Infectious disease Flashcards
small, single-celled organisms that can live almost anywhere
bacteria
a disease caused by organisms that enter, live in, and multiply within the human body
infectious disease
an organism that causes disease
pathogen
a poisonous substance
toxin
the smallest type of pathogen
virus
immunity that is created by a person’s own immune system as the result of having a disease or receiving a vaccine
active immunity
a protein that attaches to the surface of pathogens or to the toxins produced by them
antibodies
a type of lymphocyte that produced antibodies
B cells
tiny hair-like structures that line the air passages and sweep foreign particles away
cilia
the body’s ability to destroy pathogens that it has previously encountered before they are able to cause disease
immunity
an injection given for the purpose of stimulating immunity to a disease
immunization
the body’s response to injury; it fights infection and promotes healing
inflammation
the type of white blood cell that carries out most of the immune system’s functions
lymphocytes
the moist, protective lining that covers some of the openings to the body and the air passages
mucous membranes
the sticky liquid that covers the surface of mucous membranes
mucus
immunity acquired by receiving antibodies from another person’s immune system
passive immunity
a white blood cell that “eats up” foreign cells
phagocytes
a type of lymphocyte that kills pathogens or produces substances that regulates the activities of other cells of the immune system
T cells
a substance that contains small amounts of dead or modified pathogens or their toxins and is used in vaccination
vaccine
a drug that inhibits or kills bacteria
antibiotic
the stage of an illness during which the symptoms are most severe
acute stage
the stage of an illness between the end of infection and the time the person feels well
convalescence
a body temperature above 98.6F
fever
the time between entry of a virus and the time when a person begins to fell ill
incubation stage
