Physiology and Respiration Flashcards
1
Q
Digestive System
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- Absorption: Movement of a fluid or dissolved substances across a membrane
- Assimilation: Conversion of nutrients into fluid or solid parts of an organism
2
Q
Peristalsis
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- Peristalsis: Continuous segments of smooth muscle (longitudinal & circular) rhythmically contracting & relaxing, causing food to move unidirectionally along alimentary canal from mouth to anus.
- Circ. muscles contract behind food to constrict gut & prevent food from being pushed back towards mouth, whilst long. muscle contract perp. to food location, moving food along gut.
- Contractions controlled unconsciously by enteric nervous system rather than brain.
- Segmentation (peristalsis in stomach/small intestine) contractions move chyme bidirectionally allowing for greater mixing of food with dig. juices
3
Q
Label Cross-Section of Small Intestine/Ileum.
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- Serosa: Protective outer coat composed of layer of cells reinforced by fibrous connective tissue.
- Muscle layers: Layer of long. muscle (peristalsis) & inner layer of circ. muscle (segmentation)
- Sub-mucosa: Layer composed of connective tissue separating muscle layer from mucosa; contains blood and lymph vessels.
- Mucosa: Highly folded innermost layer with epithelium on its inner surface that absorbs nutrients from intestinal lumen.
4
Q
Digestive Enzymes
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5
Q
Villi Features (MR SLIM)
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- Microvilli: Ruffling of epithelial membrane further increases surface area
- Rich blood supply: Dense capillary network rapidly transports absorbed products
- Single layer epithelium: Minimises diffusion distance between lumen and blood
- Lacteals: Absorbs lipids from the intestine into the lymphatic system
- Intestinal glands: Exocrine pits (crypts of Lieberkuhn) release digestive juices
- Membrane proteins: Facilitates transport of digested materials into epithelial cells
6
Q
Digestion of compounds
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Triglycerides:
- Triglucerides digested into fatty acids and monoglycerides by lipase.
- Absorbed into villus epithelial cells by simple diffusion or fac. diff. (by carriers).
- Fatty acids re-combine with monoglycerides to produce triglycerides, which prevents diffusion back into lumen of small intestine.
- Triglycerides merge with cholesterol to form fat droplets, coated by phospholipids & protein = lipoproteins
- Lipoproteins released through plasma membrane (exocytosis) on inner side of villus epithelium cells.
- Lipoproteins enter lacteal & are carried away in lymph or enter blood capillaries in villi.
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Starch:
- 1,4 bonds in amylose & amylopectin (starch) broken by amylase in saliva into mixture of maltose (2-glucose) & maltotriose (3-glucose) fragments.
- Amylase can’t break 1,6-bonds in amylopectin, forms dextrins (1,6 fragments).
- Microvilli membranes in small int. contain maltase, glucosidase & dextrinase to digest maltose, maltotriose & dextrins into glucose & complete dig. of starch.
- Glucose abserbed to villus capillary, which carries blood to venules in sub-mucosa of small intestine wall.
- Hepatic portal vein then takes venule blood to liver, where excess gluc. absorbed by liver cells & assimilated to glycogen for storage.
- Proteins:
7
Q
William Harvey’s Heart
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- William Harvey discovered the circulation of blood, with arteries & veins belonging to same blood network.
- Showed that valves in the veins/heart ensure unidirectional flow of blood
- Predicted existence of capillaries.
- Showed that blood wasn’t consumed by body (proposed by Galen)
- Showed that Galen’s theories were false.
8
Q
Arteries
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- Arteries: Carry blood at high press. from ventricles to body tissues.
- Artery Wall composed of several layers:
- Tunica externa: Tough outer layer, has collagen that prevents artery ruptures.
- Tunica media: Thick layer, has smooth muscle & elastic fibres made of elastin.
- Tunica intima: Smooth endothelium forming artery lining.
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Tunica Media tissue:
- Elastic Fibres: Store EPE by stretching at systolic press. & use EPE at diastolic press. to propel blood along artery & maintain high press.
- Smooth Muscle Fibres: Rigidify arterial wall to handle high blood press., without rupturing; & determine lumen diameter by contracting/relaxing, which affects press. between pumps & helps maintain blood press. throughout cardiac cycle.
- Both tissues contribute to wall toughness, needed to withstand constantly changing & intermittently high blood press. without forming outward bulge or bursting.
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Arterial Flow:
- Heart expels blood upon ventricular contraction & flows through arteries at high press. in pulses.
- Circ. (smooth) muscle in arterial wall form ring that contracts, which dec. lumen diameter –> inc. pressure of blood entering arteries to systolic levels –> blood exerts press. onto arterial wall, forcing elastic fibres in wall to stretch & expand, thus storing elastic PE.
- When circ. muscles dilate (further along artery), lumen diameter inc. –> dec. blood press. in arteries to diastolic levels –> artery returns to norm. size (elastic recoil) using EPE, which propels blood along artery, saving energy & preventing diastolic press. becoming too low.
9
Q
Veins
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- Veins: Veins collect blood from body tissues & return it at low press. to heart atria.
- Vein flow:
- Venous wall thinner as it contains less smooth muscle (and elastic fibres), so lumen is wider –> dec. press. –> allows more blood to enter vein at once.
- Blood continuously progresses along arteries (not via periodic pulses)
- Flow usually assisted by gravity. But when it’s not, press. also exerted onto venous walls by (dec. its press. and inc. flow) :
- Periodic contraction of skeletal muscles adjacent to veins.
- Bulges of arteries parallel to vein
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Valves: Gates that ensure unidirectional blood circulation using press. changes caused by arterial bulges & skeletal muscle contractions to prevent backflow of blood.
- If blood starts to flow backwards, caught in valve flaps → fill with blood, blocking vein lumen.
- When blood flows towards heart, flaps pushed to sides of vein (valve opens) & blood flows freely.
10
Q
Capillaries
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- Capillaries: Narrowest blood vessels that exchange materials between cells in body tissues & blood travelling at low press.
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Capillaries Structure:
- Small diameter, inc. body cap. for capill., which dec. diff. distance & allows for optimal exchange of nutrients.
- Capill. wall made of single endothelium layer → short diffusion distances.
- Also surrounded by basement membrane that is permeable to necessary materials.
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Capillary Flow:
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Branching: Artery → arteriole → capillary
(network) → (pool into) venules → vein. - Extensive branching + lumen narrowing
inc. total vol. of vessels → dissipate high arterial blood press. → blood flows through capill. slowly & at low press. to allow for max. material exchange. - Hydrostatic press. at arteriole end of capill. > blood osmotic press. → forces nutrients from blood into plasma, which
leaks from capill. pores at body tissues. - Hydrostatic press. at venule end of capill. < blood osmotic press. → forces
waste from tissues (e.g. CO2 + urea) to enter bloodstream.
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Branching: Artery → arteriole → capillary
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Capillaries structure & permeability varies depending on its location in body & specific role, as well as in time:
- Capillary wall maybe continuous with endothelial cells held together by tight junctions to limit perm. of large molecules.
- In absorption-specialised tissue (e.g. intestines, kidneys), capillary wall fenestrated → leaks out tissue fluid (plasma containing nutrients).
- Sinusoidal capillaries have open spaces between cells, so permeable to larger molecules & cells (e.g. in liver)
- Permeabilities change over time as capill.
repair & remodel in response to current
needs of tissues that they perfuse.
11
Q
Vessel Comparision
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12
Q
Heart Structure
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- Heart has 2 sides, L & R, that pump blood to systemic & pulmonary circulations.
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Each side has 2 chambers:
- Atrium is smaller chamber, collects blood from veins & transfers it to ventricle.
- Ventricle is large chamber, pumps blood out into arteries.
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Each side has 2 valves:
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Atrioventricular Valve between atrium & ventricle:
- Bicuspid on L
- Tricuspid on R
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Semilunar Valve between ventricle & artery:
- Aortic on L
- Pulmonary on R
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Atrioventricular Valve between atrium & ventricle:
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Blood Vessels:
- Vena Cava (inferior & superior): Returns deoxygenated blood from body into RA.
- Pulmonary Artery: Sends deoxygenated blood to lungs from RV.
- Pulmonary Vein: Returns deoxygenated blood from lungs into LA.
- Aorta: Sends oxygenated blood around body from LV.
13
Q
Heart Contractions
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- Heart contractions are myogenic, meaning that cardiac muscle cells generate their own signal for contractions, rather than relying on motor neurone stimulation.
- SAN: Small cluster of specialised cardiac muscle cells with extensive membranes in RA wall; have fastest rate of depolarisation. Initiate & control rate at which heart beats.
- Extensive SAN cell membranes depolarise
upon contraction → activates adjacent cells, which also contract, etc. → electrical impulse to spread throughout atria walls. - SAN initiates each heartbeat, as SAN cell membranes are first to depolarise in each cardiac cycle, & control rate of heartbeat depending on rate of depolarisation.
14
Q
Pacemaker
A
- SAN regulated by medulla oblongata (in cardiovascular centre).
- Cardiovascular centre receives inputs from receptors monitoring blood press, its pH & [O2]
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Sympathetic nerves speed up rate of SAN depolarisation by releasing noradrenaline →
inc. rate of myocardial contraction when low blood press, [O2] & pH → inc. rate of blood flow to tissues → inc. O2 delivered + CO2 taken -
Parasympathetic nerves slow up rate of SAN
depolarisation by releasing acetylcholine →
dec. rate of myocardial contraction when high blood press, [O2] & pH → dec. rate of blood flow to tissues → dec. O2 delivered + CO2 taken -
Adrenalin: Hormone secreted by adrenal glands → inc. rate of SAN depolarisation.
- Secretion controlled by brain
- Secreted when vigorous physical activity required for a threat or opportunity.
- Interference of pacemakers lead to irregular & uncoordinated contraction of heart muscle (fibrillation), which may only be re-established with controlled electrical current (defibrillation)
- Defective SANs require artificial pacemakers placed under skin with electrodes implanted in RA wall to initiate heartbeats in place of SAN.
15
Q
Cardiac Cycle
A
- Deoxygenated blood returns from all parts of body (except lungs); enters RA via vena cava. AV valve is open; SL valve is closed.
- SAN contracts + depolarises, sending elec. impulse → stimulates myocardium contraction
- Myocardium contractions spread signal throughout atrial walls → L & R atria contract
- Atria contractions → inc. atrial press. > ventricular press. → Only AV valves open →
blood pumped to ventricles.- Also spread signal to junction between atria & ventricles → stimulates AV node contraction + depolarisation.
- Time delay exists between atria contraction & impulse transmission, allowing time for ventricles to fill.
- AV node sends impulses, via nerve fibres, down septum → spreading signal throughout ventricular walls → ventricles contract.
- Meanwhile, atrial press. dec. as ventricular press. inc. until < ventricular press. as blood continues to flow in them, but no blood pumped in → AV valves close to prevent backflow of blood & further inc. ventricle press.
- Ventricle contractions → inc. ventricular press. > aortic press. → SL valves open → Blood pumped into aorta.
- Meanwhile, vena cava feeding atria → inc.
atrial press, causing them to fill until atrial press. > ventricular press.- Occurs as ventricle contraction dissipates → ventricle press. dec. < aortic press. → SL & AV valves closed.
- AV valve re-opens once ventricle press.
> atrial press. to repeat cycle.
- Cycle ensures delay between atria & ventricle
contractions, resulting in 2 heart sounds due to
closing of AV valves (1st), then SL valves (2nd)
16
Q
Heart Disease
A
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Coronary Arteries: Surround heart & nourish cardiac muscle to keep heart working
- Blood pumped through heart is at high press, so can’t be used to supply cardiac muscle with O2 & nutrients
- If coronary arteries become occluded, One of the causes being atherosclerosis in coronary arteries.
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Coronary Occlusion: Narrowing of arteries that supply blood containing O2 & nutrients to cardiac muscle → region of tissue nourished by blocked artery to die & cease to function.
- Caused by Atherosclerosis: Hardening & narrowing of arteries due to development of atheroma (fatty deposits) in artery wall adjacent to endothelium.
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Causes of atherosclerosis:
- Low Density Lipoproteins (LDL) accumulate in atheroma.
- Phagocytes then attracted by signals from endothelium cells and smooth muscle.
- Phagocytes engulf fats & cholesterol by endocytosis & grow → artery wall bulging into lumen → dec. diameter of lumen →
restricts blood flow → inc. arterial press. → stresses arterial wall → damage. - Damaged region repaired with smooth muscle → dec. artery wall thickness →
forms lesions, which trigger blood clots if ruptured.
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Consequences of atherosclerosis:
- May lead to coronary thrombosis, which causes CHD if in cor. arteries.
- Lack of O2 (anoxia) from blocked coronary arteries causes pain (angina), & impairs myocardial tissue’s ability to contract →
heart beats faster to maintain blood circulation with some of its muscle out of action. Heart beats irregularly (fibrillation) & if fully blocked → heart attack. - Coronary artery blockages usually treated by by-pass surgery or creating a stent.
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Coronary Thrombosis: Clot formation within coronary arteries.
- Coronary occlusion, damage to capillary epithelium, hardening of arteries, & atheroma ruptures all inc. risk.
- Factors affecting risk of coronary thrombosis and heart attacks:
Smoking
High [blood cholesterol]
High blood pressure
Diabetes
Obesity
Lack of exercise
But correlation doesn’t produce causation.
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Factors associated with inc. risk of CHD:
- Age: Blood vessels become less flexible with advancing age
- Genetics: Having hypertension inc. chance of developing CHD.
- Obesity: Being overweight places an additional strain on the heart
- Diseases: Certain diseases increase the risk of CHD (e.g. diabetes)
- Diet: Diets rich in saturated fats, salts and alcohol increases the risk
- Exercise: Sedentary lifestyles increase the risk of developing CHD
- Sex: Males are at a greater risk due to lower oestrogen levels
- Smoking: Nicotine causes vasoconstriction, raising blood pressure
17
Q
Skin & Mucous Membranes
A
- Skin & mucous membranes form primary defence against pathogens causing infections.
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Skin:
- Thick outermost layer made of keratin, which is hard & tough, provides physical barrier to physical and chemical damage as well as direct entry to pathogens.
- Sebaceous Glands: Associated with hair follicles, secrete sebum, which maintains skin moisture and slightly lowers pH, which inhibits growth of bacteria & fungi.
- Skin also secretes lactic & fatty acids to lower pH, also inhibits microbial growth.
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Mucous Membranes: Thinner & softer membranes found in nasal passages, head of penis, & foreskin of vagina. Secretes mucus, tears, saliva, etc.
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Mucus: Sticky glycoprotein solution
that traps pathogens & harmful particles (which are swallowed or expelled). - Mucus has antiseptic properties as it contains lysosyme, which destroys cell walls & causes cells to lyse.
- Mucous membranes maybe ciliated to aid in removal of pathogens (along with phy. actions like coughing / sneezing)
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Mucus: Sticky glycoprotein solution
18
Q
Blood Clotting
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- Clotting: Mechanism by which broken blood vessels are repaired when damaged. Prevents blood loss from body & limits pathogenic access to bloodstream when skin is damaged.
- Blood clotting involves cascade of reactions, each of which produces catalyst for next reaction, stimulated by clotting factors released from damaged cells (extrinsic pathway) & platelets (intrinsic pathway)
- Clotting strictly controlled by catalysts as it occurs inside blood vessels & may cause blockages.
- Vessel lining injury triggers clotting factor release.
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Clotting factors:
- Activate platelets (blood-circulating cellular fragments) → structural change → form sticky aggregates, which adhere to damaged region to form plugs.
- Cause localised vasoconstriction to dec. blood flow through damaged region
- Catalyse prothrombin → thrombin (enzymes), which catalyses (soluble) fibrinogen → (insoluble) fibrin (proteins)
- Fibrin strands form fibre mesh in cuts, trapping more platelets & blood cells around platelet plug.
- Final clot initially a gel, but dries to form hard scab if exposed to air, prevents pathogen entry.
19
Q
Phagocytes
A
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Phagocytes provide 2nd line of defence:
- Phagocytes squeeze out through capillary wall pores & move to infection sites in response to chemicals released by damaged tissues.
- Phagocytes surround & engulf pathogen, by forming int. vesicle with pathogen in it.
- Vesicle then fused to lysosome within &
pathogen digested using lysozyme. - Large numbers of phagocytes attracted by infected wounds, resulting in pus.
- Phagocytes = non-specific & respond to infection always in same way.
20
Q
A
Antibodies provide 3rd line of defence:
- MHC: Chemical that body recognises as “self”, is tolerated by immune system.
- Antigen: Chemical that body recognises as foreign, stimulates immune response.
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Antibodies: Y-shaped proteins made by B-cells specific to a given antigen. 2 functional parts:
- Hyper-variable region that binds to specific antigen, diff. between antibodies.
- Another region that helps prevent viruses from docking to host cells so that they can’t enter cells and opsonisation (PANIC):
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Precipitation: Soluble pathogens →
insoluble for easier phagocytosis. - Agglutination: Clumping of cellular pathogens for easier removal
- Neutralisation: Antibodies may occlude pathogenic regions.
- Inflammation: Trigger inflammatory response within body
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Complement Activation: Activates
(complement) prots that cause lysis. - PANI aids opsonisation & phagocytosis, whilst C causes lysis.
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Precipitation: Soluble pathogens →
- Antibodies = specific & target response specific to given pathogen (so adaptive).
Clonal Selection:
- Non-specific immune cells (macrophages) engulf & digest pathogens non-selectively.
- Some macrophages (dendritic cells) present antigen of pathogen to specific Helper T-cell.
- Helper T-cell binds & is activated by antigen.
- Cytokines stimulate specific B cell that produces antibodies to specific antigen to divide & form clones (clonal selection).
- Most of clones develop into short-lived plasma cells that produce lots of specific antibody.
- Some clones differentiate into long-lived memory cells that provide long-term immunity.
- If 2nd infection with same pathogen occurs, memory cells react + vigorously
to produce antibodies faster. - Antibodies produced faster > pathogen reproduces → not enough to cause disease symptoms.
- If 2nd infection with same pathogen occurs, memory cells react + vigorously
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Polyclonal Activation: Single pathogen stim.
several diff. T + B lymph. to produce diff.
specific antibodies. (occurs as it has >1 antigen)
21
Q
A
- Pathogen: Agent that causes disease – either a microorganism, virus or prion
- Pathogens are generally species-specific in that their capacity to cause disease is limited to a particular species.
- Polio, syphilis, measles = diseases caused by pathogens that specifically affect human hosts
- Zoonoses: Animal diseases that can be transmitted to humans.
- Rabies (dogs), Bird flu (birds) & bubonic plague (rats) = diseases caused by zoonoses.
- Transmission of infectious diseases occur via:
- Direct Contact: Transfer of pathogens via physical contact or fluid exchange.
- Contamination: Ingestion of pathogens growing on, or in, edible food sources
- Airborne: Pathogens transferred in air via coughing & sneezing
- Vectors: Intermediary orgs that transfer pathogens without dev disease symptoms themselves (e.g. mosquitoes, rats).
22
Q
Allergens
A
**Allergen:** Env. substance that triggers localised immune response (exposure region) despite not being harmful in practice
Anaphylaxis: Severe systemic allergic reaction; can be fatal if left untreated.
Allergic Reaction split into 2 parts:
- Allergen first enters bloodstream
- Specific B cell differentiates into plasma cells, which make antibodies that attach to mast cells
- When allergen re-enters bloodstream, it binds to antibodies in mast cells, which release
* *histamine:**- ↑ Permeability → swelling (due to + fluid leaking from blood) & pain (swelling causes compression of nerves)
- Vasodilation → redness + heat as blood closer to skin.
- Inflammation → ↑ leukocyte mobility to infected regions.
23
Q
HIV-AIDS
A
- Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV): Retrovirus that infects & destroys helper T cells, causing patients to progressively lose ability to produce antibodies.
- HIV = retrovirus, so has RNA genes & uses reverse transcriptase to make DNA copies of its genes once it exerts host helper T-cell.
- Following infection, virus undergoes period of inactivity during which infected helper T cells reproduce.
- Eventually, virus becomes active again, destroying helper T-cells & begins to spread.
- Anti-Retroviral drugs slow down rate of Helper T-cell destruction.
- AIDS: Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome when syndrome of conditions (due to HIV killing helper T-cells) present.
- With dec. in helper T-cell#, antibodies unable to be produced, resulting in lowered immunity, allowing opportunistic infections to strike, which usually kill patient if not managed.
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AIDS spreads by blood to blood contact:
- Sex contact, during which abrasions to mucous membranes of penis and vagina can cause minor bleeding.
- Infected blood transfusion
- “Sharing of hypodermic needles by intravenous drug users”.
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Reduced by:
- Using latex protection (e.g. condoms) dec. risk of exposure through sex contact.
- Small minority immune to HIV infection.
- HIV = global, but rather prevalent in poorer nations with poor education & health systems.
24
Q
Vaccines
A
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Vaccine: Weak pathogen form containing
enough antigens to stim. memory cell prod. but not enough to cause disease. - When exposed to actual pathogen, memory cells trigger more potent 2º immune response, which prevents disease symptoms from dev.(individual becomes immune to pathogen)
- Length of immunity to infection after vacc. depends on how long memory cells survive for
- Memory cells may not survive lifetime & indiv.
may need booster shots to maintain immunity. - Vaccination confers immunity to vaccinated individuals but also indirectly protects non-vaccinated individuals via herd immunity
- Herd Immunity: Immunity to pathogen given to unvacc. indiv. by lots of immune indivs that vac.