infection and response/ defence against diseases

Question 1

types of microorganisms

Answer 1

bacteria, viruses, fungi, protists

Question 2

types of cells

Answer 2

eukaryotic - has nucleus eg. plant and animal cells + prokaryotic - don’t have nucleus eg. bacterial cells

Question 3

what is a communicable disease?

Answer 3

infectious disease - can be spread from one person to another eg. covid, flu

Question 4

ways of spreading?

Answer 4

air - pathogens can be carried in air and inhaled
direct contact - touching contaminated surfaces
water - drinking or bathing in dirty water

Question 5

ways to prevent pathogen spreading

Answer 5

hygiene - washing hands
social distancing
disinfecting surfaces
wearing masks
isolation
vaccination

Question 6

what is the first line of defence against pathogens in the body?

Answer 6

skin
nose
throat
stomach

Question 7

how is the skin a good first line of defence?

Answer 7

skin flora - good bacteria and viruses on surface of skin
skin flora compete with harmful bacteria and viruses for nutrients and space

Question 8

how is the nose adapted to be a good first line of defence?

Answer 8

mucus to trap pathogens and hair to move out

Question 9

what is a pathogen?

Answer 9

bad micro organism

Question 10

how is throat adapted to be a good first line of defence?

Answer 10

mucus produced to trap microorganisms
cilia (hair-like structures) move mucus out the throat

Question 11

how is stomach adapted to be a good first line of defence?

Answer 11

stomach contained hydrochloric acid which kills pathogens

Question 12

what is one thing white blood cells do to protect body when pathogen has gotten past first line of defence?

Answer 12

white blood cells engulf and consume the pathogens - phagocytosis

Question 13

what is another thing white blood cells do to protect body when pathogen has gotten past first line of defence?

Answer 13

white blood cells produce antitoxins - these antitoxins destroy toxins produced and released by bacteria but not efficient way of protecting body

Question 14

what is a last thing white blood cells do to protect body when pathogen has gotten past first line of defence?

Answer 14

produce antibodies that attack the pathogen.

Question 15

why can’t one antibody work for all pathogens?

Answer 15

antibodies are specific to the pathogen - which is why they take long to make. they need to be able to fit to the antigens (proteins on the surface of the pathogens) to slowly destroy the pathogen this is also why once an antibody is made against a specific pathogen, the body is immune to that pathogen

Question 16

what are antibiotics for?

Answer 16

for bacteria only

Question 17

what is a vaccine?

Answer 17

an injection containing weak or dead pathogens

Question 18

why are vaccines helpful?

Answer 18

white blood cells will produce antibodies for the weak pathogens until the antibody that is specific to the pathogen is made. if the real pathogen enters the body later, the white blood cells quick produce the specific antibodies to kill the pathogen and the vaccinated person is immune eg. covid 19 vaccine

Question 19

what is mutation?

Answer 19

when the antigens and dna of the pathogen changes so the person is no longer immune

Question 20

why should you not take too many antibiotics?

Answer 20

because the bacteria can develop resistance to the antibiotics

Question 21

what is an antibiotic sensitivity testing experiment look like

Answer 21

determines if the antibiotic will be affective against bacterial infection