Topic 3 - Infection And Response Flashcards
What are pathogens?
Pathogens are microorganism a that enter the body and cause disease.
What do pathogens do?
They cause communicable diseases.
What can pathogens infect?
Both plants and animals.
What type of pathogens are there?
That can be:
- Bacteria
- Viruses
- Protists
- Fungi
What are bacteria?
Bacteria are VERY SMALL living cells which can rapidly reproduce inside your body.
What do bacteria do?
They can make you feel ill by producing toxins that damage your cells and tissues.
What are viruses?
Viruses are not cells. They are very small (much smaller than bacteria).
What do viruses do?
They reproduce rapidly inside your body.
What does a virus do inside a cell?
- They live inside cells and replicate themselves using the cells’ machinery
- The cell usually bursts, releasing all the new viruses.
- This cell damage is what makes you feel ill
What are all protists?
All protists are EUKARYOTES. Most are single-celled.
What are parasites and what to they do?
Parasites are a type of protists. They live on or inside other organisms and can cause damage. They are often transferred by a vector, which doesn’ get the disease itself (e.g. an insect which carries the protist).
Fungi
Some are single-felled.
Some have bodies made up of hyphae (thread-like structures).
These hyphae can grow and penetrate human skin and the surface of plants.
These hyphae can produce spores, which can be spread to other plants and animals.
Ways pathogens can be spread
WATER: Pathogens can be picked up by drinking or bathing in dirty water. (e.g. Cholera)
AIR: Pathogens can be carried in the air and breathed in. (e.g. Influenza virus)
DIRECT CONTACT: Pathogens can be picked up by touching contaminated surfaces. (e.g. Athlete’s foot)
Viral Diseases: Measles
- Measles is spread by droplets from an infected persons sneeze or cough.
- People with measles develop a red skin rash and they show signs of a fever.
- Measles can be very serious or even fatal if there are complications. It can sometimes lead to lung and brain infections.
- Most people are vaccinated against measles when they are young.
Viral Diseases: HIV
- HIV is spread by sexual contact or the exchange of bodily fluids.
- Initially, HIV causes flu-like symptoms. Usually the person then doesn’t experience symptoms for several years. During that time, HIV can be controlled with antiviral drugs (they stop the virus replicating itself).
- The virus attacks the immune cells
- If the body’s immune system is badly damaged, it cannot cope with other infections or cancers. At this stage, the virus is known as late stage HIV infection, or AIDA.
Viral Diseases: Tobacco Mosaic Virus
- TMV is a virus that affects many species of plants.
- It causes a mosaic pattern on the leaves of the plants (parts of the leaves become discoloured).
- The discolouration means that the plant can’t carry out photosynthesis as well, so the virus affects the growth.
Fungal Diseases: Rose Black Spot
- Rose black spot is a fungus that causes purple or black spots to develop on the leaves of rose plants. The leaves can then turn yellow and drop off.
- This means that less photosynthesis can happen, so the plant doesn’t grow very well.
- It spreads through the environment in water or by the wind.
- Gardeners treat the disease using fungicides and by stripping the plant of its affected leaves. Theses leaves need to be destroyed so that the fungus cannot spread to other rose plants.
Protist Diseases: Malaria
- Part of the malarial protist’s life cycle takes place inside a mosquito.
- The mosquitoes are vectors (they pick up the malarial protist when they feed on an infected animal).
- Every time the mosquito feeds on another animal, it infects it by inserting the protist into the animal’s blood vessels.
- Malaria causes repeating episodes of fever. It can be fatal.
- People can be protected from mosquitoes using insecticides and mosquito nets.
Bacterial Diseases: Salmonella
- Salmonella causes food poisoning
- Infected people can suffer from fever, stomach cramps, vomiting and diarrhoea.
- The symptoms are caused by toxins that the bacteria produces.
- You can get Salmonella by eating food contaminated by the Salmonella bacteria, or by eating food that has been contaminated by being prepared in unhygienic conditions.
Bacterial Diseases: Gonorrhoea
- Gonorrhoea is a sexually transmitted disease.
- A person with gonorrhoea will get pain when seeing. Also, they will have thick yellow or green discharge from their genitals.
- Originally, gonorrhoea was treated with penicillin, but no longer as strains of the bacteria have become resistant to it.
- To prevent the spread of gonorrhoea, people can be treated with antibiotics and should use barrier methods of contraception.