How does the stomach protect against pathogens?
The stomach contains hydrochloric acid which can kill the pathogens and prevent them from going further into the digestive system.
40
What are the 2 main functions of the immune system?
1. The immune system destroys pathogens and any toxins they produce. 2. The immune system protects us in case the same type of pathogen invades us in the future.
41
How might the pathogen get past the non specific defence system?
When the skin is damaged the pathogen might invade the body and travel through the bloodstream.
42
Name a way that pathogens can still enter the body even with the non specific defence systems.
When the skin is damaged pathogens can invade the body and enter the bloodstream.
43
What can pathogens do once they’re inside the body?
Pathogens can multiply and damage healthy tissue.
44
Explain how WBCs ingest and destroy pathogens.
WBCs can ingest and destroy pathogens - the WBC detects chemicals released from the pathogen and moves towards it. Then it ingests it. Then it uses enzymes to destroy the pathogens.
45
Explain how WBCs produce antibodies to destroy pathogens.
1. The WBC produces antibodies. 2. The antibodies stick to the pathogens 3. This triggers the pathogens to be destroyed.
46
How can antibodies protect us if we ever get infected again?
Antibodies remain in the blood for a long time so can protect us again if we ever get invaded by the same pathogen.
47
Are antibodies able to protect against any pathogen?
No - they are very specific, so the measles pathogen will only protect against the measles virus.
48
What are toxins?
Toxins are chemicals that bacteria release that make us feel unwell.
49
Explain how antitoxins protect us against pathogens.
Antitoxins stick to toxin molecules and stop them from damaging cells.
50
What is an antigen?
Antigens are found in pathogens and cause your immune system to trigger a response and produce antibodies against them.

Biology (10 decks)

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