Keeping Healthy - defence against infectious disease Flashcards
how does the pathogen bacteria cause disease?
produces toxins, split into 2 inside the body, makes you feel sick
how do viruses cause disease?
reproduce in your cells
the 4 ways in which pathogens can spread?
air born droplets eg. sneezing
contact
contaminated food
contaminated animals
define the term medicine
treat symptoms
the 3 ways in which white blood cells protect you from disease?
engulf and digest
produce antibodies
produce antitoxins
why can antibiotics not be used to treat viral infections?
viruses live inside the cells and antibodies cannot get to them
what was the work of Ignaz Semmelweis?
he realised doctors who had just carried out operations and then went straight to deliver babies caused the woman a higher death rate, than the pregnant woman who were treated by nurses who only worked in the delivery ward. He told the doctors to wash their hands after performing operations and the deathrate decrease
what is a Pathogen?
a disease causing organism
how does bacteria become resistant to antibiotics?
MVASL
how do vaccinations work?
give a deadened or weakened form of the pathogen.
white blood cells produce antibodies which kill pathogens.
if you ever get the disease you were vaccinated against, your white blood cells produce antibodies rapidly.
advantage and disadvantage of being vaccinated…
protects you from disease
can make you a little bit ill
define an epidemic
an outbreak of a disease that spreads across a country
what’s the difference between drugs such as paracetamol and penicillin?
paracetamol- kills symptoms
penicillin- kills bacteria
what is MRSA
mrsa is a bacterial infection that is resistant to a number of widely used antibiotics. It is carried on the skin, nostrils and throat. It can be prevented by washing hands
define pandemic
an outbreak of a disease that spreads all over the world
