U3 Immunity: Types of pathogens Flashcards
Define pathogen
An orgaism capable of causing disease
Define communicable/infectious disease
A disease that can be passed from one person to another by infection with microorganisms
What are the types of pathogens?
- Bacteria
- Viruses
- Fungi
- Animal parasites
Give three examples of bacteria
- Anthrax
- Tentanus
- Whooping cough
Give three examples of viruses
- Influenza
- COVID-19
- Colds
Give three examples of fungi
- Ringworm
- Thrush
- Tinea
Give thee examples of animal parasites
- Tapeworms
- Lice
- Toxoplasmosis
What are the structural characeristics of bacteria?
- Unicellular
- Have no membrane-bound organelles as they are prokaryotic
- Microscopic (can only be seen with light microscope)
- No nucleus (DNA is in form of plasmids of floast freely in cytoplasm)
Are bacteria living on non-living?
Living
Are most bacteria pathogenic?
No, most bacteria are non-pathogenic and are harmless to humans
What are the four shapes of bacteria?
- Cocci (spherical shape)
- Bacilli (rod shape)
- Spirilla (spiral shape)
- Vibrio (comma shape)
What form does genetic material take in viruses?
Genetic material in viruses is in the form of a molecule of either DNA or RNA, which is surrounded by a coat of protein
Are viruses living or non-living?
Non-living, they can’t produce by themselves (acellular)
How do viruses manufacture more virus particles?
- Virus infects a living cell
- Virus inserts its DNA or RNA into the cell
- The cell starts to manufacture more virus particles
- The virus particles leave the cost cell to infect others
What happens to cells that have been infected by viruses?
The cell becomes damage or dies
What are bacteriophages?
Viruses that multiply in bacterial cells, causing the death of the bacterium
How can viruses be seen?
With an electron microscope, as they’re too small to be seen in a normal light microscope
