Infection and Response Flashcards
What are the 4 disease-causing pathogens ?
Viruses, Protists, Bacteria, Fungi
What is a pathogen ?
Microorganisms that cause infectious diseases
How can pathogens be spread ?
- Direct Contact
- Air
- Water
- Vectors
What is a Vector ?
an organism that carries a pathogen and can pass it on but is not infected
How can the spread of pathogens be prevented ?
- good hygiene
- destroying or controlling vectors
- isolating infected individuals
- vaccinations
What are Viruses ?
Viruses are very small particles capable of infecting every type of living organism.
Types of Viral Pathogens
- Measles
- HIV
- Tobacco Mosaic Virus (TMV)
How do bacteria pathogens cause disease ?
They divide rapidly by splitting in two. They may produce toxins that affect your body and make you feel ill.
How do virus pathogens cause disease ?
Viruses take over the cells of your body. They live and reproduce inside the cells, damaging and destroying them
Salmonella
- spread in food bacteria and caused by unhygienic kitchen environment.
- all chickens are vaccinated against it
Gonorrhoea
- used to be treated by penicillin
- treated by antibiotics
- wear a condom
- get tested and vaccinated to prevent spread
Measles
- it is a virus
- spread in droplets when someone coughs or sneezes
HIV
- can be treated by antiretroviral drugs which stop virus multiplying which stop it from going onto to develop AIDS
- drugs not a cure but has to be taken for the rest of your life
Malaria
- bouts of fever
- protist
- stop vector from breeding by draining or insecticide areas of still water
- use a mosquito when sleeping to stop mosquito from entering.
Antibodies
- produced by lymphocytes
- lymphocytes produce antibodies against anything foreign
- scientists call foreign objects like this antigens