Science - Biology - Infection and Response - B3 Flashcards
what is a pathogen ?
pathogens are microorganisms that enter the body and cause disease. They cause communicable diseases.
what is a communicable disease ?
an infectious disease
what are the different types of pathogen ?
- bacteria
- viruses
- protists
- fungi
what is bacteria ?
very small cells which reproduce rapidly inside your body, they can make you feel ill by producing toxins which damage your cells and tissues
what is an example of bacteria ?
salmonella - food poisoning
what is a virus ?
viruses are not cells. They reproduce rapidly inside your body and live inside your cells and replicate themselves using the cells machinery which makes the cell usually burst releasing new viruses. The cell damage makes you feel ill
what is an example of a virus ?
HIV - infects and destroys cells that protect us against diseases
what is a protist ?
a pathogen transferred onto other organisms by a vector, which doesn’t get the disease itself
what is an example of a protist disease?
malaria is caused by a protist that lives inside a mosquito
what is fungi ?
a microorganism that can cause disease, and that produces spores that can be spread onto other organisms
what is an example of a fungi disease ?
rose black spot - black spot fungus infects rose plants
give 3 ways pathogens are spread
- water
- air
- direct contact
give an example of a pathogen that is caught through water
cholera - drinking dirty, contaminated water
give an example of a pathogen that is caught through air
influenza virus - spread in the air in droplets produced when a contaminated person coughs or sneezes
give an example of a pathogen that is caught through direct contact
athletes foot - fungus spread by touching the same things as an infected person
how is measles - a viral disease - spread ?
direct contact - droplets of someone’s cough or sneeze
what are the effects of measles ?
- red skin rash
- signs of fever
- high temperature
what can measles lead to if not treated ?
- pneumonia
- encephalitis - brain infection
how is measles prevented ?
vaccination
how is HIV spread ?
direct contact - sexual, exchanging bodily fluids, e.g blood
what are the symptoms of HIV ?
- first few weeks - flu like symptoms
- several years - potentially no symptoms
- aids - if body’s immune system is badly damaged and can’t cope with any diseases
how can HIV be controlled ?
- antiretroviral drugs - stops the virus replicating in the body
what is the tobacco mosaic virus ?
a virus that affects many species of plants
what are the effects of the tobacco mosaic virus?
- causes mosaic virus on the leaves
- leaves become discolored
- discoloration leads to less photosynthesis - effects growth