Infectious diseases Flashcards
Define diseases
Diseases are conditions that cause the body to function less effectively
Define infectious diseases
Infectious diseases are caused by pathogens and can be transmitted from person to person
Describe viruses
- Made up of genetic material surrounded by a protein coat called the capsid
- Can only reproduce in living host cells
What are some ways that infectious diseases spread
- Droplets in the air
- Coming into contact with bodily fluidcoming
What are the characteristics of bacteria
- Have cell wall, cell membrane, cytoplasm, genetic material
- No membrane-bound organelles
- Genetic material consists of a circular chromosome containing a circular DNA strand
- Cell wall made up of peptidoglycan
Define viruses
Viruses are biochemical parasites that take control of a host cell
Why do viruses challenge the cell theory
- Viruses can cause many diseases and be spread among organisms
- Cannot reproduce or carry out metabolic activities outside of host cell
What do antibiotics work on
Bacteria only
What do vaccines work on
Viruses only
What is pneumococcal disease
Caused by the Streptococcus pneumonia
How is influenza transmitted
- Respiratory droplets from coughing or sneezing
- Contact with contaminated surfaces
How to reduce transmission of influenza
- Annual influenza vaccination
- Practise good hygiene
- Avoid crowded places
What are common symptoms of pneumococcal disease
- Fever
- Headache
- Vomiting
- Chest pain
- Rapid breathing
How is pneumococcus transmitted
- Direct contact
- Respiratory droplets
How to reduce transmission pneumococcus
- Get pneumococcal vaccination
- Practise good hygiene
Define antibiotics
Antibiotics are substances that kill or inhibit the growth of bacteria
How do antibiotics work
- Inhibit synthesis of bacterial cell wall so bacteria bursts and dies when too much water enters
- Breaks down cell membrane
- Inhibit protein synthesis in ribosomes
- Inhibit enzyme action in cytoplasm
Why are antibiotics not effective on viruses
- Cellular structures that antibiotics target in bacteria are not present in viruses
What is antibiotic resistance
Antibiotic resistance occurs when bacteria develop resistance to specific antibodies after being exposed to it
How to prevent emergence of antibiotic resistant bacteria
- Practise good hygiene
- Take antibiotics as prescribed
- Get timely vaccinations to prevent overuse of antibiotics
How do bacteria acquire antibiotic resistance
- When antibiotics are taken, most bacteria are killed
- Antibiotic-resistance bacteria are more likely to survive
- Antibiotic-resistance bacteria divide and increase in numbers
- Higher bacteria percentage will be antibiotic-resistant
What are superbugs
Superbugs are bacteria that are resistant to any types of antibiotics
Define vaccination
Vaccination is used to induce the immune system to develop an acquired immunity to a specific disease using a vaccine
Describe the immune response system
- Primary immune response is when white blood cells become activated to produce antibodies
- Secondary immune response is the next time the person is exposed to the vaccine
- Level of antibodies produced has a sharp increase
- Antibodies level begin to fall after some time
What is a vaccine
A vaccine contains an agent that resembles a pathogen and prevents infectious diseases by stimulating white blood cells to quickly produce antibodies when pathogen invades
How do vaccines work
- Antigens trigger production of antibodies
- When a vaccine which contains an agent that resembles a pathogen enters the body, white blood cells are stimulated to produce antibodies
- Antibodies will then be ready to destroy actual pathogens
