Pathogens and Vaccination

Question 1

What is a pathogen?

Answer 1

Pathogens are microorganisms that cause infectious disease. Bacteria and viruses are the main pathogens.

Question 2

What is bacteria?

Answer 2

Bacteria are living cells and can multiply rapidly. Once inside the body, they release poisons or toxins that make us feel ill.

Question 3

What is a virus?

Answer 3

A virus can get inside a cell and take over it. They make hundreds of thousands of copies. Eventually the virus copies fill the whole host cell and burst it open. The viruses are then passed out in the bloodstream, the airways, or by other routes.

Question 4

What is a vaccination?

Answer 4

Vaccination involves putting a small amount of an inactive form of a pathogen, or dead pathogen, into the body. Vaccines can contain:

live pathogens treated to make them harmless

harmless fragments of the pathogen

toxins produced by pathogens

dead pathogens

Question 5

What are antibiotics?

Answer 5

Antibiotics are substances that kill bacteria or stop their growth. They do not work against viruses